Summer Sounds and Sights

Free summer concerts in the Domain are a Sydney tradition. People trek in with their deckchairs, eskys and elaborate picnics. They camp out in the balmy evenings to watch anything from operas and symphonies to an eclectic range of contemporary music. Tonight the headliners are Angelique Kidjo, Dianne Reeves and Lizz Wright from the U.S. with the Sing The Truth band, performing a mix of R&B, jazz, gospel and blues.

I’ve arrived in time to catch the tail end of the support act Slowpoke Rodriguez.

I spot Sydney yoga teacher Mirella with her friend Prana from Byron Bay. 

A bunch of friends from Redfern have prepared this fine picnic. 

 

In particular I comment on the impressive fruit salad made by this man and I'm offered some.

 

This group are from England and Ireland again! Oh and I’m told there are a couple in the group from France . Everywhere I go I encounter that Irish brogue. I met a young woman from Kilkenny yesterday who told me 3,000 people per month are leaving the Emerald Isle. It’s an age old tradition borne of hardship. One side of my family fled during the Potato Famine of 1845.

This is Jessica originally from Alabama who is currently living in Darlinghurst.

 

And this group of friends are from all over Sydney.

 

After a long wait, the main act starts. I’m not able to get more of a view than this so I sit back to enjoy the music.

 

Before it ends, I catch a taxi home and meet Reza, originally from Iran who’s a classical music lover. The evening ends to the beautiful strains of Bach.