Songs, stories, dance: All in P.E.I.'s smallest concert halls
Kevin Yarr | CBC News | Posted: June 8, 2016 2:36 PM | Last Updated: June 8, 2016
Festival of Small Halls celebrates traditional music in traditional venues
P.E.I.'s Festival of Small Halls, a celebration of the Island's smallest entertainment venues, launches this weekend.
The festival, marking its 8th year, features more than 50 performances in over 40 different community halls this year, from St. Louis to the Northumberland Ferry.
"The logistics are challenging," festival manager Debbie Atkinson told Island Morning host Matt Rainnie.
"We have vans criss-crossing the Island."
The venues range from tiny 50-seat halls to mid-sized halls like St. Mary's Church in Indian River, where the festival will have its official opening Sunday. Shakin' the Shingles will preview everything the festival has to offer — traditional fiddle and banjo, songwriters, stories, and highland dance.
Local, national, and international talent
The festival celebrates top Island talent, and also brings in performers from across the country and some international acts.
Artistic director Cynthia MacLeod is particularly excited about De Temps Antan, who are on the Island from Quebec and will be doing three shows during the two-week festival.
"I've seen them in festivals in North America and in Europe and they have every crowd standing on their feet by the end of it, making fans everywhere they go," said MacLeod.
"I'm really excited for their shows here on P.E.I."
Young Folk, New Tradition
On June 13, the festival will focus on some of P.E.I.'s youngest performers of traditional music. Old Man Luedecke will host Young Folk, New Tradition in Orwell Corner.
"We have some great talent coming up on P.E.I. and it is really special for us to have these young people in the festival and see them getting charged up about traditional music," said Atkinson.
While the talent is important, said Atkinson, the big star of the show is the halls themselves, and the communities that built them.
"It's really special for the communities to have these artists; it's very special for the audiences to come and experience the hospitality in these communities and see the beautiful scenery," she said.
Ticket sales are going well for the festival, said Atkinson, and some shows are already sold out.
While the official opening is Sunday, the festival is hosting a jam Wednesday night at Upstreet Craft Brewing in Charlottetown as part of an effort to entice urban dwellers out into the country for the festival.
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