A strong wind in the sails has got east coast musicians Jim Payne and Fergus O鈥橞yrne headed from one rock to another with a set of concerts in the Vancouver Island area this March.

A pair of Newfoundland and Labrador鈥檚 most eminent folk performers, Payne and O鈥橞yrne are prepared to put on three evenings of merrymaking and folk music, taking place on Gabriola Island March 6, Courtenay on March 7 and Parksville on March 8.

Known for their infectious passion, Payne and O鈥橞yrne bring the tradition, history and culture of everyday east coast people, where song is woven into the fabric of living.

鈥淚 find here in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador that the music and stories are still a part of everyday life,鈥� said O鈥橞yrne.

A transplant from Dublin, Ireland, O鈥橞yrne said he grew up studying piano and singing in local church choirs before the great folk revolution in the 1960s caught his interest.

鈥淚 was attracted to the stories the songs told and how eloquently these songs represented the history of the 鈥榗ommon person,鈥欌�� he said.

Payne, on the other hand, grew up in a pair of small communities in Notre Dame Bay called Pilley鈥檚 Island and Robert鈥檚 Arm, where he was immersed in traditional music from the start, said O鈥橞yrne.

鈥淎ll of his immediate family and relatives were singers, storytellers and musicians.鈥�

The pair first performed on stage together at a folk festival they were helping to organize, when another group couldn鈥檛 go on. Though a last-minute decision, their performance created sparks, and it鈥檚 been an alliance they鈥檝e continued for decades.

Though their performances can cover a variety of moods, their passion and the music they play attracts fellow artists to join them on stage, gets audiences singing along and even drives concertgoers out of their seats to dance in the aisles.

鈥淲e aim to give the audience the best night out they鈥檝e had all year,鈥� said O鈥橞yrne.

Payne and O鈥橞yrne will be in Courtenay at the Sid Williams Theatre (442 Cliffe Ave.) on March 7 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $34.50. To buy tickets, call the Sid Williams Theatre at 250-338-2430, by email via tickets@sidwilliamstheatre.com, or go to www.sidwilliamstheatre.com/events/

The performance is presented by the Schooner Cove Singers.