Symphony in great outdoors for Opera in Park
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is gearing up to make music in the great outdoors at Nelson’s Opera in the Park.
It will be the first time in 15 years the orchestra has performed at the festival and the Saxton Oval appearance tonight will be its only outdoor concert this year.
Conductor Hamish McKeich said he was looking forward to working with soprano opera singer Anna Leese and operatic tenor Simon O’Neill again, as it had been 10 years since they were all working together.
‘‘We’ve got the band back together, they’re fantastic to work with.
‘‘Doing an outdoor concert in Nelson is absolutely incredible, and the [NZSO] players are really looking forward to it as well.’’
McKeich said the audience at the event could expect a varied programme, from classical to modern, including music from the movies Star Wars, Schindler’s List and Jurassic Park.
Singer songwriter Bic Runga will be joining Leese, O’Neill and the symphony orchestra for the first time this year. Runga will be singing some of her own songs as well as some contemporary classics.
There will be pre-show entertainment from the Nelson City Brass, led by musical director Nigel Weeks, as well as music from Nelson band Anaglypta.
The MetService weather forecast for the concert is looking good, with sun and temperatures in the low 20s today.
There will be food stalls at the event, but people can also bring their own picnic.
The festival will be held at Saxton Oval instead of its traditional Trafalgar Park venue which is having new turf laid ahead of the city’s first hosting of an All Blacks test, against Argentina, on September 8.
NBus is running a free bus service between Nelson and Saxton Oval, and back, on the night.
Buses are leaving from the Nelson bus depot on Bridge Street, travelling via Bishopdale and Tahunanui, with the first bus leaving at about 4.15pm.
The Nelson City Council said those driving to the event should access the main carpark from the entrance on Salisbury Road/Main Road Stoke, opposite Wakatu¯ Industrial Estate.
People were encouraged to avoid upper Saxton Road, which will be reduced to a single lane because of roadworks.
SPCA communications manager Jessie Gilchrist said the SPCA was informed that morning, but it was already too late.
‘‘Our inspectors were ready to respond if it could be located,’’ Gilchrist said.
The SPCA does have a National Rescue Unit trained in swift-water rescue, but they are based in Wellington and could not make it to Nelson in time.
Gilchrist encouraged anyone who saw an animal in distress to contact the police, MPI, the SPCA or their local veterinarian.