Imagine walking along a narrow street in a quaint town in Ireland, and an opera singer opens a window above a quaint storefront. Suddenly, orchestral music begins to flow from a loudspeaker conveniently placed nearby, and a large crowd of onlookers become hushed as an enchanting aria from a well-known opera fills the air. One of the singers I heard invited everyone on the street to join him in singing “Moon River,” and the singalong juiced up the wonderful vibe around me.
The magical street scene was one of the musical pots of gold that visitors to Wexford, Ireland can experience during Wexford Festival Opera, a seventeen-day musical extravaganza that takes place during the month of October. The festival draws opera fans from around the world to hear productions on the festival’s mainstage, the O’Reilly Theatre, a 771-seat jewel box, that was redesigned in 2008 with beautiful maple from Canada, and in the intimate Jerome Hynes Theatre, which seats 171.
In addition to the fully produced operas, the festival sponsors free pop-up events like the singers crooning from above the storefronts. Singers from the festival entertained audiences at hotel foyers, store lobbies, restaurants, and the entrance of the Irish National Opera House, which is located in downtown Wexford. Opening night a
This year marked the 75th anniversary of the festival, which started in 1951 when five guys who met regularly to listen to opera recordings on LPs decided – almost as a lark – to start an opera festival. They audaciously contacted Compton Mackenzie, the novelist who wrote Monarch of the Glen and Whiskey Galore and helped to found Gramophone magazine. He suggested an opera festival, and group decided to present rarely heard operas.
This year’s edition of the festival, which ran from October 15 to October 31, presented Iris by Pietro Mascagni, L’equivovo stravagante (A Curious Misunderstanding) by Gioachino Rossini, and The Gambler by Sergei Prokofiev. Expert conducting led productions that featured top-tier singing talent, and highly polished orchestra, and inventive set designs to entice standing room only audiences.
The festival also gave delightful performances of Michael William Balfe’s The Rose of Castile with piano accompaniment in the Jerome Hynes Theatre. Balfe was an Irish composer who wrote 29 operas, almost 250 songs, and many other works. James Joyce loved the Rose of Castile and knew many of its arias. It was the first opera that the festival did back in 1951.
Under its Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi , the festival has become known for developing young singers through its program called The Factory.
So from its humble beginnings, Wexford Festival Opera has persevered and become Ireland’s premier summertime opera event with an operating budget of $5 million. The influx of visitors expands the seacoast town of 22,000 people, who eagerly soak up the 75 events sponsored by the festival, including lectures, artist recitals, and choir concerts.
A key factor in the success of the festival has been its army of volunteer. Around 450 people from the town and neighboring areas help to run concessions, give tours, and do the many behind-the-scenes tasks that can make the festival run smoothly.
The festival relies on an army of over 450 volunteers, some of whom are grandsons and granddaughters of earlier volunteers. Claudine Murphy has been a stalwart volunteer at the festival for the past 40 years, and has helped to represent the genuine hospitality of the festival, which gives it a personal touch.
“For generations now, the Wexford volunteers have been hugely ambitions about the festival’s success,” wrote Murphy in an email. “We are deeply proud of its achievements and share a passion to deliver a unique experience. There are families, who have themselves provided generations of volunteers. No actual recruitment drives appear to be necessary!”
In addition to their heartwarming attitude, the festival’s executive director Suzanne Nance estimates that the volunteers save the festival around $500,000 in operating costs.
So, if you want to experience operatic music in a lovely seacoast town that welcomes visitors from around the world with hearty Irish cheer, then you should visit Wexford Festival Opera in the near future. Next year’s festival will take place October 14 to 30 and present Anna di Resburgo by Carolina Uccelli, Tajemství (The Secret) by Bedřich Smetana, and Déjanire by Camille Saint-Saëns on the festival’s O’Reilly Theatre. That offering upholds the festival’s tradition of spotlighting relatively obscure operas by top-tier composers.
Wexford Festival Opera is a great place to indulge in opera and enjoy the ambiance of a small town and Irish hospitality. It will warm the cockles of your heart and tickle your ears with great music.
