KEY POINTS:
Over the next 12 days, two of Auckland's most cherished musical organisations open the garden gates and lay out the hampers for their annual al fresco fundraising events.
The Auckland Philharmonia's Mazda Summer Matinee this Saturday is in its 25th year, says orchestra chief executive Barbara Glaser, "and probably one of the oldest surviving outdoor concerts in the country".
The disarming naturalness of this Australian that works so well when Glaser addresses audiences comes across when she talks about Saturday's opening fanfare, written by resident composer Gareth Farr.
"It's so bright and vibrant," Glaser bubbles, "and Gareth understands just what the spirit of a fanfare is. It has all the excitement and rhythmic touches that we love about him."
Among orchestral bonbons running from Vivaldi to Grieg and Falla, the ever-reliable bass-baritone Conal Coad will do a Terfel turn, with a bracket of arias and songs embracing characters from Mozart's Leporello to Rodgers and Hammerstein's Emile de Becque.
Glaser is a fan, having known Coad since she helped out on a recording session when the singer performed some Mozart arias with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in the early 90s. "I had to run around Government House shutting doors to stop noise coming in and making tea."
Finally, in a selection that promises something for everyone, the three Hume brothers of Evermore make their orchestral debut, dressed up for the occasion by Farr's deft arranging hand.
Glaser professes to search out jazz or revisit veteran bands like Dire Straits when it is time to go on the light side, but finds Evermore "orchestra-friendly, lyrical and excellent singers and musicians".
As the APO reaches out once more to its loyal and growing community, she also trusts that the Regional Funding Bill, "perilous by international standards", will be decided by the middle of the year.
The orchestra has one of the highest levels of self-earned income in Australasia, yet it is quite the opposite with funding. "We are given 34 per cent," she explains wryly, "when orchestras in Australia get between 50 and 80. We really do need the stability of committed long-term funding. There has been a lot of support in the community and the regional bill would bring Auckland more into line with international standards of arts funding."
The next weekend, NBR New Zealand Opera is coaxing its supporters and would-be supporters to the idyllic retreat of Ayrlies Gardens.
In these internationally celebrated grounds, the property and calling of opera lover Beverley McConnell, you can enjoy rolling lawns, picturesque waterfalls or even search out the exotic Ficus dammaropsis from New Guinea.
If you decide to do any of these on Sunday week, you can also enjoy the musical ministrations of nine of the opera's resident and emerging artists, plus guest mezzo Helen Medlyn.
Donald Trott, who heads the Friends of the Company, sees a definite connection between the worlds of flora and music. "Ayrlies must be the pre-eminent garden in New Zealand," he muses, "and, in a way, what we are doing is a sort of garden and opera afternoon."
Trott, a bass-baritone who was coaxed to Auckland from Wanganui 30 years ago when his firm offered him the chance to sing opera, has watched the artform grow stronger and stronger in the city.
He was a regular cast member in the pioneering Perkel productions of the 70s and 80s, and played an important role in seeing the Auckland Metropolitan Opera of 1990 slowly transform into the NBR New Zealand Opera of today.
Trott will be at Whitford, with hamper, on Sunday, to hear quartets and quintets from Rigoletto and Carmen, and a generous selection of solo arias.
It is a key event, he says.
"It reflects the investment we make in our young singers. And this is just where our investment should be. They are our future."
What: Mazda Summer Matinee
Where and when: Villa Maria Estate Winery, 118 Montgomerie Rd, Mangere, Saturday noon
What: Summer Opera at Ayrlies
Where and when: Ayrlies Gardens, 125 Potts Rd, Whitford, Sunday Feb 24, gates open 11am, concert starts 2pm
