I FELT extremely proud on Monday night when I saw our two choirs, Kidderminster Male Choir and the Valentines Ladies Choir on stage at the Alex.

Not only did they provide a backing to Peter Karrie for various "Songs from the Shows" but also had a slot of their own, when the ladies sang Gonna Build a Mountain, and the men chose their 60s medley.

Their biggest moment of glory came in a selection from Les Miserables, where At the End of the Day and One Day More needed several soloists, and the two choirs came up trumps. I am used to hearing them sing as a unit but on Monday I realised just how good the individual singers are.

I hadn't seen Peter Karrie on stage since Evita back in the 80s but he is the supreme showman. He may not be the world's greatest singer but he can certainly deliver a song. He acted as well as sang songs from Phantom of the Opera, which he has performed all over the world, being joined here by Jill Washington.

The guest star of the evening was Barbara Dickson whose stylish performance included Caravans and Tell Me It's Not True. She delighted the audience with her hit I Know Him so Well when she duetted with Peter Karrie.

At the end of the evening we were invited to purchase "goodie bags" to raise money for the Noah's Ark Appeal, which aims to build a children's hospital in Wales.

The programme included children from Sutton Stagecoach, singer Zoe Tyler, and a 15-year-old Kimberley Southwick who won an audition to appear. I would need a couple of pages to comment on them all - but they all added to a brilliant night out. VJS