Appearing with her husband, Sam Lakeman, on guitar and piano, Emma Sweeney on viola and flute, and Luke Daniels on button accordion, she entranced her sell-out audience with a tour de force of Irish traditional song.

Cara has one of the finest and most distinctive voices on the folk scene, and the evening swung beautifully from delicately performed and lightly-backed singing to traditional Irish session music — but all of it carefully crafted and expertly delivered.

Cara’s voice is so distinctive she was used to narrate the opening sequence on the Walt Disney film, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue, as well as sing the opening and closing songs.

She gave the closing lullaby to the audience at Lowdham, to rapturous applause, surrounding this gentle offering with traditional songs such as Johnny Lovely Johnny, As I Roved Out, and The Hill Of Thieves.

It was a magical evening, full of wit and charm, but a word must go to support act, Louise Jordan, from Hampshire, who was magnificent — FJC.