Twenty-five years ago my parents used to come to town each year during
Seniors Week to attend the Premier's free Seniors Week Gala Concerts.
I've been a senior (according to the entitlement for a Seniors Card) for nearly five years but today is the first time I have attended one of these concerts It was also a first for the three friends who accompanied me. The concert was the last of five to be staged in this years series.
The venue is the
Sydney Entertainment Centre - in the current trend renamed to a certain airline name; the one you would think could not currently afford such a sponsorship.
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| Audience assembling in the Sydney Entertainment Centre |
The performers were a mix of experience;
Leo Sayers and
Rhonda Burchmore, and the hopeful up and coming,
Ben Mingay,
Tom Sharah and
Anja Nissen who sang a program of songs from the 1970s. It was the music of Neil Diamond, Carole King, John Lennon, the Village People, ABBA and the like. The music of our twenties.
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| Leo Sayers 'feels like dancing' |
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| Rhonda Burchmore and Leo Sayers ham it up on the big screen |
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| Big finish for 'Mamma Mia' |
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| Finale |
Before and after the concert the NSW Police Band entertained crowds outside the venue playing some classic tunes. The band and the soloist Police singers were excellent; well worthy of the professional performers in the concert itself.
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| Departing the Sydney Entertainment Centre |
I didn't have high expectations beforehand but the concert proved to be very enjoyable.
One of the first concerts I went to was in 1977 in Saratoga, New York. Leo Sayer was the headliner. His opening act was Melissa Manchester. She was the one we went to see and we left the concert when she was done. Leo was just getting started, but my cousin and I couldn't have cared less at the time. The upside was that there was no traffic leaving the theater!
ReplyDeleteI do not know what age Leo Sayer is now wcs but he was in good voice. The audience loved him.
DeleteI see grey hair, lots of it. The concert must have been good. Our police band has been disbanded to save money. They too were great.
ReplyDeleteHaving been told by two friends they were bored by the concerts they attended years earlier my expectations were low and I was surprised how enjoyable today's concert was. I was most impressed by the Police band and their singers.
DeleteVictor, your country take care of senior citizens definitely very well. Wow the concert must have been interesting because it was very crowded. And Abba my favourite band.
ReplyDeleteGosia, the Government has provided these free concerts for senior citizens for the past thirty-one years and they are very popular.
DeleteIt means you have a great goverrnment which takes care of their seniors. However in Poland is better than it was in the past.
DeleteThe line up of performers speaks volumes about the target audience but it is nice to know such events exist. One more thing to look forward to when I retire.
ReplyDeleteA little bit back for our taxes, AdRad
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