The BSO's latest Sunday afternoon concert in Bournemouth was entitled Eastern Promise.

And the promise was certainly delivered in full with another stunning performance.

The shame of it was that the same could not be said for the Pavilion, probably less than half full.

But more of this in a moment.

Kirill Karabits, returned to deliver another hugely rich programme featuring Alexander Borodin, Camille Saint-Saens and Kara Karayev.

There may have been a significant element of home comfort for the Ukrainian chief conductor - although it's a vast region covering just a small part of the old Soviet Union.

The concert opened with Borodin's In the Steppes of Central Asia, evocative and haunting, painting a picture of the vastness and solitude of these distant lands.

Sophie Pacini was the soloist on Saint-Saen's piano concerto No 5, also known as 'The Egyptian' because he composed it in Cairo.

The piece is sparkingly brilliant as was the renowned German-Italian Miss Pacini.

The second half was a fast forward to the mid 20th century and the music of Azerbaijani composer and teacher, Karayev.

First the eight colourful 'etchings' from his Don Quixote Suite and then the exotic rhythms and melodies of the waltz, adagio and procession from the Seven Beauties Suite, Azerbaijan's first ballet.

As for the sparse audience it was disappointing. Judging by this concert at least, Bournemouth clearly has less of an appetite for the world class orchestra that carries its name than does neighbouring Poole.

It should discover one or we might be entitled to conclude the town does not appreciate its very own cultural miracle.