During summer there are a series of free concerts at the sound shell found in the Wellington Botanical Gardens. I wanted to go to a few nights last year but a combination of work and bad weather scuppered those plans. This year there are a few artists performing on nights I’m not working and we attended our first evening performance to see Eva Prowse play.
The done thing seems to be to take a blanket and a picnic dinner. This would be great if you arrived a few hours before the performance when there is still space to put down a blanket. We turned up an hour or so before the music started and the grass in front of the sound shell was pretty much full. We got lucky and found a seat on one of the park benches that surround the grass, sitting right at the back with a good view to the stage. Our travel blanket became Keryn’s cushion.
It was a beautiful evening and the Wellington wind was absent. This helped draw in a large crowd and there were people coming in to find a seat all the time, often to leave and see if they could find a seat on the nearby hill or in the surrounding garden.
Photo by Brendon & Keryn
Eva came on to stage as the sun disappeared behind the hills and as she played her songs it got darker and the lights in the gardens appeared. The music was good, moving between country, blues and folk and a number of people got up to dance in front of the stage. Starting with slower numbers the music got faster and more involving as the night came on. I’ll have to listen to her music some more, there were some really great tracks (and some that got drowned out by a crowd happy to chat while they ate – a slight issue when sitting at the back). I did recognise the track Youngest Child which is a favourite of mine (and available free on Eva’s website). For a first night of free music it was really good. I’m hoping the weather holds so we can see Jess Chambers this coming Sunday.
Photo by Brendon & Keryn
Photo by Brendon & Keryn
Photo by Brendon & Keryn
The lighting installation was designed by Mike Farrand and after the show had finished we walked around and I took a few photos. The gardens at night are definitely worth a visit during the Gardens Magic period, the light show is really good.
Photo by Brendon & Keryn
Photo by Brendon & Keryn
Photo by Brendon & Keryn
Photo by Brendon & Keryn
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