odysseus: Celebration of Spring

I went for a late afternoon walk in the Botanical Gardens last Sunday, with the intention of taking pictures, but I was rewarded beyond expectations: a concert was being given by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra in the beautiful setting of a pavillion in the middle of a pond facing a large sloping lawn where families, groups of friends and couples sat on blankets for a picnic or just to listen to the music.

Vivaldi's Spring Concerto certainly sounded different on Chinese string instruments, but the spirit was all there. And I had at my disposal a gold-mine of interesting shots.

The canopy of the orchestra's stage opens up like a huge oyster shell over a water-lily pond ...

A section of Chinese strings practices Vivaldi's Spring Concerto before the concert ...

Two youg women with interesting faces ...

An old Chinese couple, looking a bit sceptical listening to the music ...

On a bench off the lawn and on the side, an old lady enjoys her time sitting next to a young girl (her grand-daughter?) while fanning herself, trying to stay cool on this still hot late Sunday afternoon ...