18 March 2011 Opera House Morning Tour

Ed Hossack, Committee Member of the Cambridge Society of NSW and in passing General Manager, Orchestra at Opera Australia, took advantage of his latter position and organised a terrific 2 hour tour behind the scenes of Australia's most iconic building the Sydney Opera House.  Opened in October 1973 the Sydney Opera House now hosts over 2,500 performances and around 8 million visitors per year. The group met at the Opera House stage door (there is only one for all six performing venues) and then following our guide, Anna Toltz, toured beneath the Opera House.  Opera was originally meant to be performed in the Concert Hall but then as costs escalated it was decided to move opera to the second smaller building and create the theatres down the west wing of the building.  The small size of the orchestra pit and lack of space in the wings only increased our admiration of the performers.  Finally there was an explanation of the TV monitors about the audience; they are there so the singers can see the conductor!!  Otherwise he would be invisible.

We then moved on to the Concert Hall where the YouTube orchestra was practising for their big performance that night.  We even had a few words from the conductor Micheal Tilsen Thomas!! Google YouTube Orchestra 2011 and you can see the whole performance including the spoctacular light show on the sails (easily the best that has ever been done).

We finished at the Utzon Room, which was reopened in 2008 and is the first interior designed by architect Jørn Utzon, who was the original architect for Sydney Opera House.  The room has a magnificent and rare easterly view of Sydney Harbour.

Thanks to Ed for organising this.  It was definitely one of the most interesting mornings I have spent in my 38 years in Sydney.  I arrived here the week the Opera House opened.  If anyone comes to Sydney there is no doubt that top of the bucket list is to attend a performance at the Opera House and then walk slowly down the forecourt steps following the performance.  I have done it dozens of times and the tingle down the back still happens.   (Written by Chris Golis - photos in the gallery)