Experience a night of music under the stars with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra at this year’s Maynardville Open-Air Festival at the Maynardville Park in Wynberg for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.
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The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra will open this year’s festival and will be performing Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” under the direction of resident conductor Brandon Phillips.
The Shakespearian performance will be narrated by John Woodland, who said, “The four delicate, magical, transformative chords that open Mendelssohn’s score to A Midsummer Night’s Dream are instantly recognisable and urge us to suspend our disbelief.”
“Immediately, we are transported through space and time to Shakespeare’s ethereal world of scurrying fairies, waylaid lovers and mistaken identities, replete with braying string ‘hee-haws’ representing the donkey-headed Bottom.”
Guests will be mesmerised by the sounds of the beloved “Wedding March” as well as the overture, which dates back to 1826 when Mendelssohn was just 17; “The Scherzo”, “Song with Choir”, “Intermezzo”, “Nocturne”, “A Dance for Clowns” and the “Finale”.
The women of Vox Cape Town, Woodland’s choir, and sopranos Lauren Pharaoh and Setsoane Jeannette Nseki, who were both chosen because of how well they fit this style of music, will all be performing at the festival.
The Maynardville Open-Air Festival has been home to the annual Shakespeare performance for many years and is thrilled to be back after taking a three-year break.
The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra CEO, Louis Heyneman said, “For several years until Covid brought artistic performances to a standstill, the CPO was an integral part of the Maynardville Festival, offering the joy of superb accessible music for the enjoyment of diverse and packed audiences.”
“We are delighted to be bringing one of the most glorious works to life not only in music but in adding to the evening’s entertainment a selection of quotes from the works of the bard. We know you will enjoy what lies ahead.”
Picnics can be ordered on the Quicket site when booking tickets, and patrons can also enjoy a range of food and drinks from the Maynardville Evening Food Market.
- Venue: Maynardville Park
- Dates: 19, 20 and 21 January 2023
- Booking: quicket
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Picture: Cape Town Philharmonic Orchastra / Facebook
