Yarragon Studio Festival present “Winter Feast”
Following the success of the inaugural event in March this year, the Yarragon Studio Festival is set to mesmerise audiences again this winter with the “Winter Feast” event on Sunday, August 4.
Held at St Jarlath’s Church in Yarragon, the “Winter Feast” event will consist of three concerts, afternoon tea and a winter supper, catered by Tanya Bertino and Anton Eisenmenger from The Long Paddock in Lindenow.
Festival organiser Niels Bijl said the event would provide a delightful blend of Australian artists and Gippsland food and wine.
“We’ve got the undisputed top of Australian music, food and wine, just come into Yarragon and have a good time,” Niels said.
“We’ve organised an afternoon featuring some opera classics, some folk songs, a bit of Shakespeare and a bit of singer-songwriter. People will leave five hours later, having had food for their stomachs and their souls.”
The event will commence with an introductory concert, followed by afternoon tea.
Niels said the addition of afternoon tea came from feedback from the first Yarragon Studio Festival.
“We listened to (the audience from) our first run,” Niels said.
“Our first run had a whole series of concerts, then a supper and then a gala concert. Some people said to me that halfway through they were dying for a cup of tea!”
Reed instrument quintet “Reeds Bending” will perform the second concert of the evening.
“Reeds Bending is a small ensemble but are players of the highest quality,” Niels said. “They can play like a symphony orchestra or like a small chamber music ensemble, their work will range from Bach to Debussy.”
Acclaimed mezzo soprano Dimity Shepherd and versatile performer Richard Piper will join the quintet on stage and perform in a closing gala style concert.
“Dimity Shepherd is one of the best leading opera voices in Australia and will perform a number of very famous arias,” Niels said.
“To top it all off we have actor, singer songwriter and stage personality Richard Piper.”
Niels said Richard’s performance would provide a wide variety of entertainment, from theatre monologues to folk music.
The menu for the evening will be paired with wines curated by Gippsland Wine Maker and winner of the 2022 Young Gun of Wine award Ryan Ponsford. The wine menu will feature Savagnin, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Pinot Noir, and Syrah varieties from his label Entropy Wine.
Niels said the focus of the Yarragon Studio Festival events was “community”.
“It’s about creating community and giving to community,” he said. “In my line of work as a performing artist, I get to travel all around Australia, but what I’d like to do is invite all the quality (musicians and talents) that I find on my endeavours back to Yarragon and share it with the people in my community.”
Niels said he hoped the “Winter Feast” event would help spark new friendships.
“The most beautiful thing I noticed at our festival in March was what happened in the audience between concerts, or when they shared a meal together,” Niels said.
“Complete strangers sat next to each other in the hall and started talking to each other about what they had just experienced and became friends.”
The Yarragon Studio Festival “Winter Feast” will be held at St Jarlath’s Church in Yarragon on Sunday, August 4 from 3.30pm.
Tickets are available to purchase online at https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1229869?