*The Musical Celebration

Since 2004 Mill Bay Haven has been the proud host of these wonderful evenings, held annually, for lovers of classical music. These musical evenings are becoming so well known that people come from all over New Zealand to Mangonui just to attend them.

The program is altered each year to surprise and delight the audience. Previous years guests have commented on how the world class entertainment can possibly be improved next time and the media have reported: "if you come within a penguin's whisker, you will have us waiting in line." (read full press article)

In the past the evenings have been directed by Rosemary Barnes (of Opera House fame) who also provides the piano accompaniment for the artists who have included Shaun Dixon (a renowned young New Zealand tenor who was Pavarotti's protégé for a year and is now performing in lead roles in London Opera), his wife Tania, an Opera Singer who sings as beautifully as Sarah Brightman, and the duo 'Vivo', who perform on the piano, piano accordion, and violin, featuring an extraordinary range of opera, jazz, tango and Russian folk music, tenor Geoffrey Knight, flutist Clare Penny, spectacular soprano Joanna Foote, celtic musicians Mark and Jane Hillier, concert pianist Matteo Napoli, Italian soprano Lilia Carpinelli, amazing violinist Vladimir Shapkin, and local talent baritone Cedric Richards and Anton Norman.

Performances have included compositions by Rossini, Bizet, Puccini, Verdi, and many others.

During interval, guests enjoy local wines and cheese served on the harbour side lawn.

One year the audience was entertained during interval by a group of fairy penguins who normally come ashore to spend the night in the grounds of Mill Bay Haven, but on this occasion, being afraid to come ashore due to the humans on the lawn, the penguins swam up and down along the seawall to the melodies of Mozart before coming ashore for the night after the concert was over and the humans had mostly gone - to the absolute delight of the remaining guests on the adjacent lawn!

 

Spaces for these intimate classical music celebrations, which are held annually in February or March, must be pre-booked, are very limited, and fill quickly. Please phone Mill Bay Haven on 09 406 1113, or email now to ensure your places are reserved. As Mill Bay Haven provides these evenings to bring quality culture to the local area, ticket prices are a pleasant surprise, at around $80 per person.

Comments from last years guests:
"What an absolutely splendid evening you provided for all of us last night. Thank you so much for your efforts on behalf of this community. The performers were brilliant and we haven’t enjoyed ourselves that much in a long time." Local Hotelier

"We would like to thank you for the enormous joy that Friday night's concert gave us and I am sure the rest of the attendees. Vivo were wonderful and their ability to stir up the listeners was a delight. Shaun, as you said, was stunning, his ability is evident in every facet of his performance, and his passionate rendering of his music is spine chilling. To have such world class performers in our little township is unique in New Zealand and the effort of bringing such a concert together is a huge task. You do our community proud and we thank you most avidly for a night to remember." Local Marriage Celebrant

"Thank you so much for a wonderful evening of music and song on Friday night. We appreciate the tremendous effort you have clearly put into such an event. The setting of your beautiful home contributed to the very special ambience of the evening. Fingers crossed you will be able, as you suggested, to make this an annual event." Local Residents

As reported in The Northland Age on 14th April 2005... ""A stunning musical menu with entrée and surprising main course" came with a complimentary grand from the Far North District Council at a concert, (unlikely to be equalled) hosted by entrepreneurs, Tony and Annette Norman in their harbour-side home garden at Mill Bay Haven on Friday evening" read more...