Not even a tiger snake on the Sound Shell stage could stop the music at the Summer Sounds festival at Four Winds on Saturday, January 27.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The music-appreciating snake slithered onto the stage just as the eclectic mix of world-class international and Far South Coast musicians were performing their fantastic and unique collaboration.
A snake catcher was called to the venue, south of Bermagui, but the snake exited the stage for surrounding bush land.
The musicians did not bat an eyelid, although many may not have noticed the snake hiding under some equipment for sometime.
On stage were Four Winds artistic director James Crabb on classical accordion, visiting Japanese Shinobue bamboo flute player Yasukazu Kano, YuNiOn - made up of Masae Ikegawa and Graham Hilgendorf performing percussion/taiko drum, and Bega Valley artists David Hewitt on percussion, Kade Brown on piano, and Sam Martin on double bass.
Four Winds executive director David Francis paid tribute to all musicians and said the snake incident was something that just happened in their wonderful setting, known as “nature’s concert hall”.
Four Winds sits on 30 acres of open and wooded parkland, and is an open-air amphitheatre with grassed tiers that drop gently down to a stage framed by a lake that reflects the changing colours of the sky.
It is home to frogs which sing along.
Mr Francis said Four Winds hoped to make the one-day annual festival a fixture on the Far South Coast music scene.
“Tell your friends what a great time you had hear today and hopefully they will come next year,” Mr Francis said.
The Summer Sounds festival reaches beyond Four Winds’ classical audience to world music, reggae, indie and folk vibes.
Also performing this year were Far South Coast musicians Benji and the Saltwater Sound System, the Sweet Valentinos – Bermagui area musicians Jacqui Howarth, Michael Hanlon, Saul Nightingale, Matthew Perry, Dan Scollay and Elizabeth Andalis.
Final act The Strides had the crowd up and dancing on the amphitheatre steps to reggae.
The Four Winds Easter Festival is from Wednesday, March 28, to Sunday, April 1, and will bring classical musicians from around the world and Australia to Barragga Bay.