As concert-goers won’t be able to take in Wednesday on the Wharf this year, an effort is underway to make Salmon Arm’s sounds of summer available to enjoy at home.
Due to ongoing restrictions on public gatherings, the popular Shuswap concert series held at the gazebo in Salmon Arm’s Marine Peace Park is once again on hold. For 2021, however, there will be music.
Salmon Arm Arts Centre program manager Astrid Varnes said in place of the Wednesday on the Wharf (WOW) concerts, the arts centre is cutting The Wharf Sessions, a live-recorded digital WOW album, to be released on streaming platforms this June.
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“Just like WOW, the album will feature a range of musical styles, new and familiar faces and fantastic music created here in the Shuswap,” explained Varnes in a media release. “All the music will be recorded live at the gazebo, and listeners can expect to hear the ambient sounds of the park, including birds, trains and passers-by.”
The public is invited to help shape The Wharf Sessions by voting for their favourite local band to be included on the album. This contest will run from March 9 to 31, and people can vote in person at the art gallery’s front desk, by phone at 250-832-1170, or by email at wow@salmonarmartscentre.ca.
The Wharf Sessions is a collaboration between the Salmon Arm Arts Centre and Song Sparrow Hall, with production and audio engineering by Craig Newnes and Clea Roddick. The album will stream digitally and be available for download all summer long. Watch the Salmon Arm Arts Centre’s social media feeds this spring for the release of the full album lineup, including the People’s Choice winner.