Welcome to Ben’s world. Ben’s life is spent much on the stage so it was natural for Ben to choose a garden scene from one of his favourite operas, Parsifal, by Richard Wagner, an Arthurian legend based on a 13th Century Epic poem, for the most part set in a forest near a castle, the home of the Grail and its knights. Judith Wright, the Landscape Architect that designed Ben’s own garden which Premier built, knows Ben well. The words given to Judith were, “Opera is bigger than life, bold and the scene should have a tree!” (Ben invariably sings under a tree). Not an easy task given the small space; however, Judith uses the backdrop to create the scene and bring to life a small part in 3D. The set creates a dark forest scene. Whilst on a stage the scene would be bigger, but Judith wanted to create an intimate space allowing the audience a closer link to Ben’s world. Ben Heppner has been nominated for 6 JUNO Awards and has won three times.
Judith Wright with Premier Landscaping