Now in its 11th year, Loughcrew Garden Opera is a wonderful gala set in the rolling pastures of County Meath. Supported by the Oldcastle Chamber of Commerce, Opera Ireland, Failte Ireland, Meath County Council and Tipperary Water, the two day festival every June Bank Holiday is a firm fixture on the music-loving audience from Meath and surrounding counties.
The festival is the brain child of Emily Naper who has offered her garden for the event. This year a 1950s-inspired version of Verdi's La Traviata was presented by the Loughcrew Garden Opera Festival. Director Niall Morris transported the opera to New York. As one of Verdi's best loved operas, it was sure to be a hit with the audience.
The setting for the opera was fortunately not quite the open air. A very attractive circular tent, provided by LPM Bohemia which is based in the UK and in Ireland offered a comfortable venue for the audience. The Slovak Festival Orchestra was due to play, but due to the indisposition of the conductor, they members were unable to play. Director Niall Morris, who produced the visually impelling performance, was left with a dilemma. It was resolved fortunately by Mairead Hurley, who has worked with Opera Ireland since 1996 and was familiar with the music. A repetiteur with the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Mairead undertook the daunting task of accompanying the whole opera from the piano. It was a happy solution and the singers rose admirably the contretemps.
Steadily advancing
The acclaimed Irish soprano Claudia Boyle took the part of Violetta, the courtesan who is the toast of the city. Claudia Boyle has been steadily advancing along an operatic career. This was her first time to sing the demanding role of Violetta, opposite the tenor Dwayne Jones. Both singers entered in to the fun and drama of the opera. The English bass Craig Smith played the role of Giorgio, Alfredo's father. Nathan Morrison, Mihaela Chirvase, Anna Brady and Páidi O' Dubháin sang the roles of Douhphol, Flora, Annina and Grenvil respectively. Although there did not seem to be much acoustic in the marquee, the stage was set in the centre and because the audience was ranged around it, there was a lovely sense of intimacy. And the singers brought great energy and vivacity to the performance. The effective lighting and staging was produced by BAS Studio of Navan.
Many members of the audience arrived in the late afternoon and took advantage of the beautiful grounds to have a picnic. It was not difficult to see the ''old hands'' who have been going for some years and who had champagne and strawberries and overflowing hampers. No doing things by half at Loughcrew! A certain number had stocked up with cheese and wines at Sheridan's of Carnaross, Co. Meath.
When the opera ended and the audience was treated to a spectacle of multi-coloured Chinese Lanterns, a type of balloon lit by fires which rose up into the dark night sky and floated over the fields until out of sight.
If you are thinking of going next year (strongly recommended) have a look at the web site www.loughcrew.com. There are details there of the coffee shop, the walled gardens and the Adventure Course for Children. Some of the activities include archery, camping, and raft building. It would be worth checking out the nearby Loughcrew School of Gilding at Oldcastle, a studio which specialises in the restoration and conservation of gilded furniture, including frames and mirrors.
