Lost to the music

What blessings I have enjoyed of late (a wonderful consolation to the difficulties I've also faced)!

Last month, for my birthday I was given a slightly different present from my sister.  We have enjoyed going to live shows together (especially as she doesn't get out much, being the married woman!)  Anyway, she gave me a choice... I could

1. Go and see "Crazy for You" by The Production Company 
2. Go and see "The National Boys Choir" concert at The Melbourne Recital Centre, or
3. Ask for a CD or DVD of my choosing

Well, it was immediately a choice between 1 and 2.  CDs and DVDs are great, but there's nothing quite like an "experience".  The choice was finally decided by two factors; one, I really wanted to see the "new" Melbourne Recital Centre, and the program for the concert included a mix of tradtional works and the premier of a new Australia opera!

So on Saturday night Glenda and I duly went off the the Melbourne Recital Centre.  One of the choristers is the son of one of her school collegues... and would you believe that she was seated next to that same chorister's Grandma!!  Coincidences galore.  Then at interval, we saw another common friend of ours, who received her ticket complimentary of the man who wrote the opera!

Well, it was fantastic!  The whole program was enjoyable from start to finish.  We were seated in the front row (BB), so at times our view was just slightly obscured, but it didn't matter.  The acoustics in the new Elisabeth Murdoch auditorium were excelent.  You could see some nerves and twitches at times, but considering that none of the boys would be over 13 years old (they're kicked out of the choir as soon as their voices break)!  It was just marvellous.  

The premier was Melbourne's only chance to see the opera at this stage, so we were counting our lucky stars.

I have attempted to add a couple of links... one from the Eastern Leader with a story about the opera, (http://maroondah-leader.whereilive.com.au/lifestyle/story/choir-boys-war-story/) and the other from the ABC (a transcript of an interview with two of the original choristers)

http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/history/Transcripts/s1071232.htm