Before I wrap this one up I would like you to meet the people who made this venture a success. I believe we all feel slightly better about who we are and what we do as a result of getting this together for Priscilla. Gentle readers, I bring you the

CAST IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE

Marcia Adair, The Omniscient Mussel, who had this wonderfully whimsical idea to hold a contest to see who could summarise an opera plot on Twitter in 140 characters or less. Once the entries began to flock in - from ten countries around the globe - she did amazing work in collating everything for the celebrity judge. So, what's next, Marcia - War and Peace in a dozen words or less?

Danielle de Niese who, though obviously lacking literary taste (she did pick my Tweet as the winner after all, didn't she?) then showed herself to be the classiest of divas by offering to go to Priscilla's school to talk to the students. That alone made me a life-long fan of Ms de Niese. The fact she has a glorious voice and is gorgeous doesn't hurt either. Danni - as we in her inner circle call her - has asked to meet Priscilla in New York in the Fall when she is there to do Nozze di Figaro. I think that making sure Priscilla gets there may be my next project.

A not-quite limerick. This is the tweet that started the ball rolling - as rendered by my friend and opera fan extraordinaire, Lea Shapiro. If you click on the pic you can actually read what it says.

Operaman. If I had known from the beginning how much hard work, how many hundreds of telephone calls, how many sleepless nights and the amount of stress this project was going to engender - I wouldn't have changed a thing. This has been heart-warming and uplifting. At a time when we are all so worried about what we read in the news on a daily basis this has been the ultimate feel-good story in which everyone was the good guy and got to feel a part of a unique venture. I have been touched on a daily basis by the kindness of people I have never met who, when they heard what was being done couldn't wait to ask "What can I do to help?" And your comments here made me proud to have been a part of it myself. This is me being summer-y and rustic.

Holly Hein is at root responsible for this whole thing! "Who shall I donate this prize to?" I asked, knowing she would have some really great idea. "A music teacher!" was the reply that came back in short order. And the die was cast. Holly has been reticent to take any credit for this wonderful occasion but she is a most important member of this cast and you needed to know it was her idea, Thank you Holly.

Priscilla Barrow. What can I say? When Holly and I picked Priscilla as the teacher to receive the prize I could have had no way of knowing what a perfect choice we had made. This lady has captured my heart and earned my undying respect. She is somewhat shy but funny, unaffected but a most engaging character and for almost a quarter of a century has dedicated herself to improving the life of public school students by bringing them the gift of music. This gift to her was a small way of expressing my thanks. Throughout what must have been for her a stressful time full of a million things she had to do she never failed to be in the spirit of this event and to have fun with it. She is married to Larry who I am told is wearing a smile of pride for his wife that may never wear off. Priscilla, from all of us, our deepest appreciation. The picture is of Priscilla with Mark Weinstein at dinner at the Singaporean Embassy on opera night.

Michelle Pendoley. Manager for Media Relations at Washington National Opera. I have mentioned her a number of times in my posts about this venture. I cannot say enough good things about her. Always bright and sunny on the phone, never too busy to speak with me or to try to accommodate my increasingly wild requests. Michelle is a consummate professional and WNO is very fortunate to have her. Michelle, from the bottom of my heart - thank you!

Marsha LeBoeuf. Marsha is Director of Costumes for WNO. When I called her just days before the company was to open Turandot and she was madly busy she not only listened to my story but leaped at the chance to be a part of this and make it such a special event for Priscilla. I will never, ever forget when she said to me "Mr Llewellyn, I will dress her to kill - and there will be lots of pictures!" Being able to tell other people whose help I wanted that WNO was making Priscilla's ball gown did a huge amount to establish my credibility and get people on board. Not content with putting Priscilla in an existing gown, Marsha went shopping with Priscilla - three days before the event - to buy material and begin building the gown especially for the occasion. And it looks f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s, Marsha! To you and your stylist and crew - mille grazie. (That's Marsha on the right in this photo.)

Timm Burrow is the Senior Costume Coordinator for WNO and was responsible together with Ms LeBoeuf for Priscilla's appearance on the big night.  Like Ms LeBoeuf he took a day out of his frantically busy schedule to accompany Priscilla on her shopping trip  I gather from an outside sourcethat in no yime flay Mr Burrow and Priscilla had a thang going.  Here they are together at the Ball.  You can tell that Timm dressed down for the event.

Anne Midgette is the classical music critic for the Washington Post. When she heard the story she was quickly caught up in its wonder and decided to do an article in the Post - and not just a blog piece but an article in the paper itself. She and I spoke on the telephone a number of times. She had a dilemma: there was something of a conflict of interest because while she is a critic who had to be impartial about WNO productions, she couldn't help but love the story. She reconciled her head and her heart and wrote a splendid piece with an accompanying photo of Priscilla. This gave me something pretty impressive to wave around when asking for favours. Anne Midgette is a way cool woman.

Christian Clerc is the General Manager of the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington D.C. This self-proclaimed "supporter of the arts" put his influence where his mouth is and arranged for Priscilla to have a complimentary room at his hotel for the two nights she would need to be in town. And this at a time when there were three conventions being held in town and every room was at a premium. And he provided a limo to ferry Priscilla wherever she needed to be. Christian, you can expect me to trumpet the glories of Four Seasons at every opportunity. Yes, sir, you are indeed a supporter of the arts. And a mensch.

Plácido Domingo is the General Director of WNO as well as being arguably still the world's greatest living tenor (no argument from me) and a fine conductor. After meeting him Priscilla kept repeating to me how gracious and attentive he was to her. And this from the man who had just conducted the final performance of a production of Turandot and was, I am sure, exhausted. What a star! ¡Que hombre!

Mark Weinstein is the Executive Director of WNO. He has been aware pretty much from the outset what his company was getting into and - let's be fair - when he saw the amount of time and expense WNO was contributing could have been forgiven for pulling the plug and leaving me to get on with it as a solo venture. Instead of which he has been a benign éminence grise who has taken a hands-off approach while being kind and encouraging. Mr Weinstein runs a classy organisation that, as a musicologist friend of mine said to me today "really has its s**t together!" Yes, I think that expresses it rather well.

When I needed $500 in cash so Priscilla would have some walkin'-around money to spend at the beauty parlour or on a new purse or whatever else she needed for her nights out, this 'angel' (who insists on remaining anonymous) couldn't wait to get her check-writing hand going. That gesture really was the icing on the cake.

To one and all of you, my heart-felt thanks.