THE pipes will be calling for the next few days with the annual Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields Festival of Fine Music underway.<\/p>\n
Now in its 27th year, the festival\u2019s co-founder and director Judith Houston said the four-day event is all about showcasing the incredible organs throughout the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s not many of them left and it\u2019s important to highlight what we have here and to preserve them as best we can,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are some amazing pipe organs internationally in Europe and England and this really is about the incredible instruments we\u2019ve got right here.\u201d<\/p>\n
The program includes 11 recitals with more than 20 performers throughout nine venues including the Ballaarat Mechanics\u2019 Institute and St Patrick\u2019s Cathedral.<\/p>\n
Victorian Governor, Linda Dessau, is serving as patron for the festival.<\/p>\n
Alongside Ms Houston, the event was founded in 1995 by Italian organist Sergio de Pieri and festival treasurer Voi Williams, who said it\u2019s always a popular occasion.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe always have people coming Australia-wide and everywhere in between. Several people come from Perth and Cairns every year,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore COVID, this was a 10-day festival that would get about 6000 people in seats.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very gratifying and does showcase Ballarat itself as well as the musical program and our mission to retain the history of these organs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were installed just after the gold rush so some of them are quite old, around the 1860s and 70s.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE pipes will be calling for the next few days with the annual Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields Festival of Fine Music underway. Now in its 27th year, the festival\u2019s co-founder and director Judith Houston said the four-day event is all about showcasing the incredible organs throughout the region. \u201cThere\u2019s not many of them left […]<\/p>\n