IT is difficult not to be taken in by the iconic surroundings of Manchester’s exquisite cathedral — but when that setting is blended with a musical offering of genuine tenderness and emotion, it makes for a very special way to spend a Wednesday evening.

Bolton’s most underrated song-smith, Simon Aldred, has been performing under the alias of Cherry Ghost since 2005, forming a band under the same name soon after, nearly 10 years on, the tunes being produced are as touching and as breathtakingly beautiful as ever.

Cherry Ghost released their third album, Herd Runners last month, following on from 2007 debut Thirst for Romance and Beneath this Burning Shoreline which followed in 2010.

In typical fashion, the release has gone under the radar, with little exposure given to another collection of heart-wrenchingly moving songs, but as Simon, equipped with simple percussion and keyboard set-up, delights fans with renditions of new songs Clear Skies Ever Closer and the title track Herd Runner, you get the impression fame is the last thing on his mind.

His is a voice that offers something totally unique, a rich and pure tone, fitting of someone with decades more experience at the microphone than Aldred, but laced with a vulnerability of someone much younger.

Stood aloft within the cathedral’s brown sandstone walls, an ethereal glow surrounding him, Aldred’s songs take the gathered crowd on a journey of love and heartache — and its one everyone is quietly thrilled to join him on.

The classic tracks, 4am, Mathematics and Thirst for Romance take things up a notch, with the adoring audience now utterly absorbed. His final effort, the iconic People, Help the People threatens to push those gathered into an overspill of feeling.

Aldred, meek, mild and endearing, promptly leaves the stage — a quiet, unassuming craftsman of grace and charm.