IN CONCERT

CantaMed revisits

Lilith Fair

A joyful afternoon of choral arrangements honouring the women who took over North America's summer stages from 1997 to 1999 and changed who got heard. Bring the whole family and come sing along (in your head is ok, we won't tell)!

And the best part? By joining us, you're also supporting a great cause! A portion of ticket sales and all concert proceeds will be donated to OrKidstra.

Grab your tickets today, bring your favourite people, and help us turn an afternoon of music into something even more meaningful!

TICKETS

Why CantaMed is revisiting Lilith Fair

Many of the songs on the program reached the radio because a group of women decided they were tired of waiting to be let in. Lilith Fair gave them a stage, an audience, and proof that their music could sell.

For many of CantaMed singers, these songs were the soundtrack of growing up, of first apartments and long drives. Singing those songs arranged for the choir lets them hear them differently: one voice becomes many, and a song about one woman's life becomes something a whole room can sing. CantaMed wanted to tell the story behind the music so that you hear it the way they do.

DATE

Saturday, January 23 2027

TIME

3pm
Doors open at 2:30pm

VENUE

Woodroffe United Church
207 Woodroffe Ave, Ottawa

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HOW IT STARTED

"You can't put two women on the same bill."

In the mid-1990s, that was conventional wisdom among concert promoters and radio programmers. Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan heard it repeatedly; stations would not play two songs by women back to back, and tours rarely booked a woman to open for another woman.

1996

Sarah McLachlan and her team booked a handful of shows with Paula Cole, Suzanne Vega, Lisa Loeb and others to test the idea. They sold out.

1997

The first full Lilith Fair tour crossed North America and became the top-grossing festival tour of the summer, outselling the male-dominated touring festivals of the day.

1998-99

Two more summers, dozens of cities, and well over a hundred performers. A dollar from every ticket went to local charities, many supporting women and families.

Lilith Fair

The name comes from Lilith, a figure from Jewish folklore said to be Adam's first wife, who refused to be subordinate and left the Garden of Eden. The festival kept her independence and dropped the punishment. Sarah McLachlan chose the word "fair" because it represents a community celebration, equity, and inclusivity for all the female artists involved.

Why it was groundbreaking

For the audience

Fans describe a festival that felt safe and welcoming, where the songs on stage spoke to their own lives. Folk, pop, rock, R&B and hip-hop shared a bill.

For the musicians

Established stars shared stages with newcomers and local acts. Independent and early-career artists played to crowds of thousands they could never have drawn alone, and many built lasting careers from that exposure. Paula Cole, Jewel and Shawn Colvin all toured Lilith in the years they broke through.

For the business

It disproved the industry's claim that women didn't sell tickets. An all-female lineup filled the space night after night, and the numbers were hard for labels and promoters to argue with.

And it still resonates…

Lilith Fair was about much more than music: it was about women having a voice, supporting one another, and challenging the idea that there wasn't room for everyone to succeed.

Nearly 30 years later, the music and message of Lilith Fair still resonate: celebrating women's voices, the power of community, and the joy of making music together. These are the very values at the heart of CantaMed, making this celebration especially meaningful to the choir.

GIVING BACK

10%

Your ticket supports OrKidstra!

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About OrKidstra
Music: the power to change lives! OrKidstra is an Ottawa-based charitable social development program that empowers kids from equity-deserving communities by teaching life skills through singing and playing music together. The program began in 2007 with 27 children and the passionate belief in the transformative power of music. It has grown to include almost 1000 children and youth, ages 5-18, from over 62 cultural and linguistic backgrounds and has become a world-class example of why music is called the universal language. OrKidstra’s students demonstrate how the power of music gives them a voice that transcends differences and creates a community that celebrates diversity, commitment, and excellence. Learn more at orkidstra.ca

10% of ticket sales plus the proceeds of the concert will go to OrKidstra. Giving back to our community is one of CantaMed's core values. It is also a Lilith Fair tradition! Sarah McLachlan did the same with the Lilith Fair concerts, giving 1$ for every ticket sold to local charities in each city the tour visited.