Spanning innuendo-ridden crooners (‘Goldfinger’, ‘Diamonds are Forever’), orchestral soul (‘Licence to Kill’, ‘Goldeneye’), schmaltzy ballads (‘For Your Eyes Only’, ‘All Time High’), and pop-rock stormers (‘A View to a Kill’, ‘The Living Daylights’), the music of the James Bond franchise has often proved more enduring than the films themselves.

The prospect of hearing these themes performed live by the BBC Concert Orchestra – conducted by the always impressive Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser – seemed too tantalising to miss. Holding the BBCCO and the Proms to its usual high standard, what followed was certainly crowd-pleasing and nostalgic, the orchestra as usual never missing a beat. Yet, when I expected to be pinned to the wall, some of the arrangements felt frustratingly underpowered, paling in comparison to the original records etched into the minds of many a Bond fan.

Some of the evening’s vocal talent was also poorly deployed. Omar’s staccato delivery would have better suited the Jack White role on ‘Another Way to Die’, rather than the delicate ‘You Only Live Twice’. West End star Oliver Tompsett has pitch perfect vocals, impressing on ‘From Russia with Love’ and ‘Thunderball’, but lacking the grit to truly sell ‘Live and Let Die’ and its absurd reggae interlude. Gloria Onitiri has a beautiful instrument though over-worked some of the final refrains of K.D Lang’s ‘Surrender’ (from the end credits of Tomorrow Never Dies).

The strongest performances came from musical theatre veteran Rachel John, delivering a sultry ‘Licence to Kill’, and Naomi Banks, who truly nailed ‘Skyfall’ and ‘Goldfinger’, relishing in the latter’s camp menace. Receiving the evening’s most rapturous applause, Lulu made a guest appearance to reprise ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’, which she recorded over sixty years ago. Like the ‘powerful weapon’ described in the song, Lulu’s voice can still stop anyone in their tracks.

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BBC Proms: Miles Davis: I’ve never seen such a feverish returns queue at the Royal Albert Hall, the foyer packed with prospective patrons eager to secure a seat at this Prom celebrating the centenary of Miles Davis’ birth. Focusing, bar one number, on the albums Davis made with pianist and composer Gil Evans, this concert proved an unexpectedly strong outlet for the BBC Concert Orchestra – which I was concerned would engulf the casual cool of Davis’ music. But fear not, for Miho Hazama’s intricate arrangements by-and-large gave ample space for brilliant trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and his quartet, who did sensitive, superlative work on Porgy and Bess renditions from the first set, and material from Miles Ahead and Quiet Nights in the second.