A symphony orchestra in full flight is an astonishing thing to witness, even if you have seen it many times.

It doesn’t lose the sense of wonder, especially when the musicians are performing an orchestral epic like Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov. It’s always a show-stopping, crowd pleaser.

The energy, the drive, the passion and precision, the sheer awesomeness of all the moving parts in perfect unison.

The BSO musicians under the baton of assistant conductor Tom Fetherstonhaugh (who only graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 2021) were at their world class best for a hugely appreciative full house.

An evening of 1001 Tales began with Glinka’s fully charged favourite Ruslan and Ludmilla and the exquisite Pas de Deux of the Prince and the Sugar Plum fairy from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.

Such a beautiful, emotional and richly scored piece.

Steven Osborne, the soloist on Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.27 (his last) was at his serene and joyous best and he clearly has many fans among the BSO faithful and indeed around the world. They fully showed their appreciation.

Rimsky-Korsakov’s epic fantasy Scheherazade, based on the tales of the Arabian Nights, literally has everything, love, drama, adventure, intrigue.

It’s an utterly mesmerising symphonic suite and is a perfect showcase for the incredibly talented BSO musicians.

A special mention for the orchestra’s leader Amyn Merchant, spellbinding in the recurring solo violin sections.

1001 Tales, 45 minutes, four movements, one orchestra, countless heart stopping, spine tingling moments.

Always an exhilarating journey.