An almost perfect summer evening with the English rose of musicals in the lakeside Petworth Park arena combined to make this a night to remember.

Elaine Paige at 57, whose parental home is in Bognor Regis, may not be everyone's cup of tea but, with more than 30 years' experience, there is no doubting her ability to sing.

Paige appeals to a largely middle-aged and elderly market, which made up the majority of the 2,000 people who paid £30 to bring their own chairs, collapsible tables and blankets to listen to her for nearly two hours.

With Bill Buckley of BBC Southern Counties Radio entertainingly making the announcements and drawing the raffle prizes in aid of the National Trust, it was rather like a large vicarage tea party.

Accompanied by the West End Concert Orchestra, Paige's repertoire featured some of the best-known songs from West End and Broadway musicals. She also sang a bit of country and western.

Her range is second to none and you could hear every word in the night air. She joked "This beats Glastonbury" and the audience, sitting on firm ground and enjoying their wine and tea, could not have agreed more.

Special treats included I Get A Kick Out Of You, From A Distance and I Knew Him So Well. Paige dominated the stage, firstly dressed in silver, then in black for the second half.

Some of the audience quietly sang along with the best-known numbers, including Midnight. As dusk closed in, Paige's voice became more distinctive in the cool and breezy night air.

She sang Don't Cry For Me Argentina, from Evita, with emotion. Those sitting in front of the stage gave her a standing ovation and demanded encores.

With green floodlights picking out the trees surrounding the huge stage and sending a swathe of green light across the lake, it was a perfect English scene on one of the longest days of the year.

Elaine had proved she was the darling of English musicals.