This is a great issue of The Monthly, and I'm glad I had a long train trip during which to concentrate on it.

An opera lover who moved to Australia just 8 years ago, I lacked the background to assess the recent Sydney Morning Herald coverage of the latest scandal involving Opera Australia. But it did not feel good - I sensed something very fishy going on ...

Some general observations. Upon first listening, I felt Hickox was a very ordinary conductor. I was almost surprised that the music came off as well as it did, in spite of him. I wondered what he was doing there in the position of music director of OA. OA's repertoire has been going down, down, down. My Fair Lady at the opera? And Gilbert and Sullivan unceasingly? Please! Money-spinners, perhaps, but is that what real opera lovers want? Not me.

Gideon Haigh's article "La Travesty" (October) laid out the dispute's history and details, and was fascinating, clearly true and, ultimately, encouraging. The stories of Bruce Martin and Diana Heath make for chilling reading.