Experience cinematic scores played live at The Bridgewater Hall
There are few things more festive than watching a Christmas film: bundling into a warm building, sitting down for a touch of cinematic magic, then emerging back out into the cold, heart lifted. Like any art form, this is all the more extraordinary experienced live – and for this collection of events at The Bridgewater Hall, each soundtrack is brought to life by an orchestra, performing before you in the auditorium. So book your tickets now, before they’re gone…
The Holiday In Concert – Friday 24 November 7.30pm
A glorious arc of heartbreak, upheaval and eventual resolution, The Holiday sees Kate Winslet as Iris and Cameron Diaz as Amanda, swapping their homes across the Atlantic for Christmas. Each lands in the other’s life, American Amanda in Surrey and British Iris in LA – and finds fulfillment where the other was lacking it in classic, Nancy Meyers style. There’s an unexpected friendship with an aging Hollywood screenwriter, snow dusting the Surrey hills and a twinkling turn from Jude Law – all set to a charming soundtrack mixing an original score from Hans Zimmer with stone cold Christmas hits.
This is Zimmer at his gentle, romantic best – all swelling strings, melodic piano and wistful woodwind, perfect for filling the Hall’s auditorium. Not for nothing is the German composer a two-time Oscar winner and four-time Grammy Award winner; although better known for darker, more dramatic scores for films including Dune, The Dark Knight and Interstellar, this big-hearted turn lends a true touch of magic to one of the best-loved Christmas films from the mid-2000s. A true treat for the start of the festive period.
Love Actually In Concert – Friday 8 December 7.30pm
Who can forget the eclectic mix of stories brought to the big screen by Love Actually – from Hugh Grant as the young Prime Minister, boogying to Jump (For My Love) by the Pointer Sisters, to Emma Thompson’s Karen suppressing her tears to the sound of Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell. Songs, then, are not merely a soundtrack to this film – but the driving force behind several of the scenes. What better way to experience them, then, than in live performance, the music rising from the orchestra’s instruments?
Another smash-hit collaboration from Richard Curtis and Working Title Films – the partnership behind Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones’s Diary – Love Actually brilliantly blends genuine sadness, alchemic connections and pure comedy. Christmas is the moment the film builds towards, experienced differently by all its characters; join them for this festive jukebox of a film.
The Muppet Christmas Carol – Wednesday 20 December 3.00pm & 7.00pm
Lyricist and songwriter Paul Williams has written songs for luminaries including Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Ross, Elvis Presley… and Kermit the Frog. For The Muppet Christmas Carol, he was part of a team that brought the Muppets’ very own take on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to the screen – somehow managing to be both a poignant and funny festive parable. This has a lot to do with the songs; drawing on previous form for the likes of Bugsy Malone and A Star is Born, Williams infused warmth and storytelling into each of the set pieces, wonderfully offset by an unaffected performance from Michael Caine as Scrooge.
Now a staple of the festive period, The Muppet Christmas Carol was a much-needed hit at an uncertain time after the sudden death of Jim Henson, the Muppets’ creator. With both a heartwarming conclusion and backstory, seeing the soundtrack live is the musical distillation of Christmas cheer. Book a ticket – and see if you can spot Michael Caine blinking.
The Hallé, The Snowman with Gaspard’s Christmas – Friday 22 December 4.00pm, Saturday 23 December 11.00am & 1.30pm
Released in 1982, The Snowman remains one of the most magical and moving animated Christmas films over 40 years later. After an introduction by David Bowie, the score does the heavy lifting when it comes to telling Raymond Briggs’ story of a young boy who builds a snowman that mysteriously comes to life. Rendered in beautiful, pencil sketch-style animation, the film unfolds to a soundtrack by pianist, composer and conductor Howard Blake – the haunting Walking in the Air the highlight. For true goosebumps, this has to be experienced live – with the chords of the song rising from the exceptional Hallé orchestra.
Before that though, a newer story: Gaspar’s Christmas. Narrated by the author and newsreader Zeb Soanes, the story of Gaspar the fox’s race to save Christmas is brought to life with visuals by award-winning children’s illustrator James Mayhew and music from composer Jonathan Dove. Experience both in concert – and walk away with some truly special festive memories.