Stories of transformation are not uncommon in the bush.
The need to adapt to ever-changing conditions requires the ability to regenerate, reinvent, revitalise.
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 fourteen years, the concert that began ‘on the back of a truck’ has grown to become a premier regional event in rural Australia.
The event will return to Lazenby Hall, UNE, Armidale on March 24 as well as to the paddock at ‘Mimosa’ Delungra on 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, chief executive and artistic director of South Australian Opera. 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 1,500 people annually.
if(!window.condAds){ window.condAds = []; } window.condAds.push({ size: "adspot-300x250_300x600-pos3", hide_platforms: "desktop tablet-landscape".split(" ")}); See your ad hereThe paddock strips away all pretension as the audience is invited to bring their own chairs, picnics and favourite drop with their friends. “We are truly thankful to all of those who travel for their invaluable support,” she added. For bookings and enquiries www.operainthepaddock.com.au
The story Opera in Paddock thrives first appeared on The Armidale Express.