WaterFire

Tom and I drove down to Providence yesterday to see WaterFire, a very mellow outdoor event -- I would even call it a ceremony -- that happens every two weeks during the summer. This was the last WaterFire event until October, and it was a really good day for it.

Near sunset, people all gather near the river.



See the pyres in the water? After sunset, people come along in boats and light them with torches. And before long, the scene looks like this.



The pyres run fairly far along the river, and people are everywhere. There are also speakers hung along the banks and gentle, mellowing music is piped through.

One unexpected part of the evening -- sometimes, a recognizable opera aria would be played over the speakers, and a singer with a torchbearer would appear out of nowhere and sing along to the music. Tom knew all the operas (he's an opera buff whether he likes to admit it or not!) and could always tell me the composer and the show it was from. The singers were all excellent, and it's probably the most I've enjoyed hearing opera music.

(The torch bearer had a tough job here, too!)

Tom and I strolled the river, stopping to listen to the occasional aria when a singer appeared nearby. The crowd was very content and peaceful, almost reverent.



We really enjoyed the evening. I recommend it.