Dionne Warwick, Symphony Hall, Birmingham - review

And it was a full evening of nostalgia, as the New Jersey-born star performed an array of beloved hits spanning the decades at the Symphony Hall gig - some of which she recorded herself, others which were sang by her fellow idols of the day.

“It’s good to be back here in Birmingham,” beamed Dionne, dressed in brown sequinned trousers and a patterned brown kaftan.

“It’s lovely to see all your faces.

“There’s going to be an awful lot of music - you’re going to be sitting for an awful long time.

“We want you to have as good a time out there as we will up here.”

And Dionne stayed true to her word, as she belted out song after beautiful song, barely taking a pause, even to speak, for the next two hours.

Backed by a talented band all dressed in black suits and bow ties, the 77-year-old singer kicked off her show with Don’t Make Me Over, before treating fans to perhaps her biggest hit of all - Walk On By - to which the crowd heartily sang along.

A huge range of chart toppers penned by songwriting idols Burt Bacharach and Hal David followed, including Anyone Who Had A Heart, You’ll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart), Always Something There To Remind Me, Close To You, Do You Know The Way To San Jose, and I’ll Never Fall In Love Again.

Though Dionne’s voice is not as it once was, she maintained a good strength, rich tone, and superb range throughout. And her wit and endearing character has most certainly not waned; her charm and sense of humour shining through at every given opportunity.

I Say A Little Prayer also featured, on which Dionne’s now deep, soulful vocals were joined by those of her son David Elliot, who played drums as part of her band. Not only did they make a lovely duet, but David stunned crowds with his incredible, versatile and silky voice, with great strength and vocal breadth.

The show then turned to music from the movies, including numbers such as Arthur’s Theme, The Look Of Love, Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head, and Alfie.

Dionne’s gifted family then made another appearance, as her granddaughter Cheyenne Elliot graced the stage for an enchanting rendition of Love Will Find A Way - a song written by Dionne’s son David for Dionne and her cousin Whitney Houston.

Cheyenne, dressed in a blue floor-length gown, sounded wonderful too; with a voice reminiscent of a young Whitney, with great strength and a seemingly effortless wide range.

Rounding up the show with Cheyenne by her side, Dionne ended the evening with beautiful performances of What The World Needs Now Is Love - on which the audience was encouraged to sing along - and That’s What Friends Are For.

A wonderful night filled to the brim with huge hits and great talent - both old and new - and a privilege to see the world-renowned music icon in the flesh.

Thank you Dionne. We’ll be Wishin’ and Hopin’ you’ll be back sometime soon.