Sydney Festival

Our first dip into the Festival was fabulous. Another picnic was packed and we headed for the Domain, which is at the top of the Botanical Gardens opposite the Art Gallery. We joined at least 100,000 Sydneysiders in spreading our blankets and settling down to listen to the annual Jazz in the Domain.

This year it was a Noite Brasil with one of the fathers of the bossa nova movement, Oscar Castro-Neves, leading us into a colourful, rythmic, whistle blowing night. His percussion section was led by Airto Moreira who was absolutely stunning. He produced a fusion of Brazilian, African and Australian music that was truely out of this world. I didn't realise at the time but I have an album of his 'Return to Forever', recorded when he was with Chick Corea, of Santana fame.

Everyone was on their feet dancing and swaying to the rhythms at the end of the evening, what a great introduction for us to the month long Festival. The smh give it a great review this morning.