Fringe by the Sea, Music for Bond
North Berwick Lodge grounds, 10/8/2025
RSNO, Conductor David Arnold
The big billowy tent pitched above a small East Lothian seaside town has, over these ten days, housed such as Hot Dub, Ruby Wax, Rory Stewart, and Archie’s Singing Kettle. Now, to wrap up 2025’s North Berwick Fringe by the Sea, enter the RSNO to tune up their beautiful traditional instruments of polished wood and metal.
RSNO have been bringing themed concerts of film music to FBTS for some years, and this evening it’s the Bond movies; arguably a local reference if you credit Edinburgh ex-milkman Tom Connery with jump-starting the series’ success.
The opening strains of ‘the Bond theme’ electrify tonight, just as they had electrified the teenage me, first hearing them in 1962 in the back stalls of the Dominion Cinema. After the film I had devoured the entire series of novels, and though put off the films by Roger Moore plus the increasing disconnect between screenplay and book, I still identify as a Bond devotee.
Conducting tonight was the personable David Arnold. Not to be confused – as I very much was – with composer-of-five-Bond-film-scores David Arnold, now deceased. Tonight’s completely unrelated David Arnold happens also to have done considerable work around 007: he created his ‘Best of Bond’ repertoire, arranging some songs for orchestra only; airing some great music which otherwise stays tucked away in the soundtrack; and working up big female theme-songs with the remarkable Jacinta Whyte.
Not being a total Bond music buff, I didn’t fully recognise all the instrumental pieces, and I would have loved to follow up on them later. Arnold and Whyte divulged some but not all, and one could not catch every word. Many in the audience were dismayed at the lack of any printed programme or surtitle.
The orchestra seemed to enjoy the performance. Such informal programmes let the audience applaud more spontaneously than during conventional classic music. The wind section soared early on with a jazzy exuberance. The strings swooned in smooth interpretations of ‘From Russia with Love’ and ‘You Only Live Twice’. Brilliant percussion punctuated the quirky ‘Another Way to Die’, and the first act culminated in a thrilling arrangement of George Martin’s ‘Live and Let Die’. Towards the end, I noticed my left leg bouncing and wondered if the technician on the rear platform was doing the same, as the video screens either side of the stage juddered.
Our Maestro and Diva are clearly at ease and experienced in working together. Jacinta Whyte makes her entrance in a simple emerald-encrusted evening gown – which morphs later into sparkling black followed by pearl-embroidered white – to sing ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ in a splendid Shirley Bassey voice. Equally satisfying are renditions such as Simon’s ‘Nobody Does it Better’, Eilish’s ‘No Time to Die”, Keyes’ ‘Another Way to Die’, Springfield’s ‘Look of Love’. Whyte encompasses the essence of the original while still allowing it to come from herself. As much actress as singer, she brings nuance and credibility to her impressive vocals.
Whyte announces the finale will be ‘Skyfall’. Though she surpasses Adele in this performance, I am discomfited. Where was ‘Goldfinger?’ But of course, they knew very well there would be an encore, and ‘Goldfinger’ it was, to a standing ovation.