Special Opera Night Coming to Babylon Village

Babylon Village residents will have the opportunity to enjoy the music of kings and queens, more commonly known as opera, this month thanks to the efforts of the Babylon Village Arts Council.

It’s a first-time event and was initiated after BVAC founding member Jack Finkenberg recently attended an opera night in Northport.

“I’ve been to many operas over the years but the Northport Opera Night is the first local opera I had seen and was pleasantly surprised,” said Finkenberg who has lived in Babylon since 1970 and is currently BVAC vice president.

So he decided to present the idea to fellow BVAC members and the group has set Saturday, April 28 as the date. The performance will start at 8 p.m. at the Christ Episcopal Church located at 12 Prospect Street.

The program is made possible through a partnership with Astoria Federal Savings and will feature professional operatic singers plus a piano accompanist performing an assortment of vocal excerpts from famous and beloved operas. Donation is $10.  For further information contact 631-261-8808 or visit the organization's website.

“It will be a wonderful night of operatic arias and song. Each performer gets to sing once and as the night goes on the intensity and level of performance rises. The last one I attended had 14 performers and all were very accomplished singers,” said Finkenberg, who said he was “enraptured” by the music.

“This is a program for all lovers of music. Not just opera buffs."

The BVAC will hold a reception after the performance where audience members will be able to meet and talk with the performers

“I know when I was younger opera did not appeal to me. Rock and roll forever.  But there are parallels to rock music," said Finkenberg.

"The big sound. The ability to let yourself go with the music. Theatricality and pathos. But instead of amplified guitars you have these wonderful big and sensitive voices,” he said, adding, “It’s just grand.”