Music of Prince Edward Island

One of the Maritime provinces of Canada, Prince Edward Island is known as a home for traditional Celtic music. The island has produced ECMA-award winning fiddlers Richard Wood and J. J. Chaisson as well as the award winning singer-songwritwer, Lennie Gallant. The celebrated Stompin' Tom Connors also lived in Skinners Pond.

Indie rock band Two Hours Traffic plays a local pub in 2007.

Prominent bands include the bluegrass band Bluestreak, who won seven prizes in the 2004 Prince Edward Island Music Awards.

Record labels on Prince Edward Island include Islander Records.

Other prominent musicians include Albert and Chuck Arsenault of the Acadian band Barachois, Allan Rankin, Perry Williams, Brad Fremlin, Timothy Chaisson and songwriter Gene MacLellan. On February 23, 2003, Angèle Arsenault received the Order of Canada for her music and contribution to PEI culture.

Today, such bands as Two Hours Traffic, Boxer the Horse, The Sidewalks, Haunted Hearts, The Danks, English Words, Racoon Bandit, The North Lakes, Milks & Rectangles and Paper Lions are successful on the PEI rock/pop music scene.

Charlottetown

Charlottetown is the capital and largest city on the island. Its documented music history begins in the 19th century, with religious music, some written by local pump and block maker, and organ-importer, Watson Duchemin. Several big bands including the Sons of Temperance Band and the Charlottetown Brass Band, were active.

By the end of the century, Charlottetown had its own opera house, performing comic operas by Gilbert and Sullivan.

The Prince Edward Island Music Festival was first held in 1946, inaugurated by the Women's Institute of Prince Edward Island. Fiddler Don Messer moved to Charlottetown in 1939 where he joined CFCY as music director. He formed the "Islanders" and by 1944 the group was airing a show nationally on CBC Radio, becoming established as the most popular on Canadian radio from the 1940s to the 1960s and later on television.

The Prince Edward Island Symphony Orchestra is also well-known. Other well-known famous performers from Charlottetown have included Haywire, Teresa Doyle, Tara MacLean, Nancy White, Walter MacNutt, UIGG, William Keith Rogers and ECMA winners The Saddle River Stringband.

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