Christmas at the Movies with the CBSO – Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Conductor: Michael England

You know it’s Christmas in Birmingham when the German Market sets up in the city centre – and just across Centenary Square is Symphony Hall, home to another great Birmingham Christmas attraction, the CBSO and their series of seasonal concerts.

If you’re still in need of something to get you into the Christmas spirit, this is it. The concerts are always a treat for the whole family, and this year’s Christmas at the Movies is no exception. It’s a feast of delights, from the opening Miracle on 34^th Street theme to the final White Christmas, with Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas added on as the inevitable encore.

There’s something here for everyone, even if you’re not a fan of Christmas movies. The well-balanced programme is a good mixture of music written specifically for film and songs that have been used in films, so there’s guaranteed to be lots that you’ll know and maybe a few pieces you haven’t heard before. There’s the wonderfully symphonic Glasgow Love Theme from Love Actually contrasting with a quirky Gremlin Rag and one of the highlights, a haunting Somewhere in My Memory, one of a section of four pieces from the classic Home Alone. Christmas at Hogwarts will surely bring back memories for fans of the Harry Potter films too, with suites from The Polar Express and The Holiday in a programme that showcases the orchestra well and proves that even when taken out of context film music has a place on a concert programme.

It’s not all just about the orchestra though, and adding to the festivities there are two vocalists, both of whom will be familiar to regular CBSO concert-goers – Louise Dearman and Gary Williams. Between them, they manage to cover a lot of ground with a number of classic Christmas songs, old and not so old. There’s a wonderfully upbeat It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year from Williams, and he gets the audience happily joining in during the second half of the concert with everything from It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas to Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow and White Christmas. Williams is well-known for his work as a performer of swing music, and his pleasant, easy-listening voice does full justice to these older classics.

Dearman is known as much for her musical theatre work as well as her work on the concert stage, and she brings that to some of her performances starting with the iconic Joni Mitchell song Both Sides Now which appeared in Love Actually. It’s a version that’s full of expression with an emphasis on the interpretation of the lyrics that some will appreciate and Mitchell fans will hate. It’s back to a traditional delivery for her next number though – you couldn’t have a Christmas concert without Mariah Carey, could you – so here we are with All I Want for Christmas is You. Neither could you omit The Snowman or Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride – a staple of Christmas orchestral concerts, both presented with Dearman adding the vocals in classic style. There’s also a duet with Williams, an updated comic version of Baby It’s Cold Outside to add a little humour to the evening, and it’s a pity that too many of his lines didn’t make it to the back of the hall.

Still, it’s an entertaining evening which shows again what a world-class orchestra there is in Birmingham, and what a wonderful facility Symphony Hall is to perform in. Outside it might be damp and breezy, but you leave Symphony Hall full of a warm and cosy Christmas cheer.

Reviewed on 21 December 2023