The Proms may be an august classical music season yet it’s inclusive enough to incorporate Doctor Who, Horrible Histories and now hip-hop and soul.
The first ever Urban Classic Prom was conducted by Jules Buckley, whose quest for musical synergy was undermined by artists who appeared at times tamed by the occasion.
Although N-Dubz rapper Fazer drew a few screaming fans, it was rising star Laura Mvula whose rich, soulful warble was made for this Prom — and yet the fusion didn’t quite come off.
Mvula was resplendent in outfits including a cape dress and colourful mini coat dress but her ballad Sing to the Moon was smothered by a tepid arrangement and the BBC Symphony Orchestra looked as bored as the audience during Father, Father.
Perhaps her conservatoire training and the orchestral arrangements cancelled each other out. When Mvula embraced her diva side for That’s Alright, her defiant, throaty howl induced audience clapping as well as a wolf whistle from an orchestra member and she left the stage with a huge grin.
Tottenham rapper Wretch 32’s Traktor was rousing hip-hop with the heft of a honking brass section, though it was really only petite newcomer Lady Leshurr’s barrage of rhyming that kept the musicians on their toes.
A group singalong of Bob Marley’s One Love provided a feelgood finale but this inaugural collaboration needed more creative tension.
Catch up on iPlayer. Proms run until September 7 (0845 401 5040, bbc.co.uk/proms)
