I ENJOYED an evening in the company of Kidderminster Operatic and Dramatic Society immensely, with a programme of songs which included many old favourites from the shows, plus a sprinkling of newer items.

The artistes are too numerous to mention all, but one of the younger ones who impressed everyone was 16-year-old Emily Preece, who improves every time I see her. She was particularly good in Somewhere That's Green. Another youngster who must get a mention is Kathryn Knight. Her Cabaret was excellent.

With apologies to G&S, the Three Little Maids from Kidderminster - Kathryn's gran, Daphne Knight, with Chris Jones and Pam Oakley - were brilliant.

Two singers new to me were Dave Short, who gave a beautiful rendition of Love is a Many Splendour'd Thing, and Salli Hunt, also impressive in Tell Me on a Sunday.

I particularly enjoyed So in Love, sung by Julian Richards and his sister-in-law, Sarah, Chris Paine's The Last Supper, and All That Jazz performed by Jill Parmenter, Sarah, Kathryn, and Wendy Richards.

Unfortunately, Wendy's solo of Beauty and The Beast was totally drowned out by too loud an accompaniment.

Melanie Greenfield became Pam Ayres in a poem about teeth, and Melanie's little daughter, Cerian, complete with large ears, delighted everyone with The Bunny Poem.

John Watkins posed the question, in song Why build a wall round a graveyard?, and John Jones had us in hysterics when he told the story of Petey the Snake - a tale of pits and hisses! Erstwhile stage sweeper Daphne read the story of The Creation - the Black Country version, which was hilarious.

The show ended with a selection from My Fair Lady which KODS will perform at The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster, in March.

I hope KODS will organise another programme like this - it was a real tonic. VJS