I’ve been going to the opera since high school. My city’s “main” professional opera company held its first season the year my mother was born, and when my grandmother passed, I inherited her mother-of-pearl opera glasses – a gift from my grandfather, who was eager to attend a performance.

They still work just fine! But this time around, I didn’t need them. This was a concert in a fairly small space – specifically, a special auditorium in the local space and science centre, where patrons lie back in reclining seats and receive guided tours of the night sky. Distant stars and planets brought close through immersive projections on the domed ceiling.

All of the pieces were celestial-themed in some way, with cosmic views to match them. It’s been a while since I attended a performance where the singers were so close to me, and it always feels magical to see their craft up close.

With no song list in the program, and getting close to end of the show’s run time, I was ready to accept that they weren’t going to perform my personal favourite “celestial” aria. That would have been alright, it was wonderful evening anyway, but it turned out they were saving it for the end!

I cried, and I refuse to be embarrassed about it.

What’s the favourite aria? Here’s a rendition from Kristine Opolais and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House if you’re curious.