Lakmania Spreads To Bay Of Many Coves
The perfect opera duet to describe the 5-star resort Bay of Many Coves in the Marlborough Sounds is Sous le dome epais from Lakme by Delibes.
The duet, immortalised by British movie director, Tony Scott, brother of Sir Ridley, received international prominence
in a television commercial which Tony directed for British Airways back in 1984.
He’d originally used it in a vampire movie, The Hunger, starring Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon two years earlier, and, liking it so much, decided it could be repeated
on the small screen.
The commercial was so popular, that “Lakmania” spread across the world and now, on the 30th anniversary of its
reincarnation, it’s being sung at a prestigious Opera Lovers’ Weekend at Bay of Many Coves from July 20-22.
The Lakme duet has nothing to do with airlines or punctured necks but describes the glory of nature. It’s all about
flowers, jasmine and roses entwining, singing birds, the river’s current and shining waves.
Sopranos Emma Roxburgh and Morag McDowell (pictured) will perform the duet to guests as their tribute to the idyllic resort and the weekend of opera.
Emma and Morag are also preparing five other duets for the exclusive audience – the beautiful Sull’aria from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Pur ti miro from the sensual opera L’incoronazione di Poppea by Monteverdi, the romantic Love Unspoken from Franz Lehar’s The Merry Widow, the haunting Barcarole from Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffman and the hilarious Cat Duet, attributed to Rossini.
Over the three days Emma and Morag will sing many of the finest operatic arias by Puccini, Verdi, Handel, Rossini and
Mozart, composers who could write a great tune and knew respect and acclaim from a devoted audience.
The third artist, baritone, Jared Holt, will also perform a number of popular arias, duets and trios with Emma and
Morag.
Co-owner of Bay of Many Coves, Murray McCaw, intends the unique Opera Lovers’ Weekend to appeal to not just opera buffs
but to those who want to be introduced to opera in the resort’s splendid 5-star setting in Queen Charlotte Sound.
Prices for the Opera Lovers’ Weekend from July 20-22 start from $990 per person.
Emma (left) and Morag are pictured singing at a recent NZ Opera outdoor event in Auckland.
ENDS