Report

How does one improve on perfection? For the answer to that, I suggest you ask Hayley for she has surely achieved it. Her concert in Northampton was wonderful but, somehow, those in Cardiff and London were even better.

I have rarely attended more than one concert in a tour but I am so glad that I made the decision to do so this time. To see it once is delightful but you derive so much more pleasure from seeing it two or three times.

The boys' choir Libera opened the concert in London with four songs. Good though they were, I was anxious about the possible cuts from the remainder of the programme which may have to be made in order to make up the time that Libera were on stage. Now I know that only one song was cut, I shall enjoy them more when they make their one other appearance (in Eastbourne tomorrow). Libera were followed by a short display of Maori Warriors doing, well, what Maori Warriors do, I suppose! They were a spectacular team, which somehow brought a feeling of New Zealand's traditions right into the heart of London and paved the way for another delightful concert.

Hayley, as ever, was fantastic and her rendition of Wuthering Heights was simply electrifying. I met her again after the Cardiff concert, details of which will appear in my full tour review shortly after it's conclusion. Meanwhile, I have two more concerts still to attend.

Roger Mansbridge

30/03/2004