artscalendar.co.nz - Opera And Theatre

28 June 2004

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National Brass Bands Contest

A record number of brass bands are to attend the 124th Brass Band Championships in Christchurch next month. Contest Chairman Cr David Cox says "We welcome over 30 bands from throughout New Zealand and Australia, that's over 1000 musicians, who will bring in visitor dollars to our city over six days".

Chief judge will be Dr Robert Childs from Wales, a renowned Euphonium player and conductor, as well as an endorsee of Besson Brass instruments. Dr Childs will judge the Invitation Slow Melody (Wednesday 7 July 7.30pm Great Hall at the Arts Centre) as well as the Open Champion of Champions (Thursday 8 July 7.30pm at the Aurora Centre) followed by band events in four grades on Friday and Saturday at the Aurora Centre.

"Four bands including NZ Community Trust Woolston Brass and Canterbury Foundation Brass join Marlborough District Brass and the "Trusts" Waitakere Brass in the Scenic Circle Entertainment Band of the Year on Sunday 11 July at 2pm. They need to put on razzle and dazzle to impress the judges in lots of areas", said Cr Cox. "Bands will also parade around Victoria Square on the morning of Friday 10 in the Christchurch Casino Street March competition at 10am and we hope Christchurch people will support the events throughout the week".

Door sales at all venues. Bookings for the Band of the Year at Court Theatre. Contest details and results available from website http://www.way.to/banz

Cosi Fan Tutte

NBR NZ Opera: Cosi Fan Tutte

Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte is an extraordinary opera - both funny and insightful, it asks an age-old question: how much can you really trust your lover? A light-hearted wager, seeking to find an answer to that question, turns out to have earth-shaking consequences for all concerned. Two young men, boasting about how faithful their fiancees are, accept a wager to test the women's fidelity; each will disguise himself and try to seduce the other man's fiancee. At first, the women resist the wooing and it's all very amusing. But soon the two couples find themselves learning a memorable lesson in love.

Cosi Fan Tutte is both a sparklingly tuneful romp and a penetrating look at the games that lovers play. Harmonious and perfectly proportioned, Cosi contains some of Mozart's most appealing music. A story of lovers and mistaken identity develops with wit and comedy.

The tour starts off in Auckland on 30 June and then will visit Wellington, Hamilton, Hastings, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Blenheim, Nelson & Greymouth. Check out artscalendar for all the details on dates and venues.

Porirua Little Theatre: The Rise and Fall of Little Voice Little Voice (LV) lives alone with her overbearing mother and hardly ever speaks, spending her days immersed in her late father's record collection. There she discovers an astonishing ability to imitate some of the greatest female vocalists of the twentieth century and is lifted up only when listening and singing along to the records of Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey, Billie Holliday, Marilyn Monroe and others.

However this is something she does privately for herself, and when one of her mother's boyfriends impresario Ray Say hears LV's faultless impressions he makes a bid to exploit her unique talent and forces her to sing in public, but she is badly traumatised by the experience and to his horror, LV does not want to become a star.

Held at the Porirua Little Theatre on Thursday 1 July to Saturday 3 July at 8.00pm.

Music is the only language in which you cannot say a mean or sarcastic thing. John Erskine

From the team at artscalendar.co.nz

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