RSPO/Oramo/Chineke!/Edusei review – rounded, exquisite, played to perfection

Royal Albert Hall, London
A stellar performance by Renée Fleming and the first appearance at the Albert Hall by the BAME Chineke! Orchestra made Proms 61 and 62 a privilege to attend

Inevitably, the Proms that always command most critical attention and shift most tickets are those that involve premieres, rarities, outsize pieces and, of course, stars. That’s the way of the world. But such special occasions shouldn’t be permitted to eclipse the others. As Esa-Pekka Salonen once wisely said in an interview, it can be just as rewarding simply to give – and to listen to – a really good concert, too.

Salonen’s fellow Finnish conductor Sakari Oramo can always be relied on for really good concerts – it’s partly why he is making four appearances in this year’s Proms, including the last night. And Renée Fleming is of course, by any measure, a star. But the most striking thing about Wednesday’s early evening Prom by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra was not just Fleming’s excellence but the fact that Oramo and the Swedes had arrived with a really imaginative programme and delivered an exceptionally well made concert.

Related: Chi-chi Nwanoku: 'I want black musicians to walk on to the stage and know they belong'

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