Here are five Halifax-area performances highlighted for the week of June 27 to July 3, 2022. The list moves between intimate concerts, festival programming, and an outdoor theatrical adventure.

01Stranger Still returns east

Musician and composer Pete Johnston brought his band Stranger Still back to the East Coast on June 28, with Halifax guests Ellen Gibling and Adrianna Ciccone. The programme offered a chance to hear a collaborative project built around composition, improvisation, and close ensemble listening.

Musicians performing together beneath coloured concert lights
Live music and ensemble collaboration.

02Jessica McMann presents original work

Cecilia Concerts presented composer-in-residence and flutist Jessica McMann on June 29. The concert centred original compositions and offered a focused evening of contemporary music-making.

Flutist performing on a softly lit concert stage
A close listening room for new composition.

03A festival club opens with Ashley MacIsaac

The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo opened its Tattoo Festival Club on June 29 with fiddler Ashley MacIsaac and special guests The Gilberts. The event extended the festival’s musical programme into an informal club setting.

04Thane Dunn revisits the Elvis catalogue

Thane Dunn’s Elvis Greatest Hits tour stopped in Halifax on June 30. The performance drew from a wide catalogue of familiar songs while presenting Dunn’s long-running tribute approach for a live audience.

Singer holding a microphone under a bright stage spotlight
A classic songbook, interpreted for the stage.

05Hippoposthumous moves outdoors

The Unnatural Disaster Theatre Company brought Hippoposthumous to an outdoor setting at Point Pleasant Park’s Quarry Pond from July 2 to 4 as part of its Maritimes tour. The production’s setting made the surrounding landscape part of the theatrical experience.

Outdoor theatre performance framed by trees and evening light
Theatre that takes its cues from the landscape.