I have been tempted in the past to consign all tribute acts to the metaphorical Room 101; after all, most classical concerts don’t have the conductor kitted out as Mozart, do they?

The concept of any tribute act is a little odd, in that there seems to be the belief that the pop music of the past cannot stand alone as music but needs to be dressed up and acted out, as a recreation of what has been and, perhaps, is no more.

I’m pleased to say The Simon and Garfunkel Story which entertained a Malvern Theatres audience last Friday and will entertain an Artrix audience in Bromsgrove tomorrow, Thursday November 22, has changed my mind completely about tribute acts, so long as they are excellent.

And my goodness, Sam O’ Hanlon as Simon and Charles Blyth as Garfunkel are excellent performers. Art video projections from the 60s, 70s and 80s all add to the rolling nostalgia trip; but it is the excellent vocals and harmonies which remain in the memory afterwards. Close your eyes and you are standing on that Bridge Over Troubled Water, alongside Art and Paul. Sam and Charles are that convincing.

On occasions, and only on occasions, the otherwise excellent lead guitar and drums of the backing group were a little too loud, especially – and perhaps almost ironically – during the opening number, The Sound of Silence. But otherwise nearly every song hit the mark; and two standing ovations, for Bridge Over Troubled Water and The Boxer, cannot be wrong.

Members of the audience were mainly middle-aged and older – the generation which first responded to the work of Simon and Garfunkel. But with a tribute act of this quality doing the rounds, the legacy of a great double act seems to be secure, and for younger generations too.

Tickets for tomorrow’s Artrix show: 01527 577 330.