Well, what a way to end the week. As if last week’s musical extravaganza was not enough, we were treated to a new opera production from Iryna Ilnytska’s Exeter Opera Group. This time she produced a wonderful version of Rossini’s opera Cenerentola (the girl in the cinders…). The show erupted in a cascade of sound, with all the performers portraying their characters with great expression. There were tears, there was much laughter, and, of course, a happy ending to the blossoming romance between the disguised prince and the lowly Cenerentola. The cast – all of them – performed with great skill and dedication, infusing the audience with their evident joy and skills. It was a pleasure to hear and see HoWang Yuen and Wendi Zhang perform as the Prince and Dandini – hope they will now be regulars. Part of me felt wistful as I remembered the times I had been able to help Iryna with cakes, but I am pleased that the ‘hard core’ of supporters from those small, early beginnings in Exeter are still to be found in the much larger audiences of today. And that the warmth of those smaller events is very much still in evidence in these larger venues. It is time for Iryna to shine ever more widely.
Thanks to Iryna’s encouragement, I managed to give a talk at Exeter Library in an ongoing attempt to market my book more widely. Her phrase ‘if not now, when’ resounds in my brain on a frequent basis. I am much better at ensuring others get seen and heard…however, I ventured into Winstone’s Bookshop in Sidmouth bravely bearing a poster for my talk when I was greeted by the assistant reporting my book was selling well 😊 Music to my ears! That gave me added confidence and I gave an updated talk on Friday (being the first anniversary of my book launch for Stargazing for All) to include the recent visit to view the Winchcombe Meteorite, and the moon mission. Biscuits and chat followed.
Karen Hedges 