After many years of impeccable performances in the glorious venue Historic St. Mary’s, Indian River Festival is announcing their 27th season under a new name: Under the Spire Music Festival. With this change, the mandate and core ideals of the Festival will continue to build on a nearly three decade-long legacy of beautiful music set in an unparalleled venue. Since its founding in 1996, Under the Spire Music Festival (USMF) has hosted some of the best Canadian performers and strives to present musical excellence spanning multiple styles. No matter the artist or genre, beautiful music will always be welcome in the summer at Historic St. Mary’s.
The Festival began as a few stand-alone concerts to save Historic St. Mary’s; soon after, it grew into a small concert series called Midsummer Magic. Fast forward a few decades and USMF has since grown into a fully-fledged, internationally-renowned festival. Our goal is to build on the early legacy to create an extraordinary experience for Islanders and visitors alike. All are welcome to come witness some magic Under the Spire.
After two years of cancellations, postponements, and capacity restrictions, USMF is excited to open the doors of Historic St. Mary’s and welcome as many people back into the venue as possible. Featuring over 20 concerts and community events, the 2022 season will see the return of some Festival favourites, as well as new performers and emerging artists. Live music connects us all, and opportunities to come together as a community are more important than ever. Step Inside the Music this summer at Historic St. Mary’s and experience the magic of live performance!
The 2022 Season is as follows:
CONCERTS
| June 19 3pm | Youth Legacy Celebration | Classical |
| June 24 7:30pm | Rose Cousins with special guest Atlantic String Machine | Pop |
| June 26 3pm | Stick & Bow | Classical/Pop |
| July 8 7:30pm | Reeny Smith & The Sanctified Bros | Gospel/R&B |
| July 10 3pm | PEISO co-presents the Atlantic String Machine and PEISO Brass Quintet | Classical |
| July 15 7:30pm | Amanda Rheaume | Roots |
| July 17 3pm | Duo Beija-Flor | Classical |
| July 22 7:30pm | Twin Flames | Folk |
| July 24 3pm | David Myles | Pop |
| August 5 7:30pm | Don Pasquale featuring Peter Tiefenbach, Midori Marsh, Yanik Gosselin, Alex Halliday, Parker Clements, and Taylor Donald | Opera |
| August 7 3pm | Think of me… Rebecca Caine & Robert Kortgaard with special guests Parker Clements and Taylor Donald | Classical |
| August 12 7:30pm | Madison Violet | Pop |
| August 14 3pm | David Jalbert | Classical |
| August 19 7:30pm | Island Songwriters featuring Alicia Toner, Joce Reyome, Brielle Ansems, and Dylan Menzie | Folk/Roots |
| August 21 3pm | Bùmarang | Celtic |
| August 26 7:30pm | Catherine MacLellan | Folk |
| August 28 1pm | Bagels & Bach with Julia MacLaine | Classical |
| September 1 7:30pm | Kitbag Theatre: The Songs of Johnny & June | Country/Theatre |
| September 2 7:30pm | Kitbag Theatre: The Songs of Johnny & June | Country/Theatre |
| September 9 7:30pm | Lennie Gallant | Acadian |
| September 11 3pm | The New Cohort | Classical |
SPECIAL EVENTS
June 10 PEI Mutual Festival of Small Halls Season Opening
June 18 Open House- Local food and music * FREE *
June 21 National Indigenous Day Celebration * FREE *
July 2nd Family Ceilidh * FREE *
July 19th Pride Ceilidh * FREE *
July 28 Open Stage- by donation
August 3-10 Kensington Music & Wellness Week * FREE *
August 18 Open Stage- by donation
August 20 Ceilidh des Traditions Acadiennes * FREE *
September 10 Nostalgia Ceilidh * FREE *
September 18 Soupfest
And more…!
“There’s still a chill in the air, but as we see and feel signs of spring and summer coming on, our fabulous team at Under the Spire Music Festival cannot wait to welcome the world to our season of great music,” says USMF’s Artistic Director, Robert Kortgaard. “We have a stellar lineup of performers eager to share their talents and love of the live music experience. And there is no better place to gather than under the spire of our acoustically amazing, visually stunning venue on the shores of beautiful Malpeque Bay. We can’t wait to welcome back our long time festival friends, both on stage and in the audience, and treat newcomers to the thrill of live music in our glorious, historic setting. Please join us for a well earned, soul nourishing, PEI summertime experience like no other.”
All summer concerts take place in Historic St. Mary’s on Hamilton Road in Indian River, PEI. USMF will adhere to all provincial Public Health guidelines and alongside PEI Public Health to ensure a safe and accessible music experience for all. USMF will continue to social distance when possible, and have masks and hand sanitizer at venue entrances for those who wish to use them.
USMF’s Executive Director, Lindsay Connolly is thrilled for a season filled with great music. “The past two years have been nothing short of difficult, but as we transition back into live events I couldn’t be happier to welcome audiences back to Historic St. Mary’s. Whether you come for a concert, community event, or just to experience our magnificent 120 year-old building, I guarantee you will fall in love with what we have to offer.”
In addition to concerts, Under the Spire Music Festival is committed to fostering a sense of togetherness through a series of community events, such as songwriting workshops, pre-concert talks, film nights, and more. We will also be bringing back a fan favourite: “Open Stage” where community members are invited to take to the stage and feel the musical magic of Historic St. Mary’s for themselves! Whether you’re a pianist, singer, whistler, storyteller, opera singer, or ukulele player, your sound will be beautifully amplified by the unique architectural design of our world-famous venue. The Festival has a variety of accessible community concerts and events scheduled for this summer which will be announced closer to the season.
The Festival has received many accolades throughout the years, including the Kensington and Area Chamber of Commerce award for Community Impact, several Music PEI Awards for Livestream of the Year (2021), Event of the Year (2020) and for Achievement in Classical Music (2019); multiple ECMA nominations for event and venue of the year; twice named in the Globe and Mail as one of the best small summer classical music festivals in Canada; and most notably, listed as one of the top summer classical music festivals in Canada by CBC Music.
Individuals and companies interested in partnerships are encouraged to contact Under the Spire Music Festival at music@underthespire.ca.
About Under the Spire Music Festival:
Presented by the Confederation Bridge, Under the Spire Music Festival (USMF) offers a summer long series of concerts in a magnificent heritage church located in idyllic rural Prince Edward Island. The internationally recognized Festival has been twice named by the Globe and Mail as one of the best summer music festivals in Canada and presents outstanding performances from a dynamic mix of some of the biggest names in Canadian music and exciting emerging talents. Now entering its 27th season in 2022, this summer-long festival attracts thousands of music lovers annually to the acoustically perfect Historic St. Mary’s, idyllically set overlooking beautiful Malpeque Bay, to experience the very best in folk, blues, jazz, classical, traditional, contemporary, and world music. Under the Spire Music Festival would be but a dream without the support from our incredible sponsors and funders. Thank you to the Government of Canada, the Cultural Development Division of Innovation PEI, SOCAN Foundation, Malpeque Bay Credit Union, Quality Inn & Suites: Garden of the Gulf, and to our presenting sponsor the Confederation Bridge.