Outdoor concerts are finally back this summer at the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand on the Plains of Abraham

From: The National Battlefields Commission

News release

Quebec City, Quebec, June 3, 2022 – Today, the summer program has been announced for the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand on the Plains of Abraham, and there will again be the outdoor concerts that have made this bandstand so popular. From June 12 to August 7, Thursday to Sunday, spectators will get a free opportunity to discover diverse musical genres, such as rock by The Box and Simon Morin, electro-folk by Mélisande, and tunes by the Royal 22e Régiment Band. 

The season will kick off on Sunday June 12 with Bandstand by Invitation. The concert will feature three artists from the summer program: Annie Blanchard, Jérôme Charlebois, and Alain Dumas. To highlight the return of the shows after a two-year hiatus, the Plains will be a theme of the opening number performed by Abraham Band—the Bandstand’s musical ensemble. A second Bandstand by Invitation concert on July 21 will feature La Berlue and Les Jacks for an evening of music from the French-speaking world.

Throughout the summer, the outdoor bandstand will be putting audiences in a festive or nostalgic mood. On June 18, there will be Joyce N’sana, a young artist discovered by Révélation Radio-Canada 2021-2022 and a rising star of reggae and Afrobluehop. World music in all its diversity will again be played during the season with artists like Monsieur Raph, Nora Toutain, Jjanice +, Lara Klaus, and Andy Rubal. The Indigenous singer-songwriter Shauit will also be performing on June 25 with music to engage the audience and bring everyone together. 

On July 31 and August 7, the ambience will be doubly energetic with the Bandstand featuring respectively Jérôme Charlebois and Mario Calliari, and then Annie Blanchard alongside guest artist Maxime Landry. The program will also have tributes to David Bowie and Jean Leloup (Bowie Revisited and Délirium Tremens), and Soul Influence will do soul music hits from the 1970s.

New this year, the Bandstand will have a break competition on June 26 with young dancers showing off their athletic prowess. 

The National Battlefields Commission (NBC) is delighted that shows will again be staged at the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand for its summer program. These performances will shine the spotlight on emerging talent, including renowned artists, as part of a tradition that goes back to 1993. With an advantageous location in the centre of Quebec City, the Plains are an ideal site for musical events in an outstanding natural setting. The NBC is inviting the public to come in droves and enjoy.

Quick facts

  • The shows will be presented for free at the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand, on the Plains of Abraham, from June 12 to July 3 and from July 21 to August 7, Thursday to Sunday, at 8 p.m. There will be no shows on June 23, June 24, and July 1. An exception to the schedule will be made for the evening of June 26, when a break competition starts at 5 p.m.

  • The complete program is available on the Plains of Abraham website. The NBC is also inviting the public to subscribe to the Facebook page of the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand to get more information about the concerts and learn more about the artists. 

  • On Saturday June 18, the Bandstand will host a young star from Révélation Radio-Canada 2021-2022, Joyce N’sana, for an evening of Afrobluehop. This show will be a presentation of Radio-Canada.

  • As part of Bandstand by Invitation, the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand team will be offering two special concerts. On June 12, Annie Blanchard, Jérôme Charlebois, and Alain Dumas will launch the 2022 season along with Abraham Band—the Bandstand’s musical ensemble. On July 21, La Berlue and Les Jacks will be playing music from the French-speaking world.

  • This year will feature two tribute shows: David Bowie (Bowie Revisited, on July 29) and Jean Leloup (Délirium Tremens, on August 4).

  • The public is encouraged to get to the Bandstand by means of active transportation or by parking nearby for $9. A parking attendant will be available for each show night from 5 p.m. onward. You can enter the parking lot via Wolfe Avenue, across from the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and in the direction of the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand.

  • Opened in 1993, the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand was named after a man closely linked to the music scene of the Quebec City Area. Captain Edwin Bélanger had a wide-ranging career as a violinist, a violist, a conductor, an arranger, a composer, and a teacher. Born in Montmagny on November 18, 1910 and passing away on January 14, 2005, he oversaw the fortunes of such major orchestras as the Cercle Philharmonique de Québec (which he founded in 1935 and led for 7 years), the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec (1942-51), and La Musique du Royal 22e Régiment (1937-61), which acquired a very enviable international reputation under his leadership.

Associated links

Contacts

Media enquiries: 
Nathalie Allaire
Communications Director
The National Battlefields Commission
nathalie.allaire@ccbn-nbc.gc.ca
418 648-4801

Information:
Plains of Abraham Museum
information@ccbn-nbc.gc.ca
418 649-6157

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