The Opera House Sets The Seal

On The Arts Of The Islands

From VICTOR CARELL in Suva

Probably the most outstanding re sult of the very successful South Pacific Festival of Arts in Suva last year is the official invitation to many of the countries to perform in the Sydney Opera House during its open ing festival this October. The Queen will perform the ceremony on October 20, at 2.30 pm.

The countries that have been in vited by the official opening com mittee and the Opera House Trust are: Fiji, the Cook Islands, New Zealand, the Banaban peoples who now live on Rabi Island, Western Samoa, Tonga, New Hebrides, British Solomons and Papua New Guinea.

It was also hoped to include Niue because of the very real and strong impression they made in Suva. How ever, limitations of finance for the very heavy travel costs are not likely to allow this.

Strong groups will come from the Solomons, the Banabans and the Cook Islands National Arts Theatre.

They all captivated every audience who saw them perform. Both Papua New Guinea and Fiji will have very good representations. Fiji will have the magnificent Royal Fiji Police Band and a company of specially prepared dancers are being chosen and their repertoire selected for the first time in Fiji on a national basis.

From New Zealand will come a magnificent Maori dance group, Mawai Hakona, from the Upper Hutt, beautifully led by Dovey Katene Horvath.

In Sydney these groups will liter ally fill the city with joy—the joy of the South Pacific. In their planned programme they will take a part in the opening. They will give two performances in the main auditorium of the Opera House and six perform ances daily for three days at open air lunch-hour sites in the city. They will perform in 16 suburban theatres and halls and also perform in Hyde Park and the Sydney Town Hall as well as in schools and universities.

On the middle Saturday, October 27, they will take part in the Waratah Parade through the city and on the next day they will be an important part of the giant ecumenical service to be held at the Domain.

In the ecumenical service each country has promised to give a local, beautifully - made handicraft at the “Offering”. Tonga will give an im pressive cross in beautiful tapa 100 ft by 50 ft while Fiji will give masi on a comparable scale made in the shape of the Star of David.

After the Sydney performances the groups will split into two. One half will go to Canberra to perform in the magnificent Canberra Theatre while the other will go to Melbourne.

This group will be sponsored by the City of Melbourne in association with the Opera House Trust and the Elizabethan Theatre Trust and give two performances in the Melbourne Town Hall and one in the famous Myers Bowl (which holds 50,000 or more). Then, in association with the

Victorian Racing Club, they will all perform at this year’s Melbourne Cup.

Three of the Islands outstanding poets, Albert Wendt, of Western Samoa, Hone Tuwhare, of New Zealand, and John Kasaipwalova, a Trobriand islander, have been offici ally invited to read their poetry. As well as appearing at the Opera House, they will give readings at the three universities in Sydney, in the North and South Side Festivals at Chats wood, Sutherland and Bankstown, and also during a lunch-hour break in Martin Plaza. The prize-winning play, Pritchard, which was a promi nent feature of the Arts Festival, is also scheduled for short seasons in Sydney suburbs.

The Royal Fiji Police Band will, without doubt, have its most exciting overseas tour ever. This wonderful group will not only play in the main auditorium of the Opera House; they will also give a number of important concerts in and around Sydney. They will be the lead band in this year’s special Opera House/Waratah Festi val parade and also at the giant ecumenical service. Then they will go to Melbourne to play at the Derby Day, the Myers Bowl and be THE BAND at this year’s Melbourne Cup.

This recognition of the wealth of culture and entertainment in the South Pacific by the Opera House and the NSW Government is a matter of great satisfaction to all the countries concerned.

White wings on the harbour —Sydney's multi-million dollar Opera House stands out in the centre of this picture of Sydney Harbour.