INTENSELY personal, superbly crafted and seamlessly delivered. These are songs for parlours, pubs and – if there was any justice in the world – for great stadiums, too.

Coppin and Silver have been partners in rhyme for many a long year. But these days, the ex-Decameron tunesmith from the Gloucestershire valleys and his slick pickin’ pal seem to have gained a new maturity and breadth of musical vision, like a vintage wine ripe for the corkscrew to unlock its secrets.

For when it comes to contemporary collaborations, it surely doesn’t get much better than this. Silver’s percussive four-finger Nashville clawhammer style is the perfect foil to Coppin’s lyrical piano lines and warm strumming approach. The result is magical and there are indeed times when this duo’s music is breathtakingly beautiful.

On Beacon Hill, a poem by Laurie Lee, is delicately handled. You can almost taste the dry mouth of nervousness here as Coppin presented the tune before Cider With Rosie creator Lee, as the great man himself quite probably frowned as he downed yet another pint of cider in his Slad watering hole.

From the Cotswold ridges we journeyed to the American Civil War Appalachians as weary soldiers climbed Reunion Hill. Then it was Survival, a story of how humanity’s indomitable spirit can ultimately triumph, regardless of circumstances.

And in between, we heard song after song, journalistic essays in verse that effortlessly observed the human condition. Wrong Side of Midnight, How Many Rivers, Angel In Deep Shadow… these were but a few of the wonderful soundscapes painted by two of Britain’s finest songwriters, stories capable of warming even the coldest heart.