WONDERFUL music, great atmosphere and not a football in sight! Once again Kidderminster's fabulous ladies' choir organised a terrific evening of song with their guests, Kiera Lyness and the Aber Valley Male Voice Choir.

The ladies included some of the items they will be singing at the Royal Albert Hall, London, in November, when they will be part of the 1,000 voice choir in a concert to raise money for Cancer Research.

Although there were a few hiccoughs in Handel's Hallelujah Chorus, this was a superb first performance by the Valentines.

They included some of the ever-popular songs - Liverpool Lou, My Heart Will Go On, My Guy and I Dreamed a Dream and the little known As Torrents in Summer by Elgar, which they first sang in Holland last year.

I was not keen on the newer setting of Sunset Poem as I do love the familiar version.

Kiera, accompanied on piano by David Morgan, sang There are Fairies at the Bottom of our Garden and included a coloratura performance of the Queen of the Night's aria from Magic Flute, the beautiful I Dreamt I dwelt in Marble Halls and Gounod's Je Veux Vivre.

Aber Valley's 37 men created a great deal of volume though, in the higher notes of Nessun Dorma, the tenors were completely drowned out by the lower registers. I particularly enjoyed their version of Danny Boy, Ain't Misbehavin and the Soldier's Chorus from Faust.

The choirs combined for Monte Criste and Rhythm of Life then, as an encore, by which time there was a real party atmosphere in the town hall, Chattanooga Choo Choo conducted by both MDs.

This was another varied and enjoyable concert.

VJS