Mike Howard (The Argus, April 8) is clearly a knowledgeable follower of opera and obviously obtained a programme at Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's concert.

The rest of the audience did not. Why were there no programmes?

To listen to one-and-a-half hours of unknown and often obscure operatic arias with no indication of what they were was not what the audience was expecting.

Dame Kiri sang with technical perfection and gave a polished performance, but it lacked warmth. Mr Howard might have seen her "noted humour" but she came over as cool and restrained.

Was it perhaps deliberate in view of the death of the Queen Mother?

Regular concert-goers around me were saying they had not recognised one piece and, despite the Dome's renovation, the acoustics were poor.

People were straining to hear the lower notes and could not hear Dame Kiri when she spoke.

I have never before been to a concert at which people did not return after the interval or walked out two-thirds of the way through.

A magical, beautiful voice - but a disappointing evening for many.

-J W O, Brighton