A first:  Wednesday August 19th, I was invited to perform at Bondi Pavilion for the seniors of Waverley, who are bussed in from the Prince of Wales Hospital and from Holdsworthy Community Centre. However, it is a public concert, and all are welcome to attend.

We performed in the grand High Tide Room of the Pavilion, with excellent acoustics. The audience loved the songs we had chosen – including the Habanera from Carmen, One Day When We Were Young by Johann Strauss (lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein), Bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover, Lilacs in the Spring by Ivor Novello… and many more. As always, the audience were beaming, with many swinging and singing along.

During our final song – the gypsy song from Carmen, which is fast and furious and features virtuoso piano-playing (thank you Belinda McGlynn!) and thrilling coloratura singing – one audience member was dancing so excitedly in her seat that I decided to come down off the stage and have her dance with me. It was one of those wonderful moments when the joy of the music overpowered everyone – the audience were clapping and laughing, she was dancing and I was doing my best to sing the notes!

Needless to say, Ben Karsay, the musical coordinator of the Bondi Pavilion, has invited us back to perform on November 18. This was the highlight of my month!