Be sure to see the evening concerts at Victoria's Butchart Gardens

by Keith and Heather Nicol

      Butchart Gardens has long been a favourite when we have been visiting Victoria but we have never taken in their summer evening concerts. What could be better- enjoying some fine music in a fabulous setting surrounded by gardens and flowers.  And with this summer having many warm and sunny evenings this is the year to check this out if you haven’t already done so. On Wednesday, July 29 we were in for a special treat since the Victoria Symphony Orchestra was playing and it certainly brought out a huge crowd. Many people brought picnics and had spread out their blankets in front of the stage and we plan to do this the next time we attend since it looked like a lot of fun.   

Many people brought picnic suppers and ate before the concert

 We arrived about 6:45pm for the 8:00 pm concert and that gave us a chance to set up our chairs ahead of time so we could walk around the gardens unencumbered. Even at that time most of the bleacher type seats were taken so if you want to sit up close you might want to get there even earlier.  We attended this event with my brother Bruce and his wife Mary Ellen who were the ones to suggest this since it is one of their favourite activities through the summer.  We walked through many of the gardens with camera in hand but the rose garden and sunken garden are always favourites Then before we knew it was time for the concert and so we rushed back to our seats only to find that the crowd had mushroomed which meant finding our chairs took some searching.

The rose garden is a favourite through the summer

  The Victoria Symphony Orchestra put on a beautiful  performance of music from a variety of Russian composers.  Their choice was perfect for a summer evening since although some the music was somber, much of it was light and joyful. They even featured the playing of a local 13 year old cellist who joined the symphony for one piece. Conductor Tania Miller did an outstanding job of introducing the pieces which we really appreciated. The summer concert series features the music of a wide variety of artists and it is free with admission to the gardens with the exception of a couple of big name artists like Jann Arden and the group Spirit of the West. For more information about Butchart Gardens and the summer concert series see:  http://www.butchartgardens.com/

 

The Victoria Symphony Orchestra drew a huge crowd