Lucy Crowe is a young singer who seems to be destined for a long career in opera and classical song.

Already a veteran of British Youth Opera, where she has sung the title role in Janacek's Cunning Little Vixen, she has also taken the role of Susanna in Mozart's The Marriage Of Figaro for Garsington Opera.

She has recently sung the role of Sophie in Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier for Scottish Opera.

To judge from her Brighton recital Ms Crowe was born to sing Strauss, performing five of his early works dealing with unrequited love, philosophy and the vagaries of life.

But she was also superb during Schubert's songs of love and death and equally at home with the humour of William Walton and his cycle of songs about London life.

She has a velveteen soprano voice with a tinge of mezzo and an excellent feel for the role she is playing.

She was accompanied by Simon Lepper on piano, a young pianist who has now made his third visit to Brighton in the past three years.