A friend invited me to a Carol Concert on the edge of a river, at a place known as ‘The Landing’ at Kerikeri, New Zealand. We went along totally unprepared was the arrangement was for us to meet and sit with some friends and their young family. The next time, the word picnic is mentioned, the car will be full of comfort goodies, the two main items being folding chairs.
It was a most wonderful experience, in spite of having to make an ungainly descent onto the blanket, assisted by several caring helping hands easing me earthwards. There were reassuring offers of help, to repeat the process of rising again when we wished to leave. I turned my feet to face the river, to hopefully promote health and safety, and keep tripping accidents to a minimum.
Once settled, I glanced around. It was a beautiful sunny evening; whole families sat together on the grass facing the stage, erected at one end of the ground. Quite a few people brought chairs, picnic baskets, and sun umbrellas. Everyone in the audience was prepared with song sheets to sing their hearts out when the time came. There was a choir, with soloists, musicians, a compare, and a conductor, all bustling about preparing their music and tuning up. What a din!
While we sat waiting for the concert to begin, I watched the activities going on around us. Several children ran about waving balloons and before long, some escaped and were blown into the river. Off they bobbed on their journey following the air thermals and the water currents. Screaming children ran alongside hoping to grasp them again if they happened to reach a bank.
A beautiful kingfisher sat on a branch, searching intently for a supper snack in the water below him, oblivious to the commotion in his otherwise tranquil surrounds. Ducks swam up and down begging for bread, and diving bottoms up for underwater goodies. There was quite a bit of duck procreation going on; no embarrassment there. One very ardent male nearly drowned his mate in the process.
Well-behaved trim seagulls did an occasional food-seeking flypast. However, with the ducks in possession of the riverbank, the gulls had to wait till the humans had gone, to do their rewarding work of clearing up any leftover food. Unless they were very cheeky, chaps who snatched food out of the hands of unwary eaters.
Just before the performance, a large striped, canary yellow and blue sun umbrella, was lifted by the wind and rolled along the ground. It was chased by several people, desperately trying to capture it before it escaped. It evaded capture and landed upside down in the river. There it provided great hilarity as it sailed majestically along, every now and then disappearing under the water, handle and all. Slowly, the umbrella appeared again from the depths, to repeat its performance at times during quite moving moments, in the carol singing.
The carols were a bit different from the familiar English ones, which was quite refreshing. It delighted me to hear Maori carols sung, and I followed the wording very carefully. The choir sang with gusto and the young soloists gave touching performances much applauded by one and all, especially loudly by their listening families.
The only discordant note was my almost numb bottom and fidgety legs. Just as I was about to give in, and ask for help to arise, a spit of rain fell from a lonely grey cloud. It stopped as soon as it began and suddenly a wonderful thing happened.
A magnificent rainbow appeared, hanging over the river with its beautiful colours sharply defined. I for one will not forget that enchanting evening. I hope to be back next year God willing, fully prepared for a comfortable seat and some companionable singing with friends and nature.
© Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Photo: The Landing NZ
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