Although January’s snowy weather postponed the Whidbey Island Shanty Fest 2012, it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the Shifty Sailors singing group, said director Vern Olsen.
“I’m sort of thinking that perhaps February may not be a bad time of year to plan an event like this after all,” said Olsen, who has been with the group since its founding in 1993.
The third annual Shanty Fest, rescheduled for Feb. 18 at Greenbank Farm, features the Shifty Sailors as well as other musical acts in a fundraiser concert benefitting three medical support funds: Friends of Friends, Small Miracles and Medical Safety Net of North Whidbey.
“This event not only aims to celebrate our maritime heritage here on the island we call home, it also reinforces what I call the heart of the people on Whidbey, to take care of our own, who need some help with medical expenses,” said Olsen.
Whidbey Island lays claim to some very solid ties to that aforementioned maritime heritage, said Olsen.
“North Whidbey hosts Naval Air Station Whidbey Island,” he said. “The Navy followed on the heels of sea captains, merchant marines and all of the island’s seafaring industries of yesteryear.”
And speaking of sailors, one may well ask how the Shifty Sailors came up with their group’s name.
“That’s a good question,” said Olsen, chuckling a little. He noted that in the beginning, they weren’t sure what to call themselves.
“Some of the group referred to ourselves as ‘salty sailors,’ but the publicity deadline was fast approaching, and we needed to have some sort of name on the advertising posters.
“I was working on songs for the first night’s gathering, and at the last minute, got a telephone call from the person in charge of publicity, who told me, ‘Okay, we’re calling you the Shifty Sailors,’” he said. “And that’s how we are known to this day.”
Even though their name was adopted at the last minute, group members share a love for music that has been years in the making.
“We’ve got our own fraternal group right here,” Olsen said. “We don’t have a lot of turnover, because everyone is just so very committed, especially to some of the annual festivals such as the Penn Cove Water festival.”
Olsen’s own nautical heritage traces back to the shores of another great sailing nation, Norway.
“One of my grandfathers was a ship’s captain, the other a sailor, and later, a fisherman,” he said. “Even now, my cousins there are still making a living from the sea, thanks to the North Sea oil rigs.”
Olsen is himself an Army veteran, and estimates that half or more of their members are veterans.
“They may not have made the military their lifelong career, but we count members who are prior Navy, Coast Guard and Army, and maybe the other branches as well,” he said. “They bring all their experiences to the Shifty Sailors, and we are the richer for it.”
Saturday song sessions at Shanty Fest, from 1 to 5 p.m. are free. The evening concert begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. Go to www.shiftysailors.net for information, or call Olsen at 678-5019.
