Friends and colleagues of writer and critic John Steane gathered at St John’s Smith Square last night for a recital dedicated to his memory.

John wrote for Gramophone from 1972 until his death in March, as well as for many other publications. He was rightly considered a voice of authority - but few who have earned that accolade have done so with writing quite so effortlessly elegant in style and so generous in spirit.

On arrival at St John’s it was to find that the expected tenor was no longer appearing. Any disappointment was swiftly dispelled however; stand-in tenor Ben Johnson has a fine, bold Italianate voice which quite belies his Hertfordshire roots but amply justifies his already amassed honours (including the Kathleen Ferrier Award and membership of the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists Scheme). He was joined by the young Japanese soprano Eri Nakamura, a wonderfully characterful singer - both in terms of the voice itself, but also her charming ability to step swiftly and convincingly into a role.

I wouldn’t dream of second-guessing an opinion of John's, but I do feel he would have enjoyed the evening. Not only was he a strong supporter of the Rosenblatt Recitals series – in a speech paying tribute, Ian Rosenblatt pointed out the corner seat where John would usually be found – but it seemed appropriate that his name was attached to last night’s concert. Many a showcase could have honoured John’s love of the voice, but few evenings would so well have reflected his thoughtful and perceptive support of talented young singers in so many reviews.

And finally, that some would not have been in the evening’s audience were it not for its dedication to John, and yet left having enjoyed themselves, would have pleased him too.