IF you think you've never heard a Beth Nielsen Chapman song, you're probably wrong. Ever watched ER or Dawson's Creek? Remember the Faith Hill hit This Kiss? Listen to BBC Radio 2?

Chapman is a talented songwriter, with a huge catalogue of songs and soundtracks to her name. But what of her live performances? Excellent, if last night's triumphant gig is anything to go by.

York played host to the tenth and final leg of Chapman's month-long UK tour, and an eager audience gave her a warm welcome and a fond farewell.

The silky-voiced and elegantly-hairstyled David Ogilvy - most easily characterised as a one-man Dire Straits - provided a smooth introduction to the evening.

But Chapman's music, which used to be filed under Nashville, can now really only be categorised as uncategorisable. Diverse influences, from folk to pop to jazz, led to an eclectically-enjoyable set.

Ably accompanied by John Ragusa on flute - and also on conch shell - and Maart Allcock on bass, Chapman flitted from poignant lament to stirring ballad with ease, alighting on Latin hymns and West End musicals along the way.

But Chapman's mature, complex voice is at its best dealing with heartache - something with which she is all too familiar. The moving Sand And Water, written following the death of her husband from cancer in 1994, was dedicated to a couple in the audience who recently lost their own son.

It was an emotional evening. Chapman's extraordinary range of songs, enormous voice and energetic stage presence kept the audience laughing and crying - in equal measure - throughout.

Updated: 10:23 Wednesday, October 20, 2004