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THE Four Winds Festival is “ready to go” according to chair of the festival board Sheena Boughen.
“The Auric Quartet has just arrived and is rehearsing with David Hewitt, and it feels like the magic is coming alive,” Ms Boughen said yesterday.
“All the artists are arriving - the place is jumping.
“The place is glistening after the rain, and the beauty of the landscape is just divine.
“It’s looking like stunning weather.
“The venue is world class, in the world’s most beautiful setting.
“There is a beautiful, calm excitement, that’s all I can say.”
Ms Boughen is looking forward to the first public use of the new concert hall, dubbed the Windsong Pavilion.
“We are very excited - it feels like we have built the house and now the weekend will make it into a home.”
She said it is also exciting that the entire $4million site will open debt-free.
This year the Welcome to Country will be slightly different as it will be a contemporary musical work, using the music of Mozart made at the time settlers first landed in Australia.
It has been announced that in addition to conducting at the festival, artistic director Paul Kildea will be performing in two works, which is a real “coup” according to Ms Boughen.
Ms Boughen’s dream was to make Bermagui become a home for music making in Australia, a dream that is becoming a reality with the Four Winds Festival attracting accomplished musicians from around the globe.
Ms Boughen said part of her motivation for Four Winds was that while this region is better known for its agriculture, there are many brilliant artistic endeavours in the area and the venue will hopefully encourage more artistry and bring more attention to the region.
“It is a wonderful new resource for the region,” she said.
“We want to encourage local people to come to celebrate with us what having this venue will add to the region.”
After Four Winds it is the aim of Ms Boughen to leave the venue open for groups, under certain conditions.
The venue will also host a variety of events over the years to come - literary, culinary and musical - with a strong focus on music making.
Tickets are still selling online to Four Winds, or can be bought at the gate.
There is still free child minding available if it is pre-booked.
Ms Boughen reminded attendees to bring warm gear, rugs and low chairs if they want them.
Ticket holders that bought tickets online can go to the festival office before shows start in order to pick up their wristbands, so they don’t have to wait as long at the gates.
While tickets have sold out for the first show today, there are still plenty left for Saturday and Sunday.