Sunday 11 January 2009

Sydney Festival : Dawn Chorus

An overflowing audience packed into Balmoral Beach at sunrise this morning to kick off the 2009 Sydney Festival. Balmoral - one of this city's highest socio-economic suburbs - is a harbour beach which is surrounded by magnificent homes. However, the thong-throng were out in droves this morning. The music was sublime. Imagine, if you will, glorious unaccompanied vocal harmonies with a backdrop of lapping waves and deroosting birds. The setting was magical. The final photograph shows what was at my back as I swooned - looking toward North Head (left rear) from Middle Cove with Middle Head (centre) and Rocky Point peeking in from the right.

7 comments:

Virginia said...

I can just imagine how wonderful it sounded. were you a part of the chorus??

Julie said...

My vocal blessings are "immature", Virginia. At one stage this morning (it started spot on 5:30!) I was standing right behind the singers - as you can see from the first shot. The voices of the sops were bell-ringingly pure.

I am going again next Saturday at Neilsen Park but will get there earlier and park further away and walk. There must have been 5,000 plus people there this morning.

bitingmidge said...

There are lots of reasons for living in a big city, and your morning represents about a thousand of them!

Sunshine Coast Daily - Australia

Anonymous said...

How wonderful a chorus on the beach. I would love to be lying in the sand (heat yes yes) and listening to wonderful singing.
In answer to your query about The Reader. No I hadn't read the book. However I have discussed it with those who have. The film is true to the book. Absolutely wonderful I expect Kate Winslett to win an oscar for her role. Do recommend seeing it.

Ann said...

That would have been so beautiful. I went to First Night last night (see this week's pics) but it was unbelievably crowded. Sydney really does know how to do spectacle.

Jim said...

Some awesome dawn photos. I wish I could motivate myself enough to get out of bed that early.

Joan Elizabeth said...

I had a friend who was attending this ... when she described it in advance to me last week it sounded like it would be an amazing event ... glad to get your photographic perspective of it as a follow up to that conversation.