THE RAIN came down all day in Wexford yesterday, but thousands lined the quays of the town last night for the traditional fireworks and music marking the start of the 12-day Wexford Festival Opera.
Opening the festival, Arts Council chairwoman Pat Moylan described it as the jewel in the crown of Irish festivals and encouraged the town to celebrate its 58th year.
Mayor of Wexford Cllr Philomena Roche recalled being brought along to opening night as a child, saying that now her own grandchildren came along. And despite the cold and wind and occasional rain, there was a festive atmosphere, with children twirling illuminated gizmos and watching the fireworks.
Local TD and Leas-Cheann Comhairle Brendan Howlin said that Casey Whelan, who organises the fireworks, promised they would go ahead unless there was a hurricane.
Following last year’s opening of the widely praised new opera house, this year the festival showed signs of settling into its now-established home. For artistic director David Agler this is the first time he has put a festival together in the same venue for two years running, as the festival had to move out of the original Theatre Royal and into temporary venues while the new theatre was being built.
It marks his last year as chairman for Wexford Festival Opera Paul Hennessy, who has been in the position since 2004, including steering the new opera house to its opening. In his speech on the quays he said that when the festival started in 1951 Ireland was a different place, challenged economically, but that vision, commitment and passion had brought it through difficult times, redefined the town and enhanced all our lives.
Among the 780 people at the opera last night were Niall Doyle of Opera Ireland and Kirsty Harris and Annilese Miskimmon of Opera Theatre Company. The festival falls at the busiest time in Ireland’s opera calendar, with OTC mid-tour, and Opera Ireland preparing for its autumn season.
It’s also a controversial time for opera, with the Arts Council proposal for a national opera company to be located in Wexford still being debated, and with Minister for the Arts Martin Cullen (absent from last night’s opening) indicating he is in favour of the national company being located in Dublin. Also among the guests last night were Arts Council director Mary Cloake and opera specialist Randall Shannon, whose report preceded the controversial proposal.
US composer John Corigliano and librettist William M Hoffman have been in Wexford for the past few days, having travelled for the opening of their opera The Ghosts of Versailles, first performed to great acclaim in 1991 for the reopening of the New York Metropolitan Opera.
This new performing version was written for the Met but they were unable to do it because of economic circumstances, and happily the Wexford and the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis have now done a joint production.
This year the festival has been reduced in length from 18 to 12 days, for financial reasons, as the festival felt it couldn’t risk a deficit. Next year’s festival will also be 12 days long but the aim is to return to the 18-day format.
Others at the opening included Simon Goldstone of IMG agents, one of the biggest agents in the world, Alma Quinn Hynes, Lynne Parker and Diego Frascati of Rough Magic, Elizabeth White of Wexford Arts Centre and James O’Connor of Greenacres.
The 58th Wexford Festival Opera continues until November 1st and 20,000 to 30,000 people are expected to visit the town over the 12 days, with a minimum of 1,000 tickets being sold every day (and up to 2,200 on some days).