Music legend Dionne Warwick was amongst the audience on the beach for the opening night of the Bermuda Music Festival.

The superstar who sang such hits as ?Walk on By? and ?I Say A Little Prayer? in the 1960s made a brief appearance on stage to rapturous applause from the many hundreds of visitors and guests who filled the Fairmont Southampton Beach Club on Wednesday night.

While Warwick was arguably the biggest world-wide star present ? although not one of this year?s performers ? it was disco era troubadours The Trammps who stole the night with a kicking version of their greatest tune ?Disco Inferno?.

Lead singer and founding member Earl Young ensured there was a genuine party on the beach atmosphere as he coaxed the audience to join in with the singing and dancing.

Mounting anticipation exploded when the group struck up with the song many regard as the anthem of the 1970s.

Encouraged by Young, the audience streamed from the beach onto the stage to join the band, shaking sand from their feet as they boogied along to disco classic.

Around 50 people ended up dancing on stage in a magical moment.

With such an impressive line-up of acts appearing it was fitting that the first night of the four-day festival was held in such breath-taking surroundings.

A large rock island off shore was dramatically highlighted by a purple spotlight, while the shimmering reflection of the moon danced on gentle waves that lapped against the sand near to a row of burning lanterns.

All across the beach the audience found a variety of seating arrangements, many at the back simply commandeered sun-loungers, others sat in rows of chairs or around tables, while the more playful headed for a dance floor area at the centre of the beach.

American comedian, radio and film star Steve Harvey may have been thinking of those who danced and partied in particular when he rounded off the night with jokes and observations and said: ?The key to having fun is don?t act old.?

Trammps? singer Earl Young didn?t need that advice.

He pointed out he is 66 years old and a ?super senior citizen? but he bounced around the stage with the vigour of a man a third of his age.

During their most famous number The Trammps received vocal assistance from a large portion of the audience singing along to ?Disco Inferno?, which was featured in the movie Saturday Night Fever. Suddenly it was 1977 all over again.

The musical journey to the 1970s was completed as the band belted out their other greatest hits ?Ain?t No Stopping Us Now? and ?Hold Back The Night?, while band member Bunny Sigler took charge to sing ?Somebody Loves You?, a song he wrote which became a giant hit for Patti LaBelle.

Harold Melvin?s Blue Notes had the unenviable task of follow The Trammps on stage and pulled out their trump card early on playing their memorable 1972 smash hit ?If You Don?t Know Me By Now? as their second song.

Despite their advancing years, age has not diminished the stunning harmonies and choreographed dance moves of the Philadelphian combo.

Donnell ?Big Daddy? Gillespie is now lead vocalist having joined the group in 1990 when the late Harold Melvin was still in charge. Gillespie?s singing chimed and invoked elements of Otis Redding and Joe Cocker.

A sparkling set the Blue Notes delighted with renditions of their hits including ?The Love I Lost?Bad Luck?, and a blistering vocal performance from Gillespie on ?Yesterday I Had The Blues?.

Rufus Thorne has been in the Blue Notes since the 1980s and led the singing on another of the early hits ?I Miss You?. Performing three songs was Sharon Paige, who originally joined the Blue Notes in 1974.

There was rapturous applause for Paige as she gave an immaculate performance on three of the songs.

The late John Whitehead, who was shot dead in 2004, wrote ?Wake Up Everybody?, and this is the band?s personal favourite, which they sang last.

However, the audience wanted more and called the Blue Notes back onstage for a final encore of ?I Should Be Your Lover?.

With the music over, it was radio and film star Steve Harvey?s job to wrap up the night with a comedy turn that kept the audience in raptures of laughter which echoed through the night long after the show finished.

Earlier in the evening Bermuda?s very own musical duo Prestege entertained with a selection of well-known songs after the Warwick Gombeys had given the arriving audience a taste of Bermudian culture.

The 11th Annual Bermuda Music Festival continues tonight at Dockyard with Steve Harvey hosting Gladys Knight and the Original Manhattans amongst others.