Ibrahim Maalouf & Arooj Aftab

Accompanied by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jules Buckley (of Metropole Orkest fame), the audience were given a special treat as both artists’ music was greatly enhanced by orchestral score created especially for the Prom. The Proms are widely renowned for their great displays of music featuring a stellar array of performers, and they certainly did not disappoint on this occasion. The venue was packed - all tickets were sold out including on-the-day promming tickets - and the vibrant crowd held their breaths in anticipation of the spectacle that would follow.

Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf took the first half of the concert, performing music from across his 19-album discography (but primarily from latest album Trumpets of Michel-Ange) The orchestral accompaniment complemented Maalouf’s jazz band perfectly, with the trumpeter’s own instrumentals standing strong as the centrepiece of the performance. Possibly one of (if not the) greatest contemporary trumpeters, the sheer passion conveyed to the audience through the medium of music was immense. The crowd was one big party - everyone was on their feet and dancing, even those in the seated tiers of the Hall. With the support of the BBC Singers’ vocals, Maalouf taught the audience the melodies to his tracks so that they could sing along. In a Jacob Collier-esque fashion (but with more class and grace), the trumpeter performed more intricate parts over the backing of the crowd’s voices - which was in itself propped up by a stunning orchestral performance. Opening with ‘Red and Black Light’ and featuring tracks like ‘True Sorry’, the concert encapsulated Maalouf’s discography perfectly despite his limited setlist through interspersing joyful tracks featuring crowd participation through deep and meaningful tracks, the meanings of which were explained to the audience beforehand. Five further trumpeters took to the stage for the majority of the performance. These men were the very same supporting Ibrahim’s lead on Trumpets Of Michel-Ange. Paired with BBC Symphony Orchestra’s brass section, the presence of these trumpeters onstage completely changed the dynamic of the performance. With an incredible live band and the power of an orchestra to his rear, Ibrahim Maalouf truly stole the show. Given that he is booked to perform a headline show at Paris’ 45-thousand capacity La Defense Arena, the audience were very lucky to see the trumpeter in such a beautiful and unique venue as the Royal Albert Hall.

After a short interval, Arooj Aftab and her band walked onstage for the second half of proceedings, as did Jules Buckley and the BBC Symphony Orchestra once more. Having seen Aftab just two months prior, I was well acquainted with her live sets and the dreamlike trances that come hand-in-hand with her performances. Whilst Ibrahim before threw a party with vibrant colours and noises, Arooj was the relaxing comedown afterwards. However, she truly came to life like never before with the accompaniment of the orchestra. Playing a setlist consisting of tracks from Vulture Prince and last year’s Night Reign, Aftab wooed the audience with soothing vocals and a fusion of traditional and modern instrumentation. Vocals were performed in both English and Urdu, though like Maalouf before, many of the meanings of songs were explained beforehand for the benefit of the audience. A large double-bass took the centrepiece of the stage directly in front of Jules Buckley, with the singer herself standing slightly towards the right. As has become tradition at her live shows, Arooj ordered a round of shots for those in the seats nearest to the front as she performed ‘Whiskey’. This song, as well as ‘Last Night’, were performed by the band alone whilst Jules and the orchestra took a well-deserved break from the spotlight. The set was rounded off with a rendition of ‘Bolo Na’ before the band feigned their departure, and subsequently headed back onstage for an encore performance of ‘Na Gul’. As gimmicky as it may have been, the ending of the show brought the audience to life from their relaxed slumber, and they clapped and roared to the departure of a group of phenomenal musicians.

This was my first Prom, but it will definitely not be my last. Completely blown away by the sheer quality and talent of music paired with the joy and electricity in the audience, I would be very hard pressed not to say this was one of the very best concerts I have seen so far this year. Despite both musicians varying greatly in style and stage presence, they somehow worked perfectly in unison to create both one of the most lively and one of the most tranquil concerts of the Proms. The entirety of the performance was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, and you can listen to Arooj Aftab and Ibrahim Maalouf’s Prom on BBC Sounds until 13th October.