Picnic classics on the lawn

Some of the 2700 fans at the Summer Concert at Government House enjoy the Vector Wellington Orchestra. The scene showing the Vector Wellington Orchestra and the large crowd.

Classical music lovers kicked off their shoes and lazed on picnic blankets at Government House and enjoyed the Vector Wellington Orchestra and three soloists at the Dominion Post Summer Concert at Government House.

About 2700 people attended Saturday's concert, to hear the orchestra accompanied by lyric tenor Benjamin Makisi, mezzo Helen Medlyn and soprano Julia Booth.

Before the musicians took to the stage, a crew from the Footnote Dance Company plucked partners from the crowd for a whirl.

Lower Hutt woman Jaye Howey didn't need much coercion from her friends to go for a spin with Levi Cameron, 21, whose dance moves matched his Spanish attire. "It was great fun," she said.

The undoubted highlight of the day was a battery of replica historical cannons firing a salvo for the finale of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.

Dries Gerryts said he was especially looking forward to the explosions from 17 cannons, but everything about the concert was marvellous. "It's lovely. I love the atmosphere, I love the music."

Also on the playlist were Tchaikovsky's Capriccio Italien, Bizet's L'Arlesienne, Chabrier's Espana, a Brahms Hungarian dance, and a Strauss polka.

The warm-up act featured Whirimako Black performing with violinist Elena and Wellington musicians Simply Fantastic.

Julia Hudson, of Wellington, celebrated her 29th birthday with friend Kirsten Young, also 29. "It's as much about sitting in the sun and having a picnic and sipping bubbles."