A night of opera hits all the right notes
Cheese platters, chillybins and camping chairs dotted the green at Saxton Oval as the sound of the symphony rang out across the night.
The biennial Opera in the Park event drew a crowd of more than 7500 people, the first time it had been held outside of the Trafalgar Park venue.
The event opened with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra playing the Star Wars theme song under balmy skies.
The sound of the harp then rang out, as soprano opera singer Anna Leese sparkled in front of the crowd in a sequinned dress.
Adrienne Baigent came along with a group of friends from Tapawera. The group had set up a table complete with a candelabra, a bowl of Pimms, fruit flans and frittata.
‘‘We believe in doing things in style,’’ she said.
Baigent said she was both an opera fan and a ‘‘music fan, full stop’’ and it was the first time she had been along to the event, which she said was ‘‘excellent’’.
‘‘I was impressed, I expected a crowd but I didn’t expect this big a crowd.’’
Suzy Andrew said her family loved the event and she said they first came along when her oldest son was a baby. Her parents visited from the UK each year, and they also looked forward to the evening.
For Steven and Bev Stewart, it was the first time they had been to Opera in the Park.
They came on a bus with a group of people from their street to make a night of it. Steven said the event was ‘‘fantastic’’. ‘‘It’s good to get involved and come along to a nice event like this.’’
Nelson City Council festivals team leader Axel de Maupeou said it was an ‘‘absolute success’’ with a great turnout.
‘‘It showed that the change of venue hasn’t affected the enthusiasm of the audience.’’
He said the production of the event was ‘‘remarkable’’ and was appreciated by both the performers and the audience.
‘‘The reception given to NZSO just shows there is a huge crowd, and a different one from the one you may expect for orchestral music, that is interested in that kind of gig.’’
It was a good mix, we still provide operatic works to the audience and that is critical to have opera as a point of difference with other musical genres.
He said it showed Saxton Oval could be considered for other such events.
Fireworks concluded the evening, synchronised with music from Mission Impossible.