Risurrezione by Franco Alfano (1875–1954) has been acclaimed as this year’s Wexford hit and so the festival went out on a high note on the last night on Sunday when we saw it.
The opera is based on a Tolstoy novel, Resurrection, and has some beautiful music. Not a bundle of laughs but that’s opera. Before the curtain went up I and others welcomed the Irish Prime Minister and then, as always, rose to sing the national anthem in Irish. Although surtitles are supplied I have issues pronouncing most of the words and fall back on “pom-pom”. The woman in front of me turned round to glare but my neighbour whispered comfortingly “well tried”.
This year I have met opera goers from England, Canada (Vancouver), Belgium, Spain, France and, of course, Ireland. The atmosphere is marvellous, not least because of the charming volunteers at the opera and the friendly service at the Talbot Hotel. Our party are planning our return next year.
After the opera we went down to the quay to watch fireworks, let off in front of a statue of John Barry.
