Nelson Winter Music Festival July 9 - 24 2011

Nelson Winter Music Festival July 9 - 24 2011

Ticket sales for the Nelson Winter Music Festival are going well , with comedy shows ‘booming’. Nelson School of Music manager Frances McElhinney says people are obviously looking for something to brighten up the winter.

“Jane Keller’s show Boomers Behaving Badly has just finished a three week sell-out season at Circa in Wellington and the word is clearly out about this one, tickets are flying out the door,” she said. “I think the concept of relaxed cabaret style seating is really appealing, bookings are heavy for Jennifer Ward-Lealand in cabaret as Marlene Dietrich and for the finale from Dave Dobbyn, also in this intimate format. People are booking a whole table or just a couple of seats at a table where they’ll meet some new friends!”

Mrs McElhinney says Nelsonians are leading the bookings, but there is strong interest from Auckland and Christchurch as well, and the website is even getting hits from the USA.

The Nelson Winter Music Festival opens on July 9 and winds up on July 24 with a programme of 17 concerts all staged in the historic auditorium of the Nelson School of Music. Other concerts proving popular include opera singer Anna Leese and pianist Michael Endres, who will demonstrate his talent as one of the world’s foremost Schubert interpreters, on the new Sturgeon Steinway.

Nelson parents and those planning a Top of the South holiday are reminded the festival has two children’s shows: Cinders is a twist on the classic fairy story, performed by Nelson Youth Theatre and The Bubbles & Mustard Show is a wacky radio tour from Phineas Phrog.

There is one change to the advertised Winter Music Festival programme. The annual Blessing of the Fishing Fleet, scheduled for July 23 has been postponed due to the work being carried out on the foreshore area at Nelson Yacht Club on Wakefield Quay. This event will now be held on Saturday October 29.

The Nelson Winter Music Festival has received sponsorship from the Nelson Events Marketing and Development Programme, which is funded by the Nelson City Council. The programme’s objective is to stimulate Nelson city’s economy in the shoulder and off-peak season by bringing visitors to Nelson for events.

More info & ticket bookings at www.nelsonwinterfestival.co.nz or at the School of Music booking office in Nile Street, phone 03 548 9477.

ENDS

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