Adele's sell-out show at the Roundhouse was her final performance of the year — and what a year it has been for West Norwood’s finest.

The 20-year-old singer won the inaugural Critics’ Choice award at the Brits in February and scored a platinum-selling album in her debut, 19. Now, thanks to considerable interest stateside, she has been nominated for four Grammys.

Time, then, for celebration and Saturday’s show couldn’t have been more festive if it had come with a side order of cranberry sauce. Even before Adele took to a stage decked out in Christmas trees and tinsel, two stagehands pranced on in elf attire.

The singer opted for more modest stage props — a baggy jumper and a mug of tea. She began her 15-song set with Hometown Glory, a wide-eyed paean to her London home. The ballad was built on soaring strings and a hypnotic piano figure, with Adele’s billowing voice sounding every bit the equal of other single-named chanteuses Duffy and Estelle.

She was joined by a full band for the funky Cold Shoulder. Yet it was during more intimate moments, such as the aching Daydreamer (performed solo on acoustic guitar) and Best For Last (solo on bass), where her virtuosity was most apparent.
Despite claiming to be “so nervous”, Adele was effortlessly funny between songs. Like a convivial landlady, she was full of bawdy tales — all delivered in her thick Estuary tones.

But it’s when Adele sings that she’s truly on song. With a voice cut from the same rough velvet as her hero Etta James, she squeezed every last drop of emotion out of Bob Dylan’s Make You Feel My Love.

There were other covers, too — which brings us to the show’s only real problem: a lack of top-notch original material. For every cracker (Right as Rain) there was a turkey (First Love).

A triumphant encore of Santa hats, glitter and Chasing Pavements ensured the crowd went home happy. A fine year, indeed — now time for that difficult second album…