A feast for the senses
Kiwi stars of stage and sustenance produce the ultimate fusion menu. Mina Kerr-Lazenby enjoys a taste of the fine life.
When it comes to unforgettable shows, Geoff Sewell doesn’t do things by halves. This may come as a surprise, but the classical crossover singer, who was one quarter of pop opera band Amici Forever, excels at events planning. He’s been the brains behind sumptuous soire´ es for the Beckhams and Elton John, and has even managed to pull off a full concert in Waitomo’s iconic glowworm caves.
Now the world-acclaimed tenor has set his sights on an event that fuses the worlds of eat, sleep, and play in one spectacular evening.
The experience, dubbed Sound Bites, kicks off with a concert starring himself before shifting into a refined, fine-dining experience courtesy of Michelin-starred chef Josh Emett.
Attendees will finish with a lavish night’s stay at the five-star Park Hyatt, on Auckland’s waterfront.
The event is one of many commissioned in partnership with Elemental, a wider festival that celebrates music, art and food across venues throughout Auckland.
To some, the running of such a social, sensorial occasion may seem ill-timed, given the world’s current state of affairs. But rather than hindering the operation, Sewell says the pandemic provided inspiration: Sound Bites is required now more than ever, he believes, to reawaken the senses after months of deprivation.
‘‘This event is about waking up from the slumber and finally getting out and enjoying things. It’s about bringing that hearing, tasting, touching – all of that – back to life once again. All of those things that we haven’t been allowed to do for the past year and a half.’’
He proposes there’s no better way to forget the longueurs of lockdown than with a feast for the senses.
For Sewell, rather than being curated with space for ‘‘insert-name-of-well-known-chef here’’, Sound Bites was born with Emett in mind.
‘‘It’s more of a collaboration really, it’s just friends working together,’’ Sewell says, describing how his wife, Simone, and Emett and his wife, Helen, have been equally instrumental in getting the idea off the ground.
‘‘They understand my desire to create something that is different, something that has never really been done before.’’
Emett, a chef, restaurateur and former MasterChef judge who owns inner-city haunt Onslow and Waiheke’s The Oyster Inn, is yet to decide what will make it onto the Sound Bites menu.
One thing he does promise is that the dishes will be made from fresh, seasonal produce and will have a ‘‘classical’’ bent. The fare has to correlate with the soaring melodic treasures provided by Sewell, and, to do so, it will be elegant, timeless and
of the highest quality, he says.
In addition to rekindling guests’ appreciation for live music and fine dining, Sound Bites has also been designed to help quench the thirst for travel, at a time when packing one’s bags and jetting off to other cities is a risky proposition.
‘‘There is that real staycation allure here,’’ says Emett, explaining how those who are fearful of overseas adventure can still experience the wonders of a lavish across-the-Ditch sojourn, without having to step foot on a plane.
It’s the splendid night’s stay at the Park Hyatt, a sprawling contemporary lodging made all the more enticing come violet hour – that’s cocktail time for the uninitiated – that is arguably the biggest drawcard of all.
‘‘You don’t have to release the babysitter. You don’t have to drive home, or mess around ordering taxis,’’ says Sewell. ‘‘You arrive at the Park Hyatt for the concert and stay there until morning. It makes it feel as though the experience never ends.’’
He describes how the sleepover aspect creates more of a travel experience that can be shared by a community.
As Helen Emett puts it: ‘‘It really brings people together in a way that a standard show or dinner doesn’t. If there is a group of people who have gotten along great during dinner, given they will all be staying at the same place that night, what’s to stop them having a drink at the bar afterwards and continuing things along?’’
There’ll be further opportunity for connection the following morning, when guests are invited to an indulgent breakfast at Onemata, the hotel’s signature restaurant.
With just 80 spaces available, Sound Bites is due to be a very intimate gathering. It’s a by-product of post-Covid events planning, Sewell says, explaining how the prime reason for keeping the headcount under 100 was to ‘‘minimise any risks,’’ a precaution required when living in a city with transient alert levels.
Low numbers tied in with an event of such scale has resulted in a ticket price that might be eye-watering to some – at $1195 a pop – but both Sewell and Emett argue that the experience is worth every cent, especially given how the evening is all for a good cause.
Proceeds will go towards Sewell’s work with autism charities, most notably The Sewell Foundation which he and wife Simone set up following years of caring for their autistic daughter, Sienna.
As such, Sound Bites will have all the trimmings of a luxurious, fundraising gala. And, like all opulent fetes, it will leave guests pausing for reflection long after it has come to a close.
‘‘Nobody remembers what you say or do, but they never forget how you make them feel,’’ says Sewell, harking back to a phrase that’s been a great source of inspiration for his event planning.
‘‘What Josh and I are really trying to offer here is that food-for-the-soul-type experience.’’
‘Nobody remembers what you say or do, but they never forget how you make them feel.’’ Geoff Sewell
Sound Bites will take place on July 29 at the Park Hyatt in Auckland.