SINGAPORE - No band and no back-up singers - just Elvis Costello with his guitar, singing to a sell-out audience at the Esplanade Concert Hall on October 5.

The one-night gig was one of the several international acts performing at this year's Singapore Sun Festival.

"This is my first ever concert in Singapore. So by way of an introduction, I suppose I'm trying to guess what songs people would be curious to hear. I don't want to disappoint but at the same time, I hope there would be enough curiosity... so that I could contrast those titles with some newer songs that are close to my heart," said singer and composer Costello.

New Orleans R&B singer Alain Toussaint is one of many musicians with whom Costello has collaborated.

During his 30-year career, Costello's music has ranged from punk rock to country, and his songs have been performed by all types of singers, from opera divas to Dusty Springfield.

"I have a number of songs that have been covered, some of them by my favourite singers. I've had my songs sung by Chet Baker, George Jones and Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash so that's a pretty good collection of people," said Costello.

After Singapore, Costello flies to Australia for eight more performances. Then he's off to Europe, where he takes over family duties from his wife, Canadian singer Diana Krall, as she embarks on a European tour.

"Being married to another working musician who tours even more than I do, ... we share the responsibility for bringing up two very active three-year-olds. They are (always) with one of their parents. They’ve only spent two days of their lives without us," said Costello.

Aside from Costello, other big names in this year's Singapore Sun Festival included the man with the golden flute, Sir James Galway, who performed with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. - CNA