Julie Murphy walked on stage with her band, who then stood silent while she sang an unaccompanied version of Paul Simon's For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her.

In the next number, the band came into their own. Murphy began solo, voice and guitar, then Tim Harris on double bass and Mark O'Connor on drums joined the song so smoothly it came as a surprise to realise they were playing.

Then Andy Morse on electric guitar filled out the sound and finally Thomas Williams on muted trumpet added an eerie but compelling edge to the mix.

Murphy's voice is strong and sweet, her songs touching and yearning, and her band is perfectly in sympathy with her, making for hypnotic, entertaining music.

Ending with an up-tempo song, she came back alone for an encore and sang Tim Buckley's Song To The Siren, familiar as performed by The Cocteau Twins, and made a perfect end to a perfect evening.