SUBMITTED BY SALT SPRING ARTS
This summer marks Salt Spring Arts’ fifth year offering free live music at Centennial Park through their Summer Outdoor Concert Series (SOCS), presented in partnership with Salt Spring Country Grocer and Island Savings, a division of First West Credit Union.
The six-week-long series launches next week on July 18, taking place every Thursday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. through Aug. 22. This beloved program of Salt Spring Arts brings together locals and visitors, youth and elders, and everyone in between, strengthening our island’s vibrant creative community in celebration of arts and culture.
SOCS’ first concert next week will see enchanting vocal trio The Selkies of Salt Spring Island taking the stage at 6 p.m. as the first local opening act of the season. These three sopranos, Schuyler Witman, Leanne Brunelle and Johanna Peters, came together in 2022 to join voices and forces.
The first headlining act of this year is also the furthest-travelled SOCS artist yet; singer/songwriter and guitar sensation Steph Strings hails from Melbourne, Australia. With influences ranging from the John Butler Trio to Kim Churchill, this young storyteller combines fingerstyle guitar with bursts of percussion, Celtic, blues and folk. Her music and stage presence continue to captivate audiences around the world.
Steph’s fourth EP, Cradle Mountain, was just released on June 28 after it was recorded on the Gold Coast in Australia. She has sold out shows while touring both domestically and internationally, and this year will see her performing across Canada and Europe. Steph has been breaking onto the global festival circuit, having played previously at the Edmonton Folk Festival, Hillside Festival, Festival Les Escales, Rolling Stone Weekender, Woodford Folk Festival and more.
Next Thursday, July 18, bring a blanket, a picnic and your dancing shoes to Centennial Park to enjoy the first of six free live concerts in the beautiful setting of Ganges Harbour.
For more information about the Summer Outdoor Concert Series, visit saltspringarts.com/socs.