Il Divo @ NEC

May 23 2007 By Tony Collins, Birmingham Mail

THE Il Divo rollercoaster roared back into town - and how showbiz manager Simon Cowell would have been delighted.

The clean-cut boys who make up the multi-national quartet have enjoyed success since achieving TV fame three years ago.

Twenty million album sales and 35 No.1s worldwide are testament to their selling power.

And even though many of the largely female audience seemed more interested in the guys than the songs, at least they had an introduction to classical music.

Swiss tenor Urs Buhler, American David Miller, Spanish baritone Carlos Marin and Frenchman Sebastien Izambard - now in their 30s - have clearly lost none of their appeal, given the number of photographs being taken.

The four singers sounded terrific as they caressed their way through a succession of delightful numbers, from opera to powerful ballads.

Backed by an excellent orchestra, they opened impressively with Nights in White Satin, and followed in fine style with tracks from their debut 2004 album, interspersed with Caruso, Musica and Without You from their current release.