'Tears of joy' dampen free concert turnout

By Louisa Cleave

Weather and the Anniversary Weekend exodus have been blamed for one of the smallest crowds in the history of free outdoor concerts in Auckland Domain.

Last night's Starlight Symphony concert attracted fewer than 50,000 people.

The low turnout is likely to have affected the amount of money collected for the Starship children's hospital.

Money raised has been earmarked for a new medical service, the New Zealand Telepaediatric Service, which will allow specialists to treat children from a distance.

Previous events, such as last year's Christmas in the Park, have attracted up to 200,000 people for a night of free entertainment in a casual picnic atmosphere.

But with the concert well underway, the domain embankments and the hill behind the Auckland Museum were unusually people-free with only a few scattered groups occupying the areas.

Police Inspector Derek Davison said it was the smallest turnout ever - about a quarter of previous crowd numbers.

He said the weather and the exodus from the city over the weekend had probably contributed to the low number.

Ironically, the skies opened on the concert crowd soon after the third performance on the programme, Summer from Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

The rain spurred a sea of umbrellas to rise in front of the stage, where most of the crowd was seated on either chairs, tarpaulins or blankets.

Television newsreader John Hawkesby, co-hosting the night with new work colleague Judy Bailey, stayed optimistic about the weather and congratulated the couple at the front of the stage who managed to dance while holding their umbrellas.

"It is not raining, this is merely tears of joy from the heavens for this wonderful music," he said.

He did not convince some people, who packed up their picnics and left.

In the meantime, whether it was the usual good atmosphere of the concert events, or the desire to remove backsides from the damp ground for a while, most rose for a mass movement to the Blue Danube Waltz.

Caption: Brollies are the order of the evening at the disappointingly attended Starlight Symphony.HERALD PICTURE / MARTIN SYKES