Bernstein in the bush: Pianist Ronan Apcar (left) leads opera singers Noah Straughan, Kyabram-born Charlotte Goode, Olive Cullen and Johnny De Simone in their Opera in the Country concert at Tongala Town Hall on Friday evening.
Charlotte Goode’s family tree has deep roots in the earth of the Goulburn Valley, so it’s no surprise that she has found her way back to the area with her highly developed musical skill-set.
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The Goode family has farmed the land of Lancaster for generations and Charlotte’s parents, Carolyn and Trevor, remain well-known and respected figures in the region.
That reputation has only been enhanced in the past two years, with Charlotte leading the introduction of an Opera in the Country concert series, which this year took in Tongala and Numurkah.
Charlotte, who is currently living in Melbourne and has completed her Bachelor of Music, is undertaking an honours year in Performance, Classical Voice and is studying under Australian soprano Antoinette Halloran.
She was the creator and producer of concerts in her home town, Kyabram, and another in Girgarre.
Last week, it was Tongala Town Hall that was packed with 90-plus eager listeners, not only from the small dairy farming town but from throughout the region.
For probably the first time in its long history, the hall was filled with the sound of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and Leonard Bernstein’s Candide.
One of those present was Peter Evans, a long-time supporter of Opera Scholars Australia, of which Charlotte and her four colleagues are all members.
Mr Evans said the performance by Charlotte (a soprano), Johnny De Simone (a baritone), mezzo-soprano Olive Cullen and bass-baritone Noah Straughan was inspiring.
They were accompanied by pianist Ronan Apcar, who has the Australian Youth Orchestra, Canberra International Music Festival and Sydney Contemporary Orchestra on an impressive CV.
Proud parents: Carolyn and Trevor Goode flank their daughter Charlotte’s good friend Matt Duffy, who was responsible for the artwork on the front of the Opera in the Country programs that were given to the 90-plus people who attended the concert.
Mr Evans, who is from Bowral in NSW, happened to be in Albury on the day before the Tongala concert.
“I was so close that I thought it was worth the effort to come and see them,” he said.
“As far as I know, this is a unique event, in that it was created and produced by an Opera Scholars Australia student.
“I am very impressed with the initiative.”
Mr Evans, who was at the concert with his Maltese, Alyce, has plans to bring a similar event to Bowral, with Ms Cullen hailing from nearby Wollongong.
Night at the opera: Long-time supporter of the Opera Scholars Australia organisation Peter Evans travelled from Bowral in NSW to attend the Tongala concert with his music-loving Maltese, Alyce.
As the audience members filed into the Tongala hall on Friday they were greeted by Matt Duffy, a science student at Melbourne University and close friend of Charlotte.
She enlisted his support for the event in a wine-pouring capacity, but he had a much larger part in promoting the event.
Mr Duffy, who is also an accomplished artist and musician, painted last year’s canola field scene that was used to promote the first Opera in the Country event.
He was again “commissioned” by his friend to produce something fitting for the Tongala and Numurkah concerts. He chose Thompson’s Beach in Cobram as his inspiration, and that was on the front of the program that was handed to guests.
Charlotte’s twin brother just happens to live in Cobram.
Development group At Tongala co-ordinated the event with Charlotte and her fellow performers. The hall and the hospitality provided by the group provided a wonderful backdrop for the rather unique concert for the town of 1500 people.
Raising a glass: Richmond resident Darcy Williams travelled with a Torumbarry friend, Lincoln Reeves, to watch the Tongala concert. She is an opera regular and was taking Lincoln to his first opera event.
The other performers involved in the concert are some of the most gifted young opera singers in Australian.
Mr De Simone grew up a member of the National Boys Choir and is studying his Bachelor of Music at Melbourne University. He was also in the choir for Hugh Jackman’s ‘The Music Man’ world tour.
Ms Cullen is a third-year student at Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and Mr Straughan is studying his Master of Music (Opera Performance) and already has a string of stage credits on his CV.
First time: Anne Snell and her husband, Jamie, were attending their first operatic event. The Kyabram South couple had only experienced opera once in 48 years of marriage — a busker at Circular Quay in Sydney.
