ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Photographer Credit: Hannah Jay
Under the Spire Celebrates 30 Years
▲ (L-R) Executive Director - Jennifer Bartlett; Director of Operations - Melissa Wiebe; Concert Manager & Communications Coordinator - Noelle Pettipas.
Words by Brianne Hogan | Photo by Atlantic 360 Photography
U nder the Spire – a summer-long celebration of world- class music – is celebrating its 30-year anniversary this summer. What started as a community-led fundraising effort in the 1980s to save Historic St. Mary’s church from disrepair soon grew into the beloved concert series, which was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1995. Rooted in history and community, the series continues to bring people together in the church, which was built in 1902 and is celebrating 123 years. “Maritimers are resilient and masters at repurposing and protecting heritage spaces, and Historic St. Mary's is a prime example,” says executive director Jennifer Bartlett. “Thirty years later, including a name change three years ago, Under the Spire still thrives and brings the community together to celebrate musical talent from Atlantic Canada and beyond.”
The 30-show summer concert series features
the community that saved St. Mary’s and helped transform it into a world class concert venue. According to Barlett, this season’s lineup reflects both nostalgia and progress, balancing the rich history
like you've never heard before,” she says. “All the best cathedrals in Europe possess a certain keynote of thier own which, if struck, sets the whole interior mass of air into sympathetic vibration and intensifies the original keynote and all its harmonics. The keynote of Notre Dame in Paris is A; the keynote at Westminster Abbey in London is G. You'll have to come to Under the Spire to discover St. Mary's keynote. It's breath-taking and it will transport you. You don't need to go to Europe to hear perfect acoustics.... it's here right in the heart of Prince Edward Island.”
music across various genres – from classical, to folk, to world music, to jazz – and with 30 years behind it, Under the Spire has a lot to celebrate. “Thirty years is such an incredible milestone to reach,” Noelle Pettipas, Under the Spire’s concert manager and communications coordinator, says. “There have been hundreds of concerts happening here, and thousands of people, including Islanders and tourists alike, have been captivated by the magic they’ve found in St. Mary’s. Arts and culture is a big part of life on PEI, and something
of the series with its future. “The goal is to
ensure that audiences can continue experiencing the extraordinary acoustics of Historic St. Mary’s for decades to come.” The acoustics of St. Mary’s are internationally renowned, and for good reason. The church’s architect, William Critchlow-Harris, once crawled inside a piano as a boy to understand how the strings and keys created sound with the outer shell of the piano. An avid fiddle player, he took that knowledge of musical sound and, says Bartlett, built the church like the inside of a violin. “All of the angles of the church as well as the rib-vaulted ceiling work together to create a sound
that needs community support to survive. This
UNDER THE SPIRE 1374 Hamilton Road, Kensington 902.836.4933 underthespire.ca
30-year anniversary serves as a testament to the strong community ties and support that our organization has developed over the years.”
With 30 years to celebrate, Under the Spire is honouring
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