To that end, everyone involved — from singers and orchestra members to stagehands, ushers and bartenders — rendered their services gratis for the evening. Thanks largely to their generosity of spirit, the event drew an audience that was surely a cross-section of the lives that Bradshaw touched. Free tickets for the event were fully subscribed just 20 minutes after they were made available early on a Saturday morning.

On Thursday night, society and media mavens rubbed shoulders with students and labourers.