The Snowman and the Gruffalo in concert comes to Bristol this Christmas
For one day only the Mozart Symphony Orchestra brings its popular Christmas concert from London’s West End to the Bristol Beacon.
On Monday 22nd December the Mozart Symphony Orchestra will perform the soundtrack to Raymond Briggs’ classic film ‘The Snowman’ at Bristol Beacon, with the movie simultaneously being shown on the big screen. Sixteen year old Alice Mackenzie makes her tenth appearance with the orchestra singing the song ‘Walking in the air’, which was made so famous by Aled Jones 40 years ago. Alice has been singing this role professionally since she was eight!
First shown on 26th December 1982, the film was an immediate success and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, winning a BAFTA TV award. It has since become a staple of Christmas family viewing.
Audiences have often commented how special it is to watch the film as a live orchestra provides the soundtrack, while the Times newspaper wrote, “You would be hard pushed to find a more magical Christmas experience.”
Also in the programme are The Gruffalo and the Gruffalo’s Child, both for narrator and orchestra with the famous Axel Scheffler illustrations shown on the big screen behind the orchestra.
The idea for The Gruffalo came to Bristol born composer Philip Mackenzie when he was reading the book to his three year old son. It all started with the idea that, like in Peter and the Wolf, each character could be represented by a different instrument of the orchestra, but crucially, this time using the peripheral instruments such as piccolo, cor anglais, Eb clarinet and contrabassoon.
The exception to this is the French horn playing the Owl. This was originally scored for Wagner Tuba but after much experimentation it was obvious that the horn was more owly. The Gruffalo’s Child was born out of frustration and boredom of being holed up at home during the pandemic, now with two children disturbing the peace. Both pieces are now played around the globe by some of the world’s finest orchestras, most recently in Calgary, Nashville and Omaha.
The Mozart Symphony Orchestra of London is a new and contemporary ensemble and one of the most exciting orchestras to emerge from London’s vibrant classical music scene in recent years. London has a much deserved reputation as a leading city in the world of classical music and the Mozart Symphony Orchestra is a vital part of that. Its famous Children’s concerts are designed not just as pure entertainment but also as a fun way to introduce children to the amazing sound world of the symphony orchestra. All in all, ‘The Snowman and the Gruffalo in concert’ is the ideal Christmas treat for all the family.
The Snowman tickets are available from Bristol Beacon box office: bristolbeacon.org/whats-on/the-gruffalo-and-the-snowman/ or 0117 203 4040. The show starts at 1:30 pm and lasts approximately one and a half hours (including an interval during which children may just get an ice cream!).
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