Review: BBC PROMS: CLASSIC THRILLER SOUNDTRACKS, Royal Albert Hall

"Who doesn't check twice behind the shower curtain now?" asks presenter Edith Bowman, kicking off a spinetingling evening of thriller film soundtracks from the excellent BBC Concert Orchestra, under the assured direction of American conductor Edwin Outwater at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall.

American composer Bernard Herrmann's terrifying score for the shower scene from Psycho, with those screaming strings climbing higher in pitch to increase the tension, is high up on the bill. Vertigo and North by Northwest are featured too, all created during his collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock.

Originally, Hitchcock didn't want any music accompanying a woman being stabbed to death by a serial killer in the shower in the creepy Bates Motel, but he finally relented. Later, he admitted that 33% of the effect came from Herrmann's genius composition, doubling his salary in appreciation. However, sadly Hermann eventually fell out with Hitchcock over the score for Torn Curtain.

The evening's mainly a tribute to Herrmann, who died 50 years ago. But a who's who of other acclaimed composers ­– David Raksin, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Lalo Schifrin, Isaac Hayes and Quincy Jones ­– are featured too.

It's quite refreshing in these pared-down days of smaller ensembles due to financial constraints, to see the massive BBC Concert Orchestra with all manner of musicians and instruments. I count two harps, five French horns and four percussionists for starters, all adding to a rich depth in tone. And it's also just a lot of fun seeing a Big Band of sorts giving everything a lot of welly.

The soloists, all making their Proms debuts, are terrific as well. Promising young cellist Sterling Elliott plays Korngold's romantic "Cello Concerto in C major, Op 37" from the soundtrack of the 1946 film Deception.

Strictly Come Dancing vocalist Lance Ellington gives us an achingly evocative rendition of Raksin's theme tune for Otto Preminger's Laura from 1944 and Quincy Jones' "On Days Like These" from The Italian Job.

Talented Ipswich-born soul singer Ashton Jones really nails it with another Jones' hit, "In the Heat of the Night", and is right on with Isaac Hayes' funky theme from Shaft, aided by adept backing singers Sumudu Jayatilaka, Louise and Melanie Marshall, and Andrew Playfoot. Ashton brings Hayes's earthy and sexy "Shaft" wonderfully alive to the delight of the audience.

A particular favourite of the evening is professional whistler Jonas Pap. It's a bit of a revelation to me that professional whistling is actually a thing, but Pap pulls it off splendidly in Herrmann's mysterious score for British psycho-thriller Twisted Nerve from 1968.

Announcing an unexpected encore, Bowman asks: "Are you brave enough to go back in the water?"

We're then treated to a heart-stopping performance of the theme tune from Jaws that perfectly rounds off the evening. We might well decide to avoid water in the near future, but would certainly welcome another classic soundtrack thriller prom from the capable Outwater conducting the BBC Concert Orchestra again next season.

Classic Thriller Soundtracks at the Royal Albert Hall is available on BBC Four, BBC Sounds and on BBC iPlayer.

The BBC Proms is at the Royal Albert Hall until September 13