KODS entertained with an evening of songs from popular musicals, featuring many solos as well as ensemble items.

Songs from South Pacific got the programme off to a rousing start and we progressed through The King and I, The Sound of Music, Joseph and Sunset Boulevard, ending the first half with a selection from Singin in the Rain.

The second half comprised blocks of songs from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Mary Poppins, Miss Saigon and Blood Brothers, the concert ending with the heart-rending Tell Me It's Not True led superbly by Jill Parmenter and Darren Richards.

There were many highlights of the evening with lots of my favourites, including Claire Hadland's superb rendition of Something Wonderful, the glorious One More Angel in Heaven and the best song in Mary Poppins - Feed the Birds, sung to perfection by Daphne Knight.

From the stage version of this show, I also much enjoyed Melanie Greenfield's Stay Awake which was new to me.

Though Miss Saigon is far from being a favourite of mine, the singers performed superbly and I particularly enjoyed Darren and Sarah Richards' duet Sun and Moon which is beautiful.

Narrators Nigel Preece and Pat Scully not only presented the stories of the musicals but also their origins and Nigel sang Sobbin Women.

The younger soloists - Kathryn Knight, Emma Paine, Dave Clark and Ian Boulstridge, also impressed and the artistes obviously enjoyed revisiting their childhood in Blood Brothers.

What an excellent concert - it is always good to hear these wonderful songs. VJS