When winter peaks and snow blankets our town in an icy silence, people will bundle up and venture downtown for the city’s sixth annual Shivering Songs Festival.
The festival runs from Jan. 21 — 24 as part of Fredericton’s FROSTival winter festival. With a line-up of Canadian artists like Joel and Bill Plaskett, Shane Koyczan, Jenn Grant, Fortunate Ones, The Weather Station, Les Hay Babies, Quiet Parade and more, Shivering Songs is dressed (warmly) to impress.
“We’ve usually restricted our announcements to five headliners, but this year we’ve went all out and we have 13 artists from a variety of genres and background,” said Brendan MaGee, Shivering Songs co-organizer.
The festival began five years ago as a small, local event in Fredericton and has since grown to attract national and international talent alike. St. Thomas University is a founding partner of Shivering Songs and will sponsor $2000 towards the festival this year.
In return, Shivering Songs offers a scholarship valued at $500 for those interested in writing, music or performing arts and discounted tickets for students to shows.
“We were attracted to this [partnership] because of what we offer at STU with regards to English, creative writing, fine arts and musical theatre. There is a strong relationship with what we offered and what they wanted to do in January,” said Jeffrey Carleton, director of communications St. Thomas University.
Carleton describes the relationship between STU and Shivering Songs as mutually beneficial.
“We’ve had a really strong relationship with them – both providing student discounts and getting performers onto campus in order to do things with our students,” said Carleton.
As part of last year’s festival events, Giller Prize winner Sean Michaels discussed his creative writing process with students. A similar event will be held at STU this year with Canadian author Sheree Fitch. Fitch is the second STU alumnus to participate in the festival after David Adams Richards, a writer from New Brunswick and member of the Order of Canada. MaGee said the event helps fill the dead space after Christmas and New Years – a time when most city-goers are ready to hide away until Spring.
“It’s a perfectly timed to keep the fun and excitement going in that down time after Christmas.”
