Silo opera paves way
“It was just a great example of ingenuity and seizing the initiative to create something that really worked. It’s an example for everyone, not only in Yarriambiack Shire, but right across the Wimmera and southern Mallee” – Graeme Massey
Aunique Drive-in Opera experience at Sheep Hills silos at the weekend has provided a fresh spark for outdoor-entertainment innovation across the Wimmera-mallee.
That is the assessment of Yarriambiack mayor Graeme Massey, who applauded Rotary Club of Warracknabeal organisers on the success of their event.
Cr Massey said the concert, featuring opera singer Sofia Laursen Habel from nearby Boolite and guest tenor Michael Lapina, provided a broad blueprint in ‘thinking outside the square’ and paved the way for similar events in the future.
He said the drive-in reflected the benefits of using opportunities readily available, highlighting prominent features to entertain communities.
“It was just a great example of ingenuity and seizing the initiative to create something that really worked,” he said.
“It’s an example for everyone, not only in Yarriambiack Shire, but right across the Wimmera and southern Mallee.”
Cr Massey said the event, designed to overcome pandemic restrictions that still allowed people to come together for mass entertainment, showed how Wimmera people could make things happen through community spirit and endeavour.
“It has certainly helped pave the way in setting any new trend to promote outdoor events, especially now as we approach warmer weather and a greater easing of pandemic restrictions,” he said.
“It shows that outdoor events have enormous potential and there are obvious possibilities for other Wimmera-mallee communities to do something similar.
“It’s all about having an idea, then working as a collective to make it happen.
“When we drive across the Wimmera-mallee it might seem there is little we can use or exploit, but the event at Sheep Hills proves that with a little bit of nous, ideas, planning and willingness for success, we can achieve all sorts of things.
“Wide-open space is what we have in abundance and instead of seeing it as of little significance or even a hindrance, exploiting it could well be the key to successful events like this.
“It’s also just good to see music and entertainment coming back.
“It’s been a quiet 18 months for these types of events and we’ve missed them.”
About 350 people, from Melbourne, Bendigo, Geelong, Stawell, Nhill, Dimboola, Donald, Rainbow and Horsham as well as the district, watched and listened to the sell-out Sheep Hills show from their cars.
People tuned into a dedicated frequency on their car radios, courtesy of technical help from ACE Radio via The Weekly Advertiser and radio stations 3WM and MIXX FM.
The concert, a farewell to Laursen Habel who is about to pursue her career overseas and a money-raiser for the Rotary club’s Warracknabeal and District Country Education Foundation, attracted glowing reviews from many who attended.
Community organisations are now busy ramping up planning for a variety of events across the region this summer.