Dame Felicity Lott and Sir Thomas Allen

MICHAEL DRAKE

> St Peter Mancroft, Norwich

The outstanding quality of last night's celebrity recital in the Concerts in Churches series was the subtlety and utter compatibility of these artists - taken up too by the piano accompanist Malcolm Martineau - in a programme which was very much their choice and with no little nostalgia for them both.

Mendelssohn's Lieder emphasised Felicity Lott's vocal clarity and Thomas Allen's warm overtone and, whether together or solo, this largely overcame the lack of immediacy due to the extreme resonance of the building.

Love duets from Mozart operas, where their acting skills added much, followed.

If one word could sum these up, it would be “delightful”.

Passion came from Strauss and if I say there followed a musical second half, how else is there to describe their interpretation of songs from the shows. But all the qualities previously displayed were carried over into this lighter section.

Highlights? (Though they really all were such) We Kiss in a Shadow from the King and I, Showboat's Just My Bill, and Oh, What a Beautiful Morning from Oklahoma.

A large audience had been enthralled by an evening of artistry of the highest calibre.

And the gigi encore encapsulated their humour and togetherness - ah yes, we'll remember it all well.