Penniedarling

As a Primary School kid in the 1950's I remember seeing photos and even a model of what the Sydney Opera House would look like, I also remember all the controversy over raising the money and the costs going way over budget... and of course the Opera House Lottery.

As an 18 year old I worked for a short time in a Real Estate Office, we managed the home Jorn Utzon lived in at Church Point.

On this day in 1971, I remember watching the Opening Ceremony on telly with a 2 year old Nerys and a 4 month old Tomos, it was a very windy day, not unlike it's been around here lately.

All our children have performed at the Opera House at some stage with School or Ballet or Choir but the time I remember the most is 1988 when our 14 year old Tomos sang in four different Opera's.   At the time he was not only in St Andrews Cathedral Choir he was also in the Children's Chorus of the Australian Opera, this was a short lived Choir which was sponsored by one individual who I believe went broke.

This photo was taken at the first Opera Tom sang in... it's Carmen... can you spot Tomos?  (Jackson did straight away).
Tom was also in Turandot, Die Meistersingers von Nurenberg and Fiddler on the Roof.

Probably the main reason I remember this year so well were the transport logistics!  Getting Tom to the train before 7am for Choir Practice at St Andrews each weekday morning, twice to the Cathedral on Sunday's, then to Opera Practice at Redfern, getting him home fed and back on the train for the Operas, then getting in the car at 10pm to drive to the City to pick him up after the Opera!   Home before Midnight but up early next morning...  Plus... Nerys and Briony were into Music, Ballet and Sport, Gwilym was into sport as well... that poor little car certainly got around  :-)

How long did it take to build the Sydney Opera House?  14 years.
How long did it take to build the Empire State Building?  1 year and 45 days.
How long did it take to build the Parthenon?  15 years.

Happy Birthday to a beautiful landmark!

Labels: Tomos