News from the world of travel
The AJN takes you around Australia and the world to see what’s new in travel.
Lior’s tribute to William Cooper back at Adelaide Festival
First Nations activist William Cooper’s protest march in 1938 just weeks after the Nazi terror of Kristallnacht is relived in Ngapa William Cooper, a song cycle created by Israeli-born Melbourne singer Lior and composer Nigel Westlake which premiered at the 2023 Adelaide Festival.
Ngapa William Cooper is returning to this year’s Adelaide Festival, but instead of being performed as a choral work with the Australian String Quartet, will feature the 75-member Adelaide Symphony Orchestra at the Adelaide Festival Centre on March 9.
And for the first time, Ngapa William Cooper will be staged back-to-back with Compassion, Lior and Westlake’s 2013 song cycle featuring ancient Hebrew and Arabic texts.
This year’s Adelaide Festival features 64 events being staged at venues around the city from March 1-17. Highlights include Igor Stravinsky’s opera The Nightingale and Other Fables directed by Canadian Robert Lepage, and director Barrie Kosky’s The Threepenny Opera, written by Bertolt Brecht and Elizabeth Hauptmann with music by Kurt Weill and performed by the Berliner Ensemble.
Lior is thrilled to be back in Adelaide for the large-scale production of Ngapa William Cooper. “Ngapa William Cooper was originally written in chamber form with the hope and vision that one day it would be upscaled to full orchestra, which is what is happening at the Adelaide Festival,” Lior told The AJN.
“This is the culmination of a vision that Nigel and I had years ago, so it is exciting to see it come to fruition. “I have a long history with the Adelaide Festival and I appreciate it that they keep inviting me back.” Joining Lior on stage is Yorta Yorta singer, composer and language activist Dr Lou Bennett.
“Last year’s Ngapa William Cooper performance with the Australian String Quartet had an amazing response and many Australian orchestras have expressed interest in performing it,” he said.
Lior is also performing Ngapa William Cooper in chamber form at this year’s Perth Festival on March 3 before heading to the Adelaide Festival. Ngapa William Cooper is scheduled to be performed in Sydney in May and Brisbane in September.
Adelaide comes alive during March with a feast of entertainment and cultural events on offer. Apart from the Adelaide Festival, which includes Writer’s Week from March 2-7, there’s the Fringe Festival and WOMADelaide.
For more information on the Adelaide Festival, visit adelaidefestival.com.au
New luxury catamaran cruises in the Kimberley
A luxury catamaran carrying just eight guests will start seven-night expedition cruises in the Kimberley region of Western Australia in April to October this year.
The catamaran, Eclipse, by Queensland superyacht company Yotspace, can be booked by the cabin or as a private charter. Nicholas Mason of Yotspace said: “We’re inviting discerning adventurers to experience an exclusive and environmentally conscious way to journey through the Kimberley.
“It’s a five-star, fully-crewed voyage for just four couples offering an indulgent VIP luxury yacht experience.” The Eclipse has airconditioned cabins with ensuites, open-air and interior dining areas and lounges, and each all-inclusive cruise includes gourmet meals, drinks and shore adventures.
There are two seven-night itineraries available from Broome – the round-trip “Kimberley Explorer” voyage featuring the Buccaneer Archipelago, Montgomery Reef, Ruby Falls, Sale River, Horizontal Falls and Kingfisher Islands; and the “Iconic Kimberley” voyage including Montgomery Reef, Horizontal Falls, Camden Sounds, Kings Cascade, Hunter River, a helicopter flight over Mitchell Falls, with a light plane flight back to Broome.
Enquiries: yotspace.com
Wellness retreat at idyllic Fiji resort
Six Senses Fiji resort is holding its inaugural four-day wellness retreat in May in collaboration with leading Pilates brand, Fluidform.
The luxury resort on Malolo Island in the Mamanuca chain of islands has 24 pool villas and is the ideal setting to learn about movement, nutrition, and relaxation from Kirsten King, the founder of Fluidform. For the past two years, Six Senses – which operates 23 hotels and resorts in 18 countries – has been hosting wellness events, retreats and festivals.
Senses Fiji general manager Mark Kitchen said: “This partnership with Fluidform embodies a shared commitment to holistic well-being, unlocking new horizons in wellness and creating a truly exceptional journey for those seeking rejuvenation, balance, and vitality.”
King added: “This unique experience curated with Six Senses Fiji will revolutionise your physical, mental and emotional health.” Six Senses Fiji’s Fluidform retreat will be held from May 16-20, 2024.
Enquiries: sixsenses.com/en/resorts/fiji/wellness-spa/retreats
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