At 11am on Friday 8 May 2009 Opera Australia?s education and touring arm Oz Opera will launch its engaging production of The Sound Garden at the Melbourne Opera Centre in front of 40 primary school children from Olympic Village Primary School and Furlong Park School for the Deaf, prior to taking the production to over 130 schools across Victoria.

Catherine loves Ricardo. Unfortunately, so does Cassandra! Catherine?s Valentines Day plans go
horribly wrong when Cassandra uses the magic of the Sound Garden to steal Ricardo away. But will all three friends be true to their hearts?

This magical piece, by Australian composer David Montgomery, explores the issues of friendship, love, betrayal and regret. The libretto by Anne Roylance follows the journey of Catherine, Ricardo and Cassandra on Valentine?s Day when Catherine decides to send her secret love a Valentine?s Day card confiding in her ?so called? friend Cassandra. The lyrics are underpinned by remarkable keyboard and percussion soundscapes to create a unique musical experience that combines traditional opera with African and Middle Eastern influences.