An early Christmas gift was the return of John Wilson and the lush sound of his incredible musicians. From the thunderous cheering echoing throughout the hall, a passer-by might be forgiven for thinking they were outside the Amex Stadium.

Wilson, through his painstaking work of recreating the lost orchestrations of MGM musicals, stormed the Albert Hall Proms with his first concert there.

His current tour, jokingly dubbed Prom 2: Movie Music, comprised surplus transcriptions that never featured in the original programme. And what gorgeous leftovers they turned out to be.

With every number a gem, it was hard to pick out favourites. The overture from High Society ranked highly, with First Trumpet successfully echoing Louis Armstrong. I Got Rhythm provided lively rivalry between reeds and brass, while the ballet suite from Silk Stockings proved an exquisite blend moving from lyrical gentleness into dramatic passion.

Guest singers Anna-Jane Casey and Matthew Ford worked well in their comedy numbers together. Ford pleased the audience with S’Wonderful and I Love You Samantha, while the effervescent Casey stamped her own mark on Garland’s classic, You Made Me Love You. Equally moving was Can’t Help Loving That Man Of Mine.

A wonderful night.