The BBC Proms has previously hosted individual tributes to Black American icons like Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, and Aretha Franklin. This year’s Soul Revolution Prom cast a wider net, drawing from the broader canon of politically-charged Black music. Of course, Nina, Stevie, and Aretha were all there, augmented by material from James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke, and traditional gospel and spirituals.

Making his second Proms appearance after last year’s riotous disco event, Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser returned to conduct the BBC Concert Orchestra with charismatic flair.

I’m normally loathe hearing Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’ sung by anyone other than the Queen of Soul herself, but Beverley Knight brought the requisite firepower and zeal to banish my cynicism. It was refreshing to see Incognito veteran and British soul staple Tony Momrelle push beyond his usual mellow groove and rise to the urgency of James Brown’s ‘Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud’. Jacob Lusk, the dynamic frontman of insurgent soul group Gabriels, showcased his stylistic versatility, from the rafter-raising gospel of Clara Ward’s ‘How I Got Over’ to a lightness of touch on Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’.

Some numbers admittedly fell short of their potential. The razor-sharp lyrics of Nina Simone’s epic ‘Mississippi Goddam’ were swallowed up by uneven sound-mixing, likewise with the vitally important backing vocals on The Temptations’ ‘Ball of Confusion’ and Edwin Starr’s ‘War’ — though I can’t fault the passion of Edinburgh-based singer James Emmanuel.

The rich alto of Annahstasia, bringing an earthy depth to ‘We Shall Not Be Moved’, was a welcome balance to the evening’s more histrionic vocal performances. The revelation to many on the evening, this writer included, was countertenor Reginald Mobley whose full-bodied, operatic take on spiritual ‘Were You There’ brought audience members to their feet. However wonderful the orchestra was, Mobley’s a cappella verse was the night’s most spellbinding moment.