The support acts at this charity show, one of Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions, might well have threatened Richard Hawley’s headline status.

The Sheffield songsmith had to follow a confident turn from Sting’s 19-year-old daughter, who fronts and lends her name to I Blame Coco, and there was the return of Corinne Bailey Rae for a brief set ahead of her gig on Monday.

With a straight face, Sessions curator Jo Whiley also introduced Jedward as unlikely surprise guests.

“Very droll,” said the real special guest, Alex Turner, enjoying the joke. In the venue, there was just relief.

On acoustic guitar, the Arctic Monkey was certainly low-key, especially in comparison to the X-Factor twins’ TV performances.

But the sweeping Cornerstone and the Hawley-like Secret Door were definite highlights.

Fortunately, after those big names, Hawley’s crepuscular, melancholy songs from new album Truelove’s Gutter sounded spectacular amid the shadows of this old church.

“So this is the point of the show we call Hawley communion,” he said.

Born Under a Bad Sign and Serious were determinedly retro, just like Hawley’s quiff, but delivered with an unmistakable steeliness alongside his adroit band.

Fellow Sheffield singer Turner was invited back to perform Arctic Monkeys’ Only Ones Who Know, with Hawley on guitar.

Ultimately, though, it was new Hawley compositions such as the majestic For Your Lover Give Some Time that really impressed.

Three years after Turner “robbed” him of the Mercury Prize, Hawley is proving himself to be one of our strongest songwriters.