A night to remember

On the 27^th November we were delighted to host a very special concert in our Colosseum Suite. The first of its kind to be held at Nirvana Spa, the concert marked the first anniversary of the opening of this beautiful new space and it was wonderful to share the moment with four hundred members and guests.

The inspiration for the concert came from our Chairman, John Barley and his good friend Sir Cliff Richard. Over a year ago, John was entertaining Sir Cliff at Nirvana Spa when he sought his view regarding possible musical acoustics. Sir Cliff snapped his fingers to check the echo sounded back and immediately concluded that it would suit orchestral music. From that moment, the concert was conceived.

Nirvana Spa has been pleased to support Reading Symphony Orchestra in a modest way for several years. The concert provided a wonderful opportunity both for the Orchestra to play to a wide audience in a unique setting and for them to raise funds. Nirvana Spa was delighted to cover the costs and to offer each visitor a glass of fizz during the interval; all proceeds from the concert went to the orchestra.

Reading Symphony Orchestra, led by Musical Director Stefan Hofkes performed a wonderful selection of popular opera arias, featuring soprano April Fredrick and tenor Simon Gfeller. The audience were completely enthralled by the Italian repertoire. The emotional performance of Puccini’s O Mio Babbino Caro was exquisite, with the beautiful melody touching the hearts of the audience. While the opulent rendition of O Soave Fanciulla from La Bohème saw the singers use the delightful setting to great effect as they kissed on the spiral staircase.  The finale, a vibrant orchestration of Verdi Brindidi from La Traviata was met with loud applause and a standing ovation.

We received several glowing reviews from the audience, including the following:

 “The concert last night was really excellent, the programme, orchestra and solo singers were brilliant. Many thanks to all the staff who must have worked hard to set it up and organise it so well.  The Colosseum was the perfect setting for a memorable evening.  We hope there will be more concerts at Nirvana.”

We look forward to holding many more special events in our stunning Colosseum Suite.