The sedate seated church setting, gentle acoustic-led support act and almost overly-polite crowd belied what would be a surprisingly rousing show from talented Wolverhampton singer-songwriter Scott Matthews.

An opening performance from acclaimed Irishwoman Gemma Hayes demonstrated little of the Mercury-nominated early-career quality of old, and instead came across as nothing more than bland Hollywood rom-com soundtrack fodder. Inoffensive to the point of being offensive, this delicate, samey folk set was nonetheless well received by a hugely appreciative crowd.

This was certainly not a problem for the headliner, whose eclectic style veered between slow-burn piano elegance on the beautiful 86 Floors From Heaven, from his latest album, through to harmonica-driven blues jam sessions and the Jeff Buckley-alike epic, Dream Song.

On record, Matthews’ affecting voice is sometimes almost secondary to the densely-layered lush instrumentation. Here, it came into its own, never more striking than on the Ivor Novello-winning Elusive, which filled the venue majestically.

Drawing on songs from throughout his back-catalogue, a note-perfect Matthews and impressive backing band’s enthusiasm shone through in good-natured audience interaction and irrepressibly kinetic playing. Effectively rendering it impossible to not enjoy this hour-and-a-half as much as the performers so obviously did, this made for an irresistible combination.