THE power, beauty and emotion of music often reflects and recalls times in our lives.

And one of the delights of reviewing for three decades has been the accumulation of magic moments and memories, sitting alongside personal way points.

For me two of the most memorable were performances by the cultural icons Burt Bacharach in 2013 (astonishingly then 85) and Dionne Warwick five years earlier, both at the Bournemouth Pavilion.

On Monday at the same venue, recollections of those occasions came flooding back no doubt for others too, courtesy of Back to Bacharach, the hugely popular touring tribute to the legendary songwriter and his many timeless masterpieces, often described as complexity made beautiful.

Brilliant husband and wife vocalists Martin Neely and Arabella Rodrigo, and Rachel Matthews backed by eight musicians, took the audience on a decades-spanning journey of nostalgia, covering many of the 50 top 40 hits in the UK and the 70 in the US.

Hit followed hit as the singers interchanged, from Warwick’s Walk On By and Don’t Make Me Over, to Pitney’s 24 Hours From Tulsa (a number one all day long but never was), Close to You by The Carpenters, Perry Como’s Magic Moments and Tom Jones’ What’s New Pussycat?

But how can we not mention I Say A Little Prayer (Aretha Franklin), Make It Easy On Yourself from the Walker Brothers and Dusty's The Look Of Love.

Unsurprisingly their own favourites has a special edge to the delivery, Arthur’s Theme (Neely) and Cilla’s Anyone Who Had A Heart (Rodrigo).

Cilla's hauntingly beautiful Alfie was Bacharach’s own favourite.

A special evening ended with the West Moors Singers joining on stage for, of course That’s What Friends Are For and inevitably, Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head.

Like me, the audience was of a certain age but younger generations would surely have recognised the huge influence Bacharach, a multi Grammy and Academy Award winner, has had over popular music since the middle of the last century.

He passed away only last year but was still performing at 94.

With Bacharach’s compositions and Hal David’s lyrics, there is indeed Always Something There To Remind You.

And me.

Andy Martin