Dian Sharma passed away yesterday, with shocking suddenness. She was commenting on my Facebook feeds yesterday morning. And then Donna Hill called me with the news last night. My deepest condolences to Donna, closest of all to Dian. I’m feeling her loss profoundly myself for although I have seen her very little in recent years, we interacted frequently on Facebook and I regarded her as one of that cherished circle of old friends, a part of my early "opera years" where we would all stand up in the balcony of the War Memorial Opera House night after night. Dian was a great devotee of tenors, especially Jose Carreras and Alfredo Kraus. During the numerous opera parties we all attended, she would preside, an imperious, opinionated and knowledgeable raconteur and person with a keen aesthetic sense. Ah, the Renataramas! We would sit around and share opera recordings and dish opera recordings. A time that was hugely influential on my knowledge and intellect. Through the years, Dian could be aloof and just as quickly deploy great warmth and charm as when Dian dropped a copy of the Germaine Lubin Preiser into my lap during one party after I had been looking and longing for it for years in those preinternet days. The years slip away. Farewell, Dian. I do hope she’s sitting now somewhere with Gene McCord, our dear and long departed friend and that someday, SOMEDAY I wish that we could all be reunited at the great Renatarama in the sky. Love always, Jeffrey