IT WAS an evening of unrepeatable experiences at the first music night for hospice fundraiser Childish Things.

Jamie Cullum performed a never-before-seen duet with Eliza Doolittle.

And he then joined beat box champion Beardyman on stage for an unrehearsed jamming session.

The event, on Monday at Oxford’s New Theatre, was the inaugural music night for Childish Things, which raises tens of thousands of pounds for Helen and Douglas House hospice.

Speaking after the performance, Mr Cullum told the Oxford Mail: “It was fantastic.

“It was almost as fun to be backstage as to be out there.”

He described collaborator Beardyman as a “force of nature” and said the pair had often talked about working together but this was their first opportunity to do so.

He was full of praise for the hospice in East Oxford, and said a couple he knew had a child who received respite care there.

He said: “There is something about the way this was done which was very genuine. I’m privileged to be here.”

Beardyman, real name Darren Foreman, said the act was “even more fun” than it looked to the audience.

He said: “I actually got carried away with live music which I haven’t been able to do for a while.”

The evening saw a huge variety of different music styles, ranging from pop with show opener Miss Doolittle, prog rock from Douglas House guest Ali Craig’s band Bug Prentice, flamenco from Rafael, pop-folk from KT Tunstall as well as a flavour of the 1980s from Squeeze’s Chris Difford.

Miss Doolittle said she was eager to visit the hospice to see the work for herself.

She said: “Doing these fun little spur-of-the-moment duets and seeing musicians, some of whom are new to me, is really great fun and for a really good cause.”

Members of the audience were also urged to put their hands in their pockets, with actor host Tom Hollander leading a “group text” which saw 300 members of the 900-strong audience contributing a total of £1,300 to the cause.

KT Tunstall said she agreed to take part after being approached by hospice supporter and Radiohead drummer Philip Selway. She said: “It’s such a great charity and somewhere I would love to see.

“There are many, many families and children who would suffer terribly without it.”

* Childish Things continued last night with a comedy evening featuring Michael McIntyre and Jimmy Carr while the final event will be tonight when the line-up will include Peep Show’s Issy Suttie as well as Mr McIntyre. A handful of tickets are available starting at £25 from the New Theatre box office.