CELEBRATE HEROES TILTING wIth 21st CENTURY WINDMILLS! with WORLD-CLASS STORY-TELLER KRAY VAN KIRK!!

Presents LIVE IN CONCERT ON THE BAYFRONT

KRAY VAN KIRK and BARBARA TURRILL

Sunday   November  22nd    7PM

Pacific Maritime Heritage Center

Tickets  $20 in advance/$25 at door  Available at our Website:

kyaq.org

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"KRAY VAN KIRK is a gifted songwriter whose allegorical weave of contemporary and mythological themes is both remarkable and tremendously relevant. He backs that up with deft guitar work and a voice that embodies power and genuine tenderness. A stellar and meticulous musician, equally rooted in the mind and the heart.” ~ Joe Jenck   

“There is a reason for hero stories, hidden in plain sight and cloaked in the everyday. The dragons look different, the monsters wear suits, the quest hides behind the mundane and appears utterly futile, but the work is the same. Everyone, of every identity and history, is called to this work towards a common humanity free from Empire."

THE MIDNIGHT COMMANDER WAS HERE! 

 Singer-songwriter brings new myths to tilt at 21st century windmills.

A fine finger-style guitarist with a precise baritone, Kray Van Kirk has a Ph.D. from the University of Alaska, but he set science aside to write songs, tell stories and summon heroes. With the release of his 6th CD, Empire  (March 1, 2026), he turns to the issues of justice, fury, and renewal in the face of 500 years of Empire in the US. 

"The evening’s act was Kray Van Kirk, whose 12-string guitar and soaring vocals were spellbinding. The Alaskan singer-songwriter, in his Edinburgh debut, was not the reason I arrived early, but was certainly why I stayed late." Daily Fringe Review, Edinburgh, Scotland

“An enviable body of songs.. an intelligent and gifted writer.”  Bob Leslie, Transatlantic Conversations CelticMusicRadio.net

Thus his songs: Thunderbird resurrects the Phoenix in an empty desert diner in the American Southwest (yes, the Phoenix drives a Thunderbird), The Queen of Elfland plucks Thomas the Rhymer from the English-Scottish border in 1250 and drops him and the Queen into a subway car, The Library Song has Superman moonlighting among the stacks, Hellhound summons a spectral justice for evil, and The Midnight Commander celebrates an insane old man leading the city of New York to take up arms (and underwear) against hatred.

Of this charming, Quixotic, and decidedly eclectic performer, the Borderline Folk Club in New York wrote “it is what every singer-songwriter should aspire to."

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Barbara Lee Turrill is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from the central Oregon Coast, performing at local cafes, restaurants, and community venues kyaq.org. Her career has included a solo career, multiple band experiences, and most recently work as part of a trio, all focused on original and new folk music kyaq.org.

She is also a member of The Dalbey Gang, a Newport-area band where she plays resonator mandolin, acoustic and electric guitar kyaq.org.

Music and Releases

Turrill’s first full-length album, “Southbound Door”, was released after what she describes as “50 years in the making” kyaq.org. The record reflects her long-standing passion for songwriting and folk traditions.

Her work has been featured on platforms like AllMusic AllMusic, Spotify Spotify, and YouTube Music Youtube Music, with a presence on YouTube for live and recorded performances YouTube.

Professional Experience

Before moving to Oregon, Turrill lived and worked on the East Coast, including:

• 5 years at WGBH FM (public radio, Boston)
• 1 year at WGTE FM (public radio, Toledo, OH) kyaq.org

These experiences shaped her approach to storytelling through music and her engagement with community audiences.

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Tickets  $20 in advance/$25 at door  Available at our Website:

kyaq.org