American tenor performs for the PM at NSW Kids in Need Foundation’s fundraising concert.

Readers of Limelight know that what unites us is an ineffable love of music. In our company of classical music devotees is the former Prime Minister Paul Keating, who was always quick to opine in the most euphuistic manner on the importance of classical music to his life and even to his decision-making processes while Treasurer and Prime Minister. Indeed, in an interview on Sky News (that is readily available on YouTube), he contends that the Australian economy was reformed in the 1980s “off the back of Gustav Mahler, Anton Bruckner and Mr Shostakovich.”

A cocktail party and small concert was held at Mr Keating’s former Sydney residence on Saturday night, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott hosting a fundraiser at Kirribilli House for the NSW Kids in Need Foundation. As Master of Ceremonies Alan Jones, the PM, and former NSW Governor Dame Marie Bashir each made clear, this foundation does terrific work in raising funds for a number of charities on behalf of (as Dame Bashir put it) “the most valuable resource our nation has: our children.” In these heady days of iron ore exports...