Bryn Terfel/Jose Carreras,
Royal Albert Hall

The best one-third of Carreras's concert was surprise encores. "I've just been sent back on by Jose to do another aria" joked Bryn Terfel, the "special guest", introducing Wolfram's ravishing hymn to the evening star in Tannhauser.

Later Bryn did Handel's Largo (Ombra Mai Fu) and Non vedrai [sic] from Figaro, before the two stars ended up dreaming of a White Christmas.

Bryn had already applied his magic to Camelot and State Fair. It's fascinating how the glorious power of the Terfel diaphragm can be reined in, as the singer focuses in just the right, lightly touched way on the words of a popular theatre song and enough charismatic glorious tone to sustain the line. Like Frank Sinatra's best pupil ever. The Swing in his step is immaculately stylish.

David Gimenez skilfully manoeuvred the BBC Concert Orchestra for this meeting of third tenor and first Bass Baritone at a packed Albert Hall. Carreras mostly avoided anything too operatic, though he did his share of gripped (rather than gripping) top notes. He was best on home Spanish territory - work stylishly and warmly delivered for his fans.

But it was Bryn's evening really. My little Welsh home and Ayr Hyd y Nos were as spellbinding and perfect as the Wagner encore.

Amplification, if you've nothing to hide, can be a pure bonus. The beauty, precision and innate musicality of Terfel's singing, the sense of words uttered straight from the heart to the heart, are to die for.

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