There's a beautiful moment during James Taylor's two-hours-plus set at Dublin's O2 when he sings – finally – his "cowboy lullaby", Sweet Baby James.

The crowd, which has been blissfully silent up to that point, begins to croon along quietly, carefully. It must be heartbreaking for the man who has spent the entire time shouting “Sweet Baby James!” from the back of the arena, but for the rest of us it’s testimony to Taylor’s lasting, latent talent – a voice that has grown sweeter with time, and a songwriting ability that has produced some of the 20th century’s most iconic, timeless tunes.