One could sense the audience collectively hold their breath as the characteristically enigmatic Moses Sumney entered the stage at the Royal Albert Hall last night, veiled in grey. Behind him sat the lavish BBC Symphony Orchestra, with conductor Jules Buckley – also the BBC SO’s Creative Artist in Association – at the helm. Eventually discarding his coverings, Sumney launched into surely one of the most experimental and unexpected performances to feature at the BBC Proms. It was a bold choice for a largely classical concert series, but one which hopefully sets a precedent for more adventurous programming.
The instrumentalist and singer-songwriter – raised between California and Ghana, a dynamic which has fuelled the themes of identity and belonging in his music – has called out the reductive and racist pigeonholing of his music as ‘R&B’. Indeed, his acclaimed debut Aromanticism (2017) and sophomore dual-album græ (2020) reveal a melange of styles, genres, and textures, from ambient electronica, soul, and art-rock. His meditative lyrics explore the commodifcation of romantic love, toxic masculinity, and self-worth in the face of lovelessness.
His music has an intensity in its introspection, and often in its quietude. In many ways, pairing Sumney with a fully-decked orchestra (plus a special guest rhythm section) may have seemed antithetical. But rather, it served as the outward manifestation of that introspection. Buckley, alongside his team of arrangers, Tim Davies, Jochen Neuffer, and Tom Trapp, made judicious choices in their blending of electronic and orchestral textures, creating moments of high drama and simmering minimalism in equal measure.
It was a largely uninterrupted flow of music, with a setlist chosen well in advance to allow Buckley and his team to incorporate musical bridges between pieces. But this was to the detriment of greater engagement with the audience; Sumney, though clearly endeared by the audience’s effusive response and applause, was only able to share a few words.
However, Sumney’s voice – from its cello lows and anguished highs, connected via lines of intricate melisma – is undeniable. Sometimes, one could be forgiven for mistaking his dexterous falsetto as a tool of the orchestra itself.
Convulsing in tandem with the twists and turns of the BBC SO, Sumney gave nakedly emotional performances. ‘Quarrel’, written about the inherent power imbalance between the races (‘Quoting this a quarrel / So immorally implies / We’re equal opponents / And we both antagonize‘), featured Sumney modulating against the soaring string section. There was a terrific moment of stillness to begin ‘Doomed’, one of Sumney’s most existential lyrics (‘Am I vital / If my heart is idle?‘), with Sumney accompanied by Iain Farrington on the grand organ. Buckley’s rendering of ‘Me in 20 Years’, where Sumney looks to his future with uncertainty, was gorgeously cinematic.
Prior to concluding his set, Sumney, taking stock of the moment, spoke to the audience: “When I imagined returning to the stage, I didn’t think it would be here… But this works too.” I’m sure it won’t be his last visit to the Hall.
You can listen to Moses Sumney with Jules Buckley and the BBC Symphony Orchestra on BBC Sounds
All photo credit/copyright: Mark Allan/BBC
