P.E.I.'s Indian River Festival strikes chord with Toronto fundraiser

P.E.I.'s Indian River Festival will hold its first-ever Toronto fundraising concert Tuesdaynight, called Midwinter Magic. It'll also give patrons a sneak peek at what's in store for the festival's 2016 season.

The award-winning festival has been running on P.E.I. for two decades and features many genres of music, from classical to pop to Celtic, in the historic St. Mary's Church in Indian River, near Kensington.

We're expecting a lot of our regular Island people who are living in Toronto but spend the summer on P.E.I. Robert Kortgaard, Indian River Festival

"Nice if we raise a bit of money for the festival, because it's always useful, but I think it's more important we just get a group of happy people in there who are then going to talk," said Robert Kortgaard, the festival's artistic director from his home in Toronto.

Kortgaard, also a pianist, will play as part of Tuesday night'sconcert and is raffling off a personal house concert.

A new board member for the festival, Lorna MacGillivray, who lives in Toronto but is also a summer resident of P.E.I., came up with the idea.

"One of the things she thought we should do is have some presence in the Toronto area in the off-season because there are a lot of people who come to the festival who have summer places on P.E.I. or who travel to the Maritimes and come to the festival."

Regulars expected

The concert is being held at the Heliconian Hall in Yorkville, which is a converted 1840 church. Tickets are $45 and include wine and P.E.I. oysters.

"We're expecting a lot of our regular Island people who are living in Toronto but spend the summer on P.E.I. to be there, and they're bringing along friends," Kortgaard said, adding they're hoping for about 100 guests, which will almost fill the little hall.

Kortgaard is also hoping a well-known music critic will attend and give the festival some positive press.

Advertising wasn't needed Kortgaard said they emailed their membership list in Toronto, and many of them indicated they're coming.

It will feature some of the festival's perennial favourites, like Patricia O'Callaghan, Mary Lou Fallis, baritone Brett Polegato and more. There will also be a silent auction including a tour inside the Confederation Bridge and original P.E.I. artwork.

Play it again

The festival continues to grow every year, adding performances from mid-June to mid-September.

Any funds raised will go back into the festival's budget for things like programming. It's a not-for-profit entity that raises funds, as well as seeks government support, to pay performers and maintain the venue.

The festival has also built a new outdoor pavilion to replace the tent it has been using for years.

If the night goes as well as anticipated, Kortgaard said the festival is already thinking about staging Midwinter Magic again next year.