Tales of overcoming adversity and rising to the challenges thrown up by rural life are customary. There are always those who have the ability to turn events around in a way that has a positive impact, not just on their own lives, but more remarkably, on the lives of others.
This is exactly what opera singer Peta Blyth and her farming husband Bill have achieved. Imagine a professional opera singer at the height of her career, choosing to leave international stages and the Sydney Opera House behind, to move with her husband and two children to Delungra, NSW.
In 2002, with limited career opportunities available, Peta and Bill presented a small concert called Opera in the Paddock, on their property ‘Mimosa’. Over 14 years the concert that began ‘on the back of a truck’ has grown to become a premier regional event in rural Australia.
No stranger to major players, the event has attracted internationally-renowned stars including Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Bradley Daley, Rosario La Spina, Elizabeth Campbell and Elizabeth Lewis, just to name a few.
Following the success of the first Opera in the Paddock held in Armidale last year, the event will return to Lazenby Hall, UNE, Armidale on Friday, March 24 as well as to the paddock at ‘Mimosa’ Delungra on Saturday, March 25.
By expanding the production to include performances in Armidale as well as Delungra, the company has cemented its position as northern NSW’s premier performance company.
In 2017, Opera North West is delighted to present a line-up of emerging, talented performers. These include mezzo soprano Eleanor Greenwood, sopranos Panayiota Kalatzis, bass baritone Jeremy Kleeman, together with paddock-favourite tenor David Hamilton, as well as soprano Peta Blyth, accompanied by the Mimosa Orchestra conducted by Timothy Sexton, CEO and Artistic Director of South Australian Opera.
The performance will comprise an evening of opera, operetta and much-loved classic musicals. One of the things that set Opera in the Paddock apart is the informality of the event. At Delungra, audiences are invited to relax in the tranquil surrounds of the paddock with their own picnics and enjoy the exquisite sounds of the greatest performers in the country. The combination of the relaxed atmosphere and world-class quality is obviously a winning formula as the event attracts up to 1500 people annually.
The paddock strips away all pretention as the audience is invited to bring their own chairs, picnics and favourite drop with their friends. The performance attracts people regionally, as well as from interstate, particularly in large numbers from Queensland.
“Over the years, many people have travelled from across the New England and beyond. We are truly thankful to all of those who travel for their invaluable support,” Mrs Blyth said.
“We understand the importance of constantly evolving and presenting something new.”
With this in mind, she is delighted that an exciting program has been selected that is sure to captivate audiences.
“The performance in Armidale will include members of NECOM’s Cantilena Chorale, which will add a very special element to the event,” Mrs Blyth said.
The outstanding success of Opera in the Paddock is testimony to Peta’s unrelenting passion and commitment to developing arts and culture in the region. Adapting to life in the bush can bring about some amazing consequences for us all.
if(!window.condAds){ window.condAds = []; } window.condAds.push({ size: "adspot-300x250_300x600-pos3", hide_platforms: "desktop tablet-landscape".split(" ")}); See your ad hereFor bookings and enquiries go to operainthepaddock.com.au or telephone 1800 240 301.
The story Opera in the Paddock 2017 first appeared on Tenterfield Star.