Sunset start for Gardens arts fest
It’s the event that serves as the traditional finale to the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival, but this year the Sunset Symphony concert is, effectively, the opening act.
The perpetually popular performance by the Trust Waikato Symphony Orchestra will get under way at 8pm tomorrow in the verdant surrounds of the Rhododendron Lawn. It will conclude about
9.30pm with a massive fireworks display.
The concert, which has entry by donation, will set the scene for the two weeks of music, theatre, dance and other forms of artistic expression that will begin in earnest on Wednesday.
The show will be compered by Chris Lam San, better known as one of the members of the children’s music group The Funky Monkeys, and will be preceded by a performance by Cook Islands singers and dancers.
‘‘Don’t arrive too early,’’ advises the festival’s artistic director Bronwyn Bent. ‘‘Last year we had people turning up at
3pm. They won’t be able to get access to the lawn at that time, because the orchestra will be using that time to rehearse and we will still be doing the final setup then.
‘‘The concert will feature music that will be familiar to a lot of people. Lots of themes from films and TV and some symphonic hits too. It will be a really nice mix and a wonderful introduction to classical music for the younger audience members.
‘‘And there is no other orchestral concert in the country that features a fireworks display.’’
Earlier on Saturday, at 1pm, out-of-practice and budding musicians can put themselves into the shoes – or more accurately seats – of the symphony orchestra players at an event known as the Rusty Symphony. The show is not a concert as such, but rather has been billed as ‘‘just an awesome opportunity to make music’’.
Players wanting to register for the Rusty Symphony can do so by emailing support@orchestras.org.nz. There is a player registration fee of $10, and the show is free to watch.
The lawn and other parts of the 54-hectare gardens have been the scene of intense preparations this week, with stages being erected and sound and lighting equipment now getting installed.
Amid all the activity, Bent and the festival’s general manager Geoff Turkington were bubbling with enthusiasm about this year’s extended, expanded lineup.
Sales for most of the shows were good, with the concert by the musical collective Fly My Pretties on Saturday, February 29 proving particularly popular.
Much like one of the exotic plants that can be found in the gardens, the festival is this year extending its tendrils well beyond the gardens themselves to the fertile grounds of some of the city’s other venues, such as Victoria on the River and the Meteor and Clarence St theatres.
‘‘We have got a new strategy and a direction for this year’s festival, aligning it better with the rest of the city and other things that are going on,’’ Bent said. ‘‘The core, the heart of the festival will always be the gardens, but it is great to be working with those other venues, who are proving themselves to be super supportive and great partners.’’
Tickets to the shows can be found at hgaf.co.nz, and physical copies of the festival programme can be found at council offices, libraries and other locations around Hamilton.