This weekend, discover treasures of the Viking Age at the South Australian Museum or sing along to Billy Joel’s greatest hits at the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s Piano Man.
The Viking Age
The Galloway Hoard is the most remarkable collection of Viking-age treasure ever unearthed in Britain or Ireland and it’s coming to the South Australian Museum. Like most Viking-age hoards, it contains lots of silver: ingots, hacksilver, arm-rings and finely crafted jewellery. It also contains the largest quantity of gold objects ever recovered from this historical milieu. But the most astonishing thing about the Galloway Hoard is the presence of heirlooms, relics and exotic curiosities. This unique treasure trove provides a snapshot of life in medieval Scotland and shows how Britain was part of Viking-age trade networks that stretched into the Middle East and Asia. Current research suggests that the Hoard was buried by a wealthy and well-connected group of people around 900 CE. Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard, will be unveiled at the South Australian Museum on February 8, marking the first opportunity to view this unique collection of treasures outside Britain.
Bridal fashion through the ages
If you love fashion and weddings, you’ll love the exhibition at Glenelg’s Bay Discovery Centre, which explores 100 years of bridal fashion. Titled I Do, Stitches Through Time, the exhibition features 20 gowns, dating from the late 1890s to the 1980s. Among the dresses on display is a 1930s gold satin gown with a 3m train and Patricia Mawson’s 1940s gown, made of French lace given to her mother Paquita in Paris some decades earlier. This exhibition takes place at the Bay Discovery Centre in Glenelg until Sunday, May 18 and is open daily from 10am until 4pm.
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Under the stars
Plan a romantic date or a fun night out with friends for Moonlight Cinema, with its exciting line-up of new and classic films showing at Adelaide Botanic Park until February 16. February’s program will include a screening of The Parent Trap on February 7, followed by Wicked on the 8. A highlight will be A Week of Romance, running from February 9 to 16, including a special Saint Valentine’s ‘90s rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You hits the big screen. There will also be screenings of Twilight, Notting Hill, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days throughout the week, as well as a preview of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.
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Sing us a song, you’re the piano man
The music of Billy Joel will fill the Festival Theatre this weekend as the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra reimagines his music with unique orchestral arrangements by New York-based Adelaide composer, conductor and arranger Nicholas Buc. Known simply as “the piano man”, Billy Joel gave us some of the greatest hits of the ‘70s and ‘80s, including She’s Always a Woman, We Didn’t Start the Fire, Vienna, Just the Way You Are, Uptown Girl and of course, Piano Man. Artistic director Mark Sutcliffe brings these songs to the Festival Theatre this February 7 and 8 for Piano Man, with conductor Vanessa Scammell and the voices of Phil Burton, Alinta Chidzey, Jess Hitchcock and Josh Piterman.
The good old days
Imagine a 1940s bebop version of Love Story by Taylor Swift, or a 1960s Lesley Gore-style cover of Good Luck, Babe! by Chappell Roan, or even a rockabilly version of the Bee Gee’s Stayin’ Alive. Well, you needn’t imagine any longer when Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox comes to the Festival Theatre for a one-night-only performance on February 9 as part of its Magic and Moonlight world tour. This retro cover group started life as a YouTube channel, bringing covers of modern hits and beloved throwbacks in the styles of yesteryear. Concert-goers are encouraged to dress in vintage costume to hear modern songs sung in styles such as 1920s traditional jazz, 1930s big band swing, 1950s doo-wop, or even 1960s Motown.
The art of botanical painting
Australia’s unique native flora will be highlighted in a landmark exhibition at David Roche Gallery this autumn, which will feature exquisite wildflower paintings by Rosa Fiveash alongside those by Ellis Rowan. Taking place from February 14 until May 24, the Nature Revealed: Rosa Fiveash & Ellis Rowan exhibition includes large watercolours by Ellis paired with delicate botanical paintings from Rosa. Rosa (1854-1938) was a botanical illustrator and flower painter who lived her entire life in North Adelaide, just a short walk from the David Roche Gallery. She is known for having introduced the china painting technique to South Australia. Meanwhile, Ellis (1842-1922) was a Melbourne artist, naturalist and explorer who challenged Victorian-era social mores with her independence and avant-garde wildflower paintings. This ticketed exhibition will be open from Tuesdays to Saturdays (except on public holidays), with guided tours each Thursday at 11.30am.
