Multi-sensory art experience coming to Royal Whanganui Opera House

Sound Canvas will be a multi-sensory experience for art and music lovers at the Royal Wanganui Opera House next weekend.

The Royal Whanganui Opera House stage has the capacity for large groups of performers or in this instance a group of musicians and an audience.

Whanganui Artists Open Studios have collaborated with Brass Whanganui for Sound Canvas - a multi-sensory experience where the audience will take centre stage.

A maximum of 120 people will be seated on the stage where they will be surrounded by projections of works by Whanganui visual artists while listening to music played by 32 brass players.

"The audience will hear what I hear," says Brass Whanganui musical director Bruce Jellyman.

"The music happens around them and there will be singing, theatre and poetry readings as well."

Jellyman says the band has created musical responses to the artists' works and he thinks the audience will enjoy them.

"There will be some wonderful surprises - it will be a kaleidoscope of sound."

The band will play continuously and Jellyman says the audience can applaud any time they wish to or just listen.

They will also be able to choose whether to stay seated, dance or just walk around the stage.

Jellyman has arranged some of the music in collaboration with his son Hamish and he says there will be a mix of classical, modern, familiar and lesser-known compositions.

Afternoon tea or drinks and canapes are included in the ticket price and will be served in the Opera House annexe before the performance when the audience will be invited to enter through the stage door.

Sound Canvas: March 30 at 3pm and 7pm, and on Sunday, March 31 at 1pm. Tickets are $30 adults, $25 seniors and $20 for children under 16 available from the Royal Whanganui Opera House.