As a site for the Sunday afternoon recital, an elegant Cambridge home served memorably. The music room was high-ceilinged and spacious. It comfortably held two grand pianos, back to back, and, around the walls, seating for some twenty invited guests. The host, Ruth, at 96 years of age, received us with grace (and later with wine and cookies.)

The music was splendid.  Soprano, Kasia Sadej, and piano accompanist, Mark McNeill, (both my friends by now) performed a program of songs by classical composers Handel, Bizet, and Paderewski among others. Kasia looked beautiful and charmed us all with her smiles and graceful moving around the room. Often, I was only six feet away from this singer, so could appreciate her performance at closer range than one usually can in a concert hall.

By way of a finale, Kasia sang and Mark played a medley of Cole Porter songs. The last of these was “Anything Goes” recalling the show that I saw last spring on Broadway. Kasia delivered it with the verve Cole’s writing demands.