Joanne Rodgers, Bruce Peninsula Press
The week of live music, performed on the beautiful Harbourside stage, with a stunning backdrop of the Lion’s Head beach, marina and bluffs has garnered a dedicated following of music lovers and performers alike.
Northern Bruce resident Dominik Franken’s vision to bring classical music to a larger audience in a casual setting, has morphed into a first class music concert series, with music offerings ranging from classical to contemporary works. For the patrons and performers, Lion’s Head Summer Music has become a highly anticipated summer tradition.
For its fifth season, Lion’s Head Summer Music ran for five evenings from 27 July to 31 July, 2026. The Georgian Bay Woodwind Quintet, Southampton Concert Band, Ladies of Note, The Spirit Singers and Rosin Dust have frequented the Harbourside stage year after year.
The Director of Southampton Band openly solicited an invite for next year, which shows how much the musicians enjoy performing at the summer music festival.
Mid week, there was a special performance of music through the ages, taking the audience on a musical journey from ancient times, to medieval, baroque, classical to contemporary music ending with Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.
The committed fanbase is treated to music from well-known classical composers such as Beethoven, Bach, Tchaikovsky, but also music from Frank Sinatra and Andrew Lloyd Webber, along with popular movie theme songs and much more. If you are a little intimidated with the idea of a week of high-brow classical music, come out to the next summer music and be pleasantly surprised on how much of the music you recognize and the variety of genres being offered.
Franken says a lesson learnt from year one was that he should not offer too many restrictions to the musicians, but to allow them to choose their music selection for their nightly performance.
Jokingly he says he starts planning for the following year, on the morning after the final performance of the season. Along with co-organizer Chris Robinson, Franken has been able to line up five days of performances of high calibre professional and amateur musicians.
Judith Friend and Gerry Gregory lend the use of their garden to host a catered meal (funded by Lion’s Head Summer Music) for the musicians. Franken says it is the sumptuous meal that is the enticement to ensure the musicians return year after year.
Franken is proud that he runs a frugal operation, with donations from the audience and sponsorships (this year’s sponsors are the Municipality of Northern Bruce, Barbara Dirckx RE/MAX, and Scott’s Home Hardware. He pays each performance $500 to cover mileage and towards purchasing sheet music.
He is grateful for the numerous volunteers that assist in making the weeklong event unfold smoothly. He is pleased to see so many committed music lovers that came out nightly for a week in the middle of summer to support the music festival.
Reflecting on the 5th anniversary of Lion’s Head Summer Music – on what works well and what could be improved – Franken plans to continue to bring exceptional music to the community. However, he says he is looking for feedback from the community about what they like, any suggestions for improvements or format. Please send your comments to dominikfranken59@gmail.com
