ON the eve of the 10th opera event, co-founder, soprano and leading lady, Peta Blyth is full of excitement and passion about the event that has overtaken her and her husband Bill's life.

"We started with just two singers a pianist and a flutist on a small stage," she said.

Yet even in its first year, Opera in the Paddock drew a crowd of 650.

"Well it was mostly locals coming out of curiosity I think, but it was encouraging and we just developed it artistically and creatively from there."

Originally hailing from Brisbane, Peta said she never envisioned such success the opera has realised in humble Inverell.

"It was more of a development of an arts event than an idea I suddenly came up with.

"I thought about it for a couple of years before we did anything."

Peta studied a music degree, majoring in piano at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, before being awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London to study voice.

She and her husband Bill, a local farmer from Delungra, married shortly before Peta left for London and they travelled over together, living in London while Peta studied.

After returning from Europe, Peta and Bill settled back in their home at Delungra on 1000 acres of mixed farming.

Peta commuted to Sydney on and off for about 10 years, staying involved with Opera Australia.

"We were living in a caravan while renovating our house and I used to sing every day and realised the potential of the acoustics at Mimosa, it became something we felt we had to do and it evolved from that.

"But it was a personal desire for me mainly."

Peta's CV was nothing short of impressive before she took on Opera in the Paddock and since then she has cemented the cultural event as a nationally recognised arts production that rivals any in Australia.

And she is a busy woman to say the least; Peta is on the go, fervent and brimming with excitement.

But she betrays just the smallest amount of anxiety, mostly I gather about wanting to please and impress everyone.

The success of 10th anniversary will no doubt be causing some pressure for all involved and Peta's many roles - as coordinator, organiser, fundraiser and most importantly, as a soprano singer have kept her on her toes.

"I try to switch off and just be the performer," Peta said when asked how she juggles all these roles.

"I only focus on the music because otherwise I'd get up there (on stage) and go blank."

From an outsiders view, the paddock opera has arguably become one of the most prestigious cultural events in NSW, outside of Sydney and its growing audience has responded with enormous enthusiasm.

It has also proven a huge financial windfall for Inverell, with visitors each year bringing hundreds of thousands of dollars to the region's economy.

The event has put Inverell on the map as a serious cultural arts destination and assured the reputation of the paddock opera as a quality musical production.

Two musicians from Opera Australia have joined the Mimosa orchestra and the Opera Australia Artistic Director is attending the milestone event, much to Peta's delight.

"Being a small town hosting a recognised outdoor cultural event like this - we've really tried to maintain affordability of price and still offer a musical event of the highest quality.

"It has gone from one instrument to 20, we started with four performers and now there are 30 performing; we've added more singers and more instruments every year and built up the show to what it is now.

"We're very, very proud to have reached 10 years of Opera in the Paddock.

"It has grown gradually and there is no way we could have coped with what the event is now, compared with back when we started.

"Bill and I are very proud of what we have achieved."

Peta is wild with enthusiasm when she talks about the costumes on loan from Opera Australia, the synchronised fireworks finale to music and the scores of musicians who will come together for the event playing 18th, 19th and early 20th Century music.

"We've got a terrific sound and lighting team and a very special moment will be indigenous didgeridoo player Ben Lange's solo and our finale of Strauss."

Possibly one of the biggest highlights of her career, Peta understudied Dame Joan Sutherland in a production of Donizetti's Daughter of the Regiment at Opera Australia.

"Dame Sutherland was an incredible woman so of course we are tributing the first half of the show to her this weekend," Peta said.

Peta says Bill has been the brains of the event, taking on the business side of things and putting his practical skills to use.

"Bill has been an intrinsic part of the process, he's not your average farmer!"

Peta and Bill first met when Peta was on holiday in Inverell.

She attended an opera summer school in Armidale and stayed on for a short holiday when they crossed paths.

"I always wanted to live in the country, isn't that ironic."

Little did they imagine their lives today, coordinating one of the most successful regional arts events in the state.

Peta said it was a huge undertaking for her family, taking up most of the year in planning, fundraising applying for grants and coordinating.

"You name it, we do it, and I look back now and think we were very brave and foolhardy in the beginning.

"I couldn't have done it without Bill though, and our Friends of the Opera support group, they have been terrific and very loyal.

"We've definitely learnt as we've gone along, you can tell I'm passionate about it otherwise why would I take this all on?"

Attendance numbers are so far down on the last few years but Peta said she was hopeful the community would band together to support Opera in the Paddock.

"The quality of music people are getting this year is huge, it's going to be our best sound yet.

"We've had some wonderful supporters who have been very loyal but it would be even more wonderful if more locals could attend this special anniversary celebration."

A number of regional musicians from the area will also join the event, from Armidale, Guyra, Tamworth and Brisbane including the former leader of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, as well as locals, flutist Wendy Champion, string players David and Sarah Matthews and mezzo soprano Elizabeth Campbell.

"It's satisfying to see the whole thing come together, we've worked really hard, I can't tell you how proud we are of what we've done."

But Peta is frank about her work, not wishing to linger in the praise so many of us want worship or glorify her with.

She also has no inhibitions as I discovered at the end of our interview in the local park when I asked her how she copes with the intense physical side of opera singing.

"I'll show you, come here, put your hands on my rib cage, feel my lungs as I take a breath."

The result was a clear, strong operatic note flowing across the entire park, much to the bewilderment of mystified patrons on their afternoon walk and an amazed reaction from myself at the capacity of her impromptu performing skills.

The physical aspects of an opera performance are no doubt extremely taxing but Peta says over the years, her stamina levels kept her going.

And such is her determination, passion and courageous attitude, you can't help but be magically transported by this charismatic woman, just a soprano singer directing an opera in a paddock.

© 2011 Inverell Times

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