By Angelica Ingram

At times it was difficult to decipher if you were at a concert or a Yuks Yuks comedy night.

When David Francey performed this past Saturday at the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion it was a wonderful evening of song story and at times silliness.

An initiative of the Haliburton County Folk Society the sold-out concert was a year in the waiting following a cancellation in January 2015 when Francey had to back out due to health issues.

The Jan. 30 performance marked the singer’s first time back on stage performing for an audience and he never missed a beat.

Songs like Paper Boy The Walking Hour and Come Rain or Come Shine had the theatre in silence at times or audience members singing along at others.

But it was an a cappella version of Torn Screen Door that really showcased his talents and left viewers breathless.

Joined on stage by musicians Mark Westberg and Chris Coole the trio performed songs from Francey’s latest album So Say We All.

Along with being a gifted songwriter and singer Francey who is originally from Scotland has a strong humour gene that came through in between his sets.

Stories about his beloved wife Beth his upbringing and tales from touring had the audience in stitches. Whether singing or talking it was clear Francey was a true storyteller in every sense of the word.

The concert included a partnership with Heritage Ballet studio who provided refreshments during intermission as a fundraiser for the dance studio. The HCFS also partnered with the Arts Council Haliburton Highlands to feature the work of two local artists Wendy Wood and Nadine Paps during the intermission.