Dame Joan Sutherland Honored At Westminster Abbey

The Australian High Commission, Australian Music Foundation and Royal Opera House paid tribute to Dame Joan Sutherland yesterday at Westminster Abbey in London. HRH Prince Charles was present as well as a host of artists, musicians and performers, including Yvonne Kenny, Lesley Garrett, Norma and John Major, Elijah Moshinsky, Adrian Collette and Elaine Padmore.Antonio Pappano conducted the ROH Orchestra supported Sydney-born soprano Valda Wilson, a member of the young ensemble at Dresden's Semperoper, sang the Pie Jesu from Fauré's Requiem and the "Alleluia" from Mozart's Exsultate, Jubilate. During the ceremony, former ROH General Director Sir John Tooley gave biographical details of Dame Sutherland's life, husband Richard Bonynge read the second reading and her grandson presented the soprano's honor medals. [Source, Source]

Richard Bonynge Discusses Final Days of Dame Joan Sutherland

"'Her death was not a shock to me because she'd been very ill for three years at least....She wanted it, because she got to the stage where she couldn't do anything any more, and she hated that, because she was a woman of immense energy and she was always doing things. She couldn't bear not to be doing things. When it came to the point that she physically couldn't do anything, she didn't want to live any more. She wanted to go, she was happy to go, and in the end she died very, very peacefully. One can't say one was sad that she died, because it was what she wanted and it was the best thing for her. But, my God, she left a legacy, didn't she?'" [Source]