Village church date for star Lloyd Webber

World-class cellist Julian Lloyd Webber may have had more on his mind than music — with a baby due in around three weeks — but he gave his full attention to an intimate audience at a small Midland church.

It was a coup for organisers in the village of Hagley, near Stourbridge, to attract such a massive name to its music festival.

The classical musician, described as the "doyen of British cellists", played to a sell- out crowd of 250 at St John's Church in the grounds of Hagley Hall on Saturday night. He featured as soloist with the West Midlands-based Orchestra of the Swan.

Lloyd Webber wowed the audience with an outstanding performance of Haydn's Cello Concerto.

Malcolm Roberts, one of the organisers of the music festival, said: "Everyone thought the performance on Saturday was magical.

"I had a pile of Julian Lloyd Webber CDs and sold them all, with a queue of people waiting to buy them."

The concert was the main highlight of the 10-day-long music festival, which organisers have judged as the "best yet" in a decade of the bi-annual events.

Mr Roberts said: "We know the Orchestra of the Swan well because they have performed here on a number of occasions and their musical director, who has a big association with Julian Lloyd Webber, has become a good friend of ours."

Lloyd Webber, who turned 60 in April, and his fourth wife, cellist Jiaxin Cheng, are due to have their first child together on June 8, the day he is due to play at Birmingham Town Hall.

He said he hopes to honour his concert date there even if the baby is born on that day.