Cliff Moore

THIS was nothing short of an absolute bass guitar masterclass from one of the greatest exponents of the electric four-string instrument operating today.

This was a chance to get up close and personal with one of the best – and possibly quirkiest – singer-songwriters of the past 40 years.

Cider With Kirsty mixes masterful folk improvisation specialists The Ciderhouse Rebellion with much-lauded, New Forest-bred vocalist Kirsty Merryn.

Sarah Gillespie Quartet – Lighthouse, Poole The beauty of the Sherling Studio at Lighthouse is that it is an intimate venue where the audience can get close up to the performers.

Kate Rusby does not pass this way very often so any folk fan worth their salt would undoubtedly have been clamouring for tickets to see her at Lighthouse.

The word ‘genial’ might have been invented for Sir Tim Rice, who was onstage at Lighthouse discussing his glittering career in musicals.

Three decades after first appearing together, Steve Knightley and Phil Beer are finally reaching the end of the road as Show of Hands – but what a long and fulfilling highway it has been.

ALTHOUGH Damian Lewis will be most familiar for his acting roles, he does have a burgeoning musical career which is slowly emerging into the light.

The books of David Walliams are ideal for stage adaptation – easy to follow, crazy characters, mild peril, mad settings and enough fart jokes to keep everyone happy.

Whimsical, quirky, eccentric, captivating, engaging, sincere, understated, bumbling, moving, charming, warm – all words that have described Rob Auton.