The final performance of the community opera PUSH was held St Mary The Virgin Church, Battle, on Saturday October 8, as part of the Battle Festival. After the two sell-out performances in the De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill, with 450 people at each, I wasn't sure how large an audience there would be at Battle but, amazingly, the church was full to the brim. It was not an easy feat to perform in a very different and limited space, but the director made it work by using the aisles between the pews, and the sound of the choir and orchestra was wonderful.
It's difficult to let go of the story this opera told and the emotions it evoked so the picture above will always remind me of meeting a special, joyous human being.
Dutch filmmaker, Michel van der Burg, is working on a new documentary of Simon Gronowski's story - the subject of the opera - and came specially to England to be part of this section of Simon's life.
Photo: Michel Vanderburg
