THE world-conquering success of Star Wars in 1977 did more than bring science fiction films back into fashion. Thanks to composer John Williams, it also ushered in a revival of the grand symphonic tradition in American film music.

This concert reminded us just how much fine music has accompanied science fiction movies since then – from Jerry Goldsmith’s Alien to Michael Giacchino’s scores for the 21st century reboot of Star Trek.

Fittingly enough, John Williams dominated the proceedings. His Star Wars Main Title was there, as was the exhilarating finale of E.T., but there was also the unsettling War of the Worlds and his complex music for Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Two pieces by James Horner – from Avatar and Apollo 13 – reminded us what a loss that composer's untimely death last year represented. And one of the evening’s enjoyable surprises was Trevor Rabin’s impressive music from Armageddon.

But there were also some pieces drawn from a time before Star Wars – including Sir Arthur Bliss’s music to Things to Come, from 1936, and the theme to the Lost in Space TV series, from the days when Williams was still billed as Johnny. Ron Grainer's 1963 Doctor Who theme was there too, in one of its several 21st century overhauls by Murray Gold.

Under conductor Pete Harrison, the BSO gave it everything. It was a joy to watch the orchestra tackling the richness of Close Encounters, or to see Giacchino’s relentlessly catchy Star Trek melody passed around the sections of the orchestra.

The BSO does film music superbly, perhaps because it never seems to look down on the material. It was fun to see some Star Wars characters appear on stage early on, courtesy of the Dorset Troopers, but it was wise not to have any other on-stage antics. The music was allowed to speak for itself – and music of this quality does that eloquently.