Under the Spire is a non-profit summer concert series in rural Prince Edward Island that offers the best in various genres of live music.
We present artists from our home province of PEI, from across Canada and international acts from the US, Europe and beyond. Running from June through September each year, Under the Spire honours its storied history while forging new traditions and growing rural arts and culture in our historic venue. Read more about our organization below!
From Community Campaign to Established Non-Profit
There is no doubt that our historic venue of St. Mary’s was meant to host music. Its architect, William Critchlow Harris, credited the inside of a violin as his inspiration for the design of our vaulted ceilings. Across three decades, our concert series has attracted thousands of locals and tourists alike to create magical and musical memories with us. Visit Under the Spire to experience world-class music in PEI’s most iconic historic venue.
Music in St. Mary’s began in 1987. At that time, St. Mary’s was in serious disrepair and required extensive renovations to remain functional. The parish was unable to foot the cost alone, so members of the community came together to begin the ‘Save St. Marys’ fundraising campaign. The entire campaign saw an overwhelming success, and one of the most popular incentives was a ‘Sundays in the Summer’ concert series highlighting classical music. The concert series proved to be extremely popular and a secure source of revenue, but the volunteer core behind the series became stretched to its capacity. In order to evolve to the next level, a dedicated focus was required to become a separate entity and permanent event. Consequently, in 1996 our organization was formed as an incorporated, non-profit body for the presentation of fine music, and to aid in the continuing upkeep and restoration of Historic St. Mary’s. The concert series has continued annually since that time, and has now expanded to include over 30 concerts every summer across various genres – classical, opera, folk, pop, jazz, world music and more!
In 2009, Historic St. Mary’s was deconsecrated by the Roman Catholic Diocese and was purchased in 2010 by our organization. In July of 2012, the building became a designated heritage place in recognition of its cultural and historical significance to Prince Edward Island.
Over its 30 year history, the concert series has received many accolades including several Music PEI Awards for Livestream of the Year (2022) and Achievement in Classical Music (2019, 2018), the Kensington and Area Chamber of Commerce Community Impact Award (2022), and several ECMA nominations for event and venue of the year. The concert series has been twice named in the Globe and Mail as one of the best small summer classical music festivals in Canada, and was listed as one of the top summer classical music festivals in Canada by CBC Music in 2014.
We’re grateful to our Community Partner, the Town of Kensington, for their support of our organization!
2022 Rebranding Project
You might be familiar with our organization under a different name, which was retired in 2021. At that time, the Indian River Festival Board of Directors decided to embark on a brand refresh, including updates to the organization’s logo, marketing, and the name. The decision to change the organization’s name was approached with thought and care, and included consultation with stakeholders, audience members, artists, and the local community. From this work emerged three primary reasons for the new name:
- The former name of ‘Indian River Festival Association’ does not clearly indicate that we are a concert series.
- It does not reference or connect to the organization’s mandate, which is to present quality music to highlight the unparalleled acoustics of Historic St. Mary’s while helping restore and preserve this beautiful venue.
- After 25 years, the organization feels the current name does not reflect an awareness or respect for different cultures. Our hope is that longtime and new concertgoers, the surrounding community, all Islanders, and other visitors to this magnificent space feel welcomed.
Dean Perry, former board member and chair of the Rebranding Committee, spoke about the process. “When artists sing, play and speak, we should listen. Maybe artists are spies who see when it’s time for change before the rest of us. They nudged us to look at our beloved festival, with its magnificent historic venue and glorious acoustics—how are we to steward it into the future? With consultation from artists, board members, volunteers, stakeholders, patrons, and the local community, all under the guidance of a brand strategist, writer and graphic designer, we explored every aspect of the festival. We brainstormed, discussed, debated, disagreed. But we uncovered the true heart of the festival and unanimously agreed on a wonderful new name and look. What a productive and exhilarating process it was!”