Daniel O'Donnell - BIC

IN the two years since Daniel O'Donnell last presented a mini summer season in Bournemouth he has turned 40, gained an MBE and, most significantly, a wife.

But time does not change the devotion of his fans or his passion for performing.

After more than three hours on stage he met every single member of the capacity audience who wished to meet him after the show - and he is back to do it again for the next five nights!

Reading out endless requests from fans aged 80-plus and couples married for 50 years and more demonstrated just how "mature" many of his fans are.

And yet they swayed, waved torches and Daniel scarves while singing along to every cherished song.

It didn't matter that they were old enough to be his mother- or even his grandmother. They wore their hearts on their sleeves and Daniel's face emblazoned on their T-shirts.

If you thought idols were the property of hormonally-charged teenagers, think again.

And yet he is the very antithesis of most heart-throbs with nothing overtly sexual about his appeal.

With his pristine suits and his clean-cut catalogue man image, his unblemished, wholesome persona remains intact.

He appeared on stage as if from heaven, lowered down on a platform and he left the same way, rising up into whirling stars dressed in a white suit, signing off with How Great Thou Art.

With so many songs having a religious message or significance and the manner in which his audience reacts - desperately reaching out to touch him as if he were some kind of healer as he walks among them - there is always something quasi-religious and spiritual about experiencing a Daniel O'Donnell concert.

But at the end of it all you cannot deny he is a superb performer and vocalist, a totally engaging, likeable charismatic individual and generous with his talent and his time.

There was no short-changing the fans who enjoyed a mix of traditional Irish songs, pop and rock and roll and beautiful duets and solo numbers from the ever-popular Mary Duff.

Daniel O'Donnell is at the BIC until Saturday.