The song is “Greatest Love of All.” At the beginning of the last line, Houston moves from one note to the next. On the word “strength”, her wonderful alto blossoms, soars and adds vibrato. When she reaches the word “love”, she playfully skips several notes and skips the last one, the power of its beauty matching the message.

Houston was one of the few singers, and this is confirmed by “The Concert for a New South Africa”. Sadly, the album also shows how the pop diva’s incomparable talent was wasted before she died in 2012 at the age of 48.

The album will be released on Friday, following the limited theatrical release of a film commemorating the 30th anniversary of Houston’s three 1994 concerts in South Africa – Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town. They celebrated a newly unified nation after the end of apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela as president.

The album reflects the first performance held in Durban on 8 November 1994. It is also Houston’s first-ever live concert album.

“I’ve never felt so much love,” Houston told the stadium crowd. Ten of the digital album’s 21 songs have titles with the word “love” or some variation of it, and there are bigger hits scattered throughout the set. These include “I Will Always Love You,” “How Will I Know” and “I Won’t Dance with Somebody,” which is fun to listen to in such a festive atmosphere.

Alas, the scale of the event only exacerbates Houston’s tendency to sing excessively. It sounds like his delivery was meant for the top row of the stadium, which is understandable but tiring when listened to through earbuds. Maybe you were meant to be there.

The theatrics of the vocal are often incongruous with the poor material, and Houston twists the lyrics as if trying to skim off suds. The additional material consists of dated, overcooked arrangements of his large supporting cast, ranging from sappy synths to hair-band guitar solos, although there are quality contributions from horns and backing singers.

The second half of the show achieves moments of grace. Houston sings it on “Love Is”, a lovely song that also appears on the album in a previously unreleased 1990 studio recording and in a remix. Houston delivers an inspiring rendition of “Greatest Love of All” and a bouncy “Touch the World” completes the occasion.

The best vibe comes when Houston takes audiences to megachurches. “Jesus Loves Me” becomes a children’s song of all ages as it displays an uncanny intimacy in the tradition of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Ray Charles, and Aretha Franklin.

“Amazing Grace” follows, and when Houston combines the word “wicked” with violent vulnerability, the song sounds as heartfelt as anything she’s ever sung.

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