Standing on the scruffy headland across the harbor from Wexford area you see an extremley unlikely skyline: mossy slate roofs, a handful of church spires and, wedged in the middle of it all, a very large lopsided fly tower. Wexford is actually a peaceful seaside town of modest mussel dredgers and narrow back streets, population about 20,000, a couple hours’ drive south of Dublin. It is actually hometo the most essential festival of unusual opera in the world.
The new Wexford Opera House was opened in 2008 however its spiritual roots were laid as a long way back as 1950, when the Wexford Opera Study Circle (ie the local postman and a couple of GPs) invited Sir Compton Mackenzie to give a talk at one of their meetings. Why only listen to records, he said, when you could possibly stage an opera yourselves? They took him up on the idea and set about transforming the Theatre Royal– made in the early 19th century and even then begining to crumble around the edges– into a venue for major opera. Friends and neighbors were pressed upon to lend a hand with props and lighting rigs. Mindful of the Glyndebourne model, they insisted on accomplishing things properly– a strict black-tie dress code and the nationwide anthem before every performance continue to be Wexford customs to this day.
The inaugural festival opened in 1951 with The Rose of Castille by the 19th-century Irish composer Michael Balfe, setting a repertoire precedent: absolutely nothing new, nothing understood. Sixty years later, that was unchanged.
Stories from the early days sound glorious. “The whole place went opera mad, workers saved up and took the month of October off to assist with the running of things. Pubs stayed open late, crammed by having gorgeous Italians singing arias arm-in-arm by having us Irish singing ballads, remembers Jim Golden, volunteer for the festival since the 1960s. “To love new music,” he writes in a commemoration for the 60th anniversary, “and wish to listen to the greatest of it was a normal aspect of life.” Audiences and critics began trickling in from the UK and further, tempted by the warm-hearted Wexford experience as much as the obscure operas.
With a grant of EUR1.4 m this year, Wexford Festival Opera is approximately the highest recipient of public arts funding in the country, second just to Dublin’s Abbey movie theater. The festival’s chief, David McLoughlin, assures me that sum is far from fluffy arts policy. With two-thirds of the audience traveling to Wexford from outside of the region, the festival is a major earner in terms of artistic capital, evidence of which is all around area. Lunch with Agler is in a swanky bistro, walls lined with costly vintages. The assemblage in the pub argees that, thanks to the inundation of well-heeled visitors, many Wexford residents receive a little extra before Christmas.
When I visit, it a couple weeks before the start of the season and the technical crews have arrived in city. A group of them comes into the pub, sprightly youthful things chattering busily about the day’s rehearsals. One expresses he may get to pop over to Warsaw to source props for Roman Statkowski’s Maria, a 1903 Polish opera.
Antique Watches – A Collectors Market
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Antique Watches – A Collectors Market
When it comes to collectible jewelleries, one of the most sought after is antique watches. Their intricate workings and craftsmanship are adored by collectors around the world, and the stories and history that surround them are relished. What’s more, the superb craftsmanship has meant they have withstood the test of time. Unlike a sports car that depreciates in value as soon as it’s driven off the forecourt, the vintage watch tends to appreciate in value, making them a worthwhile investment opportunity as well.
If you’re thinking of purchasing, selling or exchanging a vintage watch it’s important you deal with a reputable company. Watch Club have been long established in London’s Mayfair and are proud to have a solid base of loyal customers. They sell, buy and part exchange Cartier, Breitling and Rolex watches, Patek Philippe watches, Pro-hunter and more highly sought after brands.