Dear friends Deborah and Jeremy celebrated their marriage with a warm and music-filled event at History House, Macquarie Street, Sydney.

They asked if I would sing The Habanera from Carmen, and so… I did! I had an absolute ball with a delightful audience.

Other musicians also played on the night, including the excellent Baptiste, and the choir I’m in with Deborah, Voices from the Vacant Lot. Deb, Jeremy and Baptiste also sang and played a gorgeous Russian song.

I have to say it was a spectacularly convivial evening, and a great time was had by all!

Performed to a packed house of around 70 residents at Montefiore Home. With the space and capacity of the room (and the grand piano), I was able to put on quite a ‘big’ show, filling the room with sound and having a lot of fun moving in amongst the audience, especially with Carmen.

Such a wonderful, cultured audience, so attentive and appreciative. One particularly attentive gentleman, George, came up afterwards and gave me a copy of a beautiful pencil drawing he’d done of Andre Rieu. What a heartfelt and lovely gesture! I was really touched, and feel so lucky to be performing for these gorgeous people.

Fiona McCabe, the beautiful and highly talented accompanist, played spectacularly, and performed a wonderful rendition of Edvard Grieg’s Wedding Day at Troldhaugen.

Another great gig at Beresford Hall on August 4, this time with the gorgeous and extremely talented pianist and singer, Josephine Tam.

The best thing about this concert was the gentleman in the front row who sang along to all the Carmen numbers, and to our Flower Duet from Lakme.

What a beautiful audience!

We are looking forward to our Christmas/Hannukah Concert on 20th Decembert at Beresford Hall.

Josephine Tam and I rocked da house at Lulworth Gardens on August 11th. I explored the depth of characters of Cherubino (The Marriage of Figaro), Dido (Dido and Aeneas) and Carmen (Carmen, of course!), while Josephine (what an amazing performer!) wowed the house at interval with ‘Girl from 14G’ – what a virtuoso piece! We then did another virtuoso turn with the Flower Duet from Lakme – with Josephine not just playing, but singing the soprano part. “You won’t see that in the opera house!”

Residents loved it, and asked for more, so we are returning for a Christmas Concert on December 21.