Her rare vocal skills are revered to this day despite her career being cut tragically short when she died aged 32.

Rolling Stone rated the US songstress in the top 100 singers of all time in 2010.

When Australian singer-songwriter Katie Noonan decided to honour Carpenter's legacy with a major national tour A Kind of Hush: The Magic of Karen Carpenter this autumn, we were all ears, so to speak.

Noonan brought in country legend Melinda Schneider, former lead vocalist for Leonardo's Bride Abby Dobson and up and coming First Nations artist Layla Havana.

Together they opened their magical tribute to Carpenter in front of a near-full house at Albury Entertainment Centre on Wednesday night, April 3, before it played to a sold-out Sydney Opera House Concert Hall the next night.

But Albury got the special first showing!

Fittingly, the concert opened with We've Only Just Begun, and maintained its lofty heights and Carpenter's trademark low notes that suited her often melancholy material.

The multi-generational line-up exquisitely celebrated the timeless beauty of Carpenter's voice and artistry.

Having only just turned 15, Havana did a spine-tingling version of Ticket to Ride, a minor hit for Carpenter and her brother Richard as a ballad version of the famous Lennon-McCartney song.

Schneider, a regular performer on the Border after Father Peter MacLeod-Miller officiated her wedding, brought her trademark charisma to the stage, front and centre.

She was always happy to perform for an Albury crowd.

Dobson made the Rainbow Connection all her own, earning rousing applause from the audience.

Among other highlights were Close to You, Rainy Days and Mondays, Top of the World and Hurting Each Other.

And if a wonderful rendition of Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft doesn't get on a loop in your head for a week, were you even there?

Noonan took the lead on this stunning arrangement late in the show.

Over two hours Noonan, Schneider, Dobson and Havana were joined by an epic girl gang in guitarist Kathleen O'Halloran, keys player Freyja Garbett and bassist Lucy Clifford.

Fittingly, Noonan's son Dexter Hurren slotted in as drummer when Lozz Benson was no longer available for the tour.

The Carpenters were a family duo, after all.

Noonan had also only just lost her dad last week ahead of the three-week tour, confirming the show always goes on.

Hopefully it will give her the same comfort, solace and spark that it did for their opening night crowd.

The lovers, the dreamers and me.

All of us under its spell.