Live: Corinne Bailey Rae

Tabernacle, London

IT IS just two years since Corinne Bailey Rae's husband Jason died of a drug overdose, but her comeback show is far from a depressing experience.

Instead the Brit-nominated soul singer's gig, which takes place in a converted church, is a remarkable celebration of the power of music to help lift people from tragedy.

Doll-like Corinne is barely as big as her explosion of hair, or the huge grin that spreads across her face when a fan yells "Good to have you back!". But biggest of all is her voice, especially when she abandons her microphone altogether to scream Till It Happens To You like an old-school soul diva.

Not that Corinne needs to shout to get her message across. And she whispers the title track from her new album The Sea so beautifully that everyone is more than happy to strain their ears to hear.

That song and Are You Here? are obviously about the loss of her husband yet, by stark contrast, you won't hear happier songs than Paris Nights and Closer, and Corinne's smile returns as she conveys the feeling of being in love more accurately than any slushy ballad.

Old hits Like A Star and Put Your Records On get cheers but, good as they are, they're nowhere near as special as the moving Diving For Hearts.

At the end, the applause goes on for ages - not just because of what Corinne has been through, but because it's a privilege to witness these magical songs for the first time. When The Sea comes out in February, dive in - the water's lovely.

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