I went to a marvelous party



L Ellis & S Hardy performing in Radclyffe, 1987. *

I went to a marvelous party, I must say the fun was intense,
We all had to do, What the people we knew
Would be doing a hundred years hence.
We talked about growing old gracefully
And Elsie who's seventy-four
Said, A, it's a question of being sincere,
And B, if you're supple you've nothing to fear.
Then she swung upside down from a glass chandelier,
I couldn't have liked it more.
                                                      (lyrics: Noel Coward)

I went to the marvelous and fabulous Coming Back Out Salon presented by All The Queens Men in celebration of LGBTI+ elders. It was held on Saturday 9 November at Melbourne’s luscious Mural Hall (suitably Art Deco) and there was a generous high-class mix of entertainment - not least world famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma! - plus food and drink that kept flowing. It was a wonderful celebration of Queer Elders, and I felt very proud to be part of it. 
There was a fab orchestra, entertainers galore, plenty of places to sit back and watch the glamour, and a big dance floor for when the music got you up and moving. And the glitter factor was intense! 
There were some lovely smooth movers on the dance floor, and when the tempo took off, everyone moved up a notch or three - I saw one woman doing high kicks, she told me later she was 77.
Seeing Yo-Yo Ma playing Bach on his cello in a solo spotlight was wondrous and mesmerizing. Beautiful, beautiful music - and such a lovely man. Then he played a jig and encouraged us all to get up and dance. And we did! Can you imagine: bopping about to Yo-Yo Ma! 
And a wonderful moment, that my partner spotted, as Yo-Yo Ma was playing the Bach, somehow or other a sparrow had managed to get into the hall, and it flitted across the space, then perched on something and listened... then, like magic, it was gone. Where I know not. (It reminded me of the Venerable Bede's ancient story about the sparrow flashing through the Mead Hall, a momentary symbol of time present, quickly passing, from what, to what, we know not.)
The Drag Queens were monumentally sensational, and the wondrous mix of Queer of all ages and types was terrific, fabulous and deeply moving. Thank you, All The Queens Men, for giving us this celebration in recognition of getting through the tough times - for without us, our glittering host, Tristan Meecham, told us, the present advances could not have been achieved.
The Coming Back Out Salon, was a special soirée in partnership with Yo-Yo Ma’s The Bach Project, as part of the Day of Action to celebrate and acknowledge LGBTI+ elders. Thank you, one and all. I couldn't have enjoyed it more!

* Go to my website to learn more about this archival photo: https://www.sarahardy.com.au ... Meanwhile ... nothing new to report on the 'find a publisher' front, though the manuscript is definitely out and about, thanks to my hyper-active Literary Agent, Martin Shaw! Good on you Martin! Fingers and toes crossed.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Secretive-Life-Sara-Hardy-ebook/dp/B09DKLSH93

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