When the man that I was destined to marry introduced me to the music of ABC on one of our first dates in 1983, I was captivated by a sound that was refreshingly different to the ‘techno’ style of pop predominant in that era – upbeat tempos cleverly interspersed with the majesty of a full orchestra and lyrics that spoke of love and romance, whether it be found, lost, or found again.

33 years later and we are still delighting in the collection of songs that is “Lexicon of Love” and what a treat it was to have the opportunity to hear the album performed in its entirety at such a fitting venue as the Pavilion.

Not only that, but we now had the long-awaited follow-up “Lexicon of Love II” to savour, released this year and featuring a collection of love songs which would not seem out of place on the original album.

An unexpected treat to the evening came in the form of Rob Fusari, Grammy award winning producer and songwriter who opened the show with a mixture of covers and his own material.

Then the Southbank Sinfonia, conducted by Anne Dudley, took to the stage and played a sublime overture of ABC classics. The band soon followed and the appearance of Martin Fry was met with the appreciation similar to seeing an old friend after many years.

The first set introduced songs from the new album including instant classics "Viva Love", "Flames of Desire", "Kiss me Goodbye" and "Confessions of a Fool".

The second half of the show featured songs all from the original "Lexicon of Love", the soaring strings of the orchestra as always complementing Fry's vocals, which have not lost any of their elegance and power in the last three decades.

Memories of the 1980's were rekindled singing along to Poison Arrow, Tears are not Enough, All of my Heart and The Look of Love, which was reprised with gusto as the encore.

Fry may not have turned the grey skies to blue, but he did send us all out into the cold night air with warmth in our hearts.

By Amanda Langton