In Cape Town we are very privileged to have the most beautiful botanical garden, situated at the east side of Table Mountain, showing off all the gorgeous ‘Fijnbos’ and other indigenous plants along lustrous lawns were people can enjoy a picnic looking up to the majestic Table Mountain.
‘Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is acclaimed as one of the great botanic gardens of the world. Few gardens can match the sheer grandeur of the setting of Kirstenbosch, against the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain.’ (Stolen from their website 😉).
Now that I’ve sparked your imagination 🌳 imagine this: One of the beautiful green sloping lawns in the garden, a stage, a view over Cape Town and people enjoying each other’s company, food and drinks, all 5500 of them! 😳 Yes 5500 people! 😃 And with that you have a sold out Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concert!
Now I don’t attend these concerts myself. As a true introvert I don’t function well in big crowds with everyone on top of each other so the only time you will find me at a sold out Kirstenbosch concert is when I have a safe and secure place to sit with enough personal space … my seat in the orchestra on stage 😅 From there I can watch the crowd come in, fight over spaces, share drinks and food, children playing and I only have to go in there if I feel brave enough. 🫣
The thing is, unlike common belief, classical music played by a philharmonic orchestra sells out … every year … weeks in advance!!! We just have the best audience here in Cape Town and they love coming to enjoy the beautiful sounds a full orchestra brings. Wether it being in a more serious setting like our concert hall in the City Hall of Cape Town or be it in a more chilled environment like the lawns of Kirstenbosch, the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra sells out! 😃
Seeing 5500 people enjoying our playing in the various ways they do I felt completely connected again with why we do what we do: We make people forget about their daily slum and bring smiles and good feelings for an hour or two. You tend to forget when you’re always on stage.
So I end with a shout out to our loyal and casual audience members: you are just amazing! Here’s an applause for you for a change 🙂
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
To be continued! 🙂
Roxane Steffen 