Ever heard of the Christadelphians? Me neither, but it’s a worldwide sect with 20,000 British members. When they commissioned a Genesis Suite in 1987, they naturally turned to the godfather of British jazz piano, Stan Tracey. At 82 he is now also its Methuselah, having been a front-line artist ever since his Army concert‑party days in 1942. He was certainly overdue the honour of a Promenade Concert, and thanks to the Christadelphians he was all ready for it.

This one-hour suite for 15-piece big band, typically substantial, functional and fun to play, was perfect for the late-evening slot.

Harmonic innovations have been scarce in the last 20 years, so Tracey’s 1987 score sounded old‑fashioned only in the Ellingtonian sense of being designed around individual soloists.

The recent trend is toward shorter solos and longer ensemble passages, yet with so many strong soloists — saxmen Mornington Lockett, Dave O’Higgins, Sammy Mayne, Simon Allen and Alan Barnes, trumpeters Guy Barker, Mark Armstrong and Henry Lowther, trombonists Alistair White and Mark Nightingale — it would have been criminal to neglect them.

Barnes, who played with more passion and fewer speed-licks than anyone else, got the biggest cheer.

Worst-treated was bassist Andy Cleyndert, rendered virtually inaudible by some simpleton on the sliders but no doubt the sound-mix was perfect on BBC Radio Three.
Information: 0845 4015040, www.bbc.co.uk/proms.