Movies, much like music, are something we revisit again and again, comforted by their familiarity and the fact that, no matter how much we might change, they reliably remain the same. But over the coming months, we’ve many opportunities for audiences to experience what may be old favourites anew, several popular film scores and soundtracks set to be performed live on stage by a range of musicians and performers, from small ensembles and choirs through to full symphony and concert orchestras.
For instance, we’re thrilled to be welcoming back once more a trio of orchestral treats that are now key fixtures in our venue’s festive calendar, one of which is Richard Curtis’s seasonal classic Love Actually in Concert which returns on Wednesday 18 December, Craig Armstrong OBE’s stirring score contributing to the film’s tender tone as it follows ten individual yet interweaving stories of love throughout the Christmas period. The Holiday in Concert is also with us on Friday 6 December, the popular Nancy Meyers romcom – starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet as two heartbroken transatlantic house-swappers – played in its entirety on the big screen as a full concert orchestra summon Hans Zimmer’s spellbinding score on stage below. More of said composer’s creations will feature in returning favourite The Music of Zimmer Vs Williams on Friday 27 December, undoubtedly a highlight of Betwixtmas each year for us here at the Hall celebrating the Academy Award-winner’s work alongside that of John Williams, his equally prolific contemporary. Between them, they’re responsible for some of the most iconic scores in modern movie history, including Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean and so many more, making for what always proves to be an enchanting evening of nostalgic movie magic.
For a broader celebration of the sounds of fantasy cinema specifically, we’re pleased to welcome Music of the Movies on Sunday 24 November, an array of well-known and widely loved fictional worlds thrillingly brought to life as a symphony orchestra explore the epic sounds of The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, The Chronicles of Narnia and more. Elsewhere, fans of the animated fantasy-action series Avatar: The Last Airbender will have the chance to experience a whole evening of orchestrally accompanied highlights on Friday 7 February as a full ensemble skillfully recreate Jeremy Zuckerman’s striking score, his compositions cleverly reflective of the ways in which the show’s universe takes inspiration from East Asian art and mythology. And similarly beckoning audiences into an unfamiliar – though, in this case, pre-historic – world, Life On Our Planet in Concert comes to the Hall on Tuesday 8 October, promising a spectacular multi-sensory experience as highlights from the Netflix natural history doc – narrated by Morgan Freeman and lauded at the time of its release for both its striking visual innovations and Lorne Balfe’s sensational score – are screened alongside a live orchestral soundtrack.
There’s also the opportunity to enjoy some of your favourite films in full as they’re soundtracked live to picture on stage, starting with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse on Tuesday 3 September. It’s the second instalment in the series to receive the “in Concert” treatment following a well-received arrangement of the first at our venue late last year, a cast comprising a full orchestra, scratch DJ and electronic elements returning to continue the story. Proving popular too is Twilight in Concert, coming to the Hall on Monday 21 October, a 12-piece ensemble of rock and orchestral musicians transporting audiences deep into the heart of the era-defining romantic fantasy more than fifteen years after its original release. But even if vampire romances – or any of the films above, for that matter – couldn’t be further from your thing, keep a keen eye on our event calendar. There’s every chance your favourite score or soundtrack could be swapping the big screen for the Bridgewater stage soon.