Last night, we experienced the magic of The Snowman film in the only medieval English cathedral with three spires, Lichfield Cathedral. The tickets were long sold out before December and you can understand why they are so popular. The whole show was very well organised, and the overall effect of the animations on the big screens and the live orchestra was just magical. We all had a great time and would definitely recommend to anyone for next year.
If you have not been to Lichfield Cathedral, it is a must to visit this beautiful and stunning medieval cathedral! We were sat in the second row, which was very near to the live orchestra with a huge projection screen, under which the musicians were seated. There were two more large screens on the sides so that everyone had a good view of the animations. We were concerned that it would be too loud but our fears were unfounded. There were speakers strategically placed in the cathedral to ensure the music was very well distributed throughout the whole cathedral. We really enjoyed the live orchestra without it breaking our ear drums!
As Lichfield Cathedral doesn’t have any toilet and café facilities, there was no interval during the one hour performance at all. Personally I prefer it without an interval especially as an hour is not overly long. At other venues with facilities, the performance is in two halves. The first half lasts around 35 minutes and the second half lasts for 30 minutes. I was amazed that many young children were able to stay still throughout. They must have been charmed by the music!
The show opened with the orchestra playing instrumental versions of Christmas overtures like Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Jingle Bells and even from the familiar Disney’s Frozen. This was followed by a very nice story set on a train to introduce the members of the orchestra with a surprise conductor in the Snowman Waltz leading into the film itself. We were accompanied by Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, the highly-acclaimed animated film by Tom Scott.
Then to the main event, The Snowman, who also came into the cathedral to say hi before they turned down the lights and started the film. This was my first time watching this version of The Snowman which was filmed in 1982! Such a classic! We all loved it! It also featured a young local female soloist who sang the classic “Walking in the Air” which lies at the heart of the Snowman. They put on an amazing show and a truly entertaining evening for all ages. The concert is suitable for all ages from 3 and above, and it is a great time to introduce the young ones to the orchestra! Do look out for The Snowman Tour near you next year! It is a great time to treat your family to this magical tour!
Disclosure: We were invited to attend this event in exchange for this post and a review after the show.
I love Cathedrals and I love the Snowman so mixing the two is fantastic.
I know our girls would love to see a show like this so will see if it is on again next year. I loved the Snowman as a child but on the small screen. I would like to ensure I found the location of toilets though beforehand as it would be about a 25 minute drive from where we live and we can’t even manage a 20 minute shop without one or both of the little ones needing the toilet.
that looked so good,i remember The snowman when i was a child and i absolutely loved it,my children do too
I absolutely love The Snowman, and The Snowman and the Snowdog, this looked great to get into the spirit of Christmas!