One of Creston Valley’s long-running musical traditions needs help to make sure it carries on.
The Wynndel Coffee House has had to cut back its season as it struggles to put together a volunteer roster for evenings that remain popular with musicians and patrons. This season, coffee houses will be held every second Saturday, November through April. Previously music fans were treated to local and visiting talent from October through April.
“There are lots of small jobs involved — everything from setting up chairs to tending the door to collect fees (only $3 per person and $5 per family), helping in the kitchen (no qualifications required), putting away chairs — we just need a few reliable people to know these things will get done,” said volunteer John Rimmer.
Rimmer often emcees the popular evenings — about 80-120 people come out to most coffee houses — and says it isn’t uncommon for him to be unable to sleep after a coffee house.
“We get some fantastic musicians, locals and visitors, and I’ll be driving home feeling the hair on the back of my neck standing on end,” he said. “There have been performances that people would gladly pay $50 for in other venues. We have had Lorn Wolf and his son, Kyle, perform and just blow people away. And Elena Yeung’s first public performance was at the Wynndel Coffee House.”
Bob Gollan, a Wynndel musician who has been at every coffee house since they started in 2001, said the evenings grew out of a Monday night musical gathering in which a few dozen singers and musicians got together.
“We had a 300-song book that had all kinds of different music in it — we had a great time,” he said.
From those evenings, he said, came the idea for a coffee house that could help raise funds to maintain Wynndel Hall. Thousands of dollars in improvements have been made from coffee house revenues, he said.
“When we were working to get the coffee houses going I went around and bought equipment from pawn shops,” Gollan recalled. “We had the ugliest performance area you could imagine, with a red shag rug on the stage and dark brown curtains behind. And people loved it!
“So many people have played at the coffee house who had never performed in public before. It’s a very supportive audience.”
“It has enabled people who would normally be reluctant to get up stage to give it a try,” Rimmer agreed.
Like many volunteer organizations, the coffee house has its ups and downs, and can be affected dramatically by the loss of one person. The passing of Al Spinks, who was a key organizer, left a hole that has been difficult to fill, Gollan said.
“Wynndel Coffee House seems to have a life of its own,” he laughed. “But we would welcome more people getting involved to help lighten the load.”
For more information, call Gollan at 250-866-5789.