As we set off for this gig, the heavens opened. If I hadn't been committed to reviewing it, I might have stayed home, warm and dry.

Gwyneth Herbert's fans, however, are made of sterner stuff and a full house gave her an enthusiastic reception.

Immediately, she began a song in her trademark style - a spare musical accompaniment began, then her voice, powerful but quiet. Further instruments were added, building the tension to a tightly controlled crescendo.

When she encouraged the audience to join in, it was not merely clapping along. She demonstrated a simple rhythmic device - clap, stamp, clap, silence - and then wove frighteningly complex vocal patterns over, around and through it.

Much of the material came from the forthcoming CD, Between Here And The Wardrobe, but earlier songs and some too new to be on the album were included.

Particular highlights were Slow Down Brother and Morning After, and a radical reworking of Dolly Parton's Jolene. But the same quirky, intelligent emotion was apparent in them all.

The range, beauty and control of her voice was stunning, and comparing it to others is silly. Norah Jones's voice is unique. So is Gwyneth Herbert's. This is their single similarity.

Called back for an encore, she announced a song called Midnight Oil, a sad lullaby, adding that she wanted to do something different. She put her microphone on the stand and the band began to play unamplified. Stepping down from the stage, she then walked through the audience singing, finishing near the stage door.

Superb.

I have heard other bands play unamplified recently and hope this is a growing trend.

Outside, it had stopped raining. While trying to read the menu in the darkened window of a new pie shop nearby, the owner came to the door and gave us a couple of unsold but still-warm pies which we ate as we sheltered from a renewed downpour in another shop doorway.

With not one but two warm, tasteful and perfectly delightful surprises under our belts this evening, the ensuing thunder, lightning, hail and torrential rain only added character to our evening.