Rehearsals are well underway and excitement is building for this highly anticipated family concert in Derry’s Guildhall on Sunday the 8th of December. The Allegri family of choirs and Orchestra Northwest look forward to performing together in this wonderful family favourite every year. With all performances selling out well in advance every year, this event has become a highlight of the performance calendar since the two ensembles first combined for Christmas in 2019.
This year we are proud to present the beautiful and much-beloved story of Raymond Briggs’, The Snowman. This magical tale of a snowman who comes to life and befriends a little boy has been a favourite of young and old for more than 40 years, and we are delighted to be bringing the glorious original animation to the Guildhall’s big screen for this year’s performances. Howard Blake’s evocative score for the 1982 animated version has now become as memorable as the illustrations themselves, and Orchestra NorthWest will beautifully conjure up the adventures of the boy and the snowman as told by our Narrator, Matthew Irwin. This will be an immersive treat for all that you will not want to miss.
No Christmas concert would be complete without some Christmas classics to get you in the mood, and the Allegri family of choirs will not disappoint. With performances by Allegri Ladies Choir, and the Allegri Youth and Junior Choirs, prepare yourself for a delightful programme full of festive cheer. Accompanied by Orchestra NorthWest, Allegri Youth and Junior choirs will be performing songs from much-loved Christmas movies, with classics from Home Alone and The Polar Express. They will also perform Deo Gracias from Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols and Craig Hella Johnson’s stunningly beautiful pairing of Silent Night with a well-known song from The Man From La Mancha, bound together by a powerful lyric from a John Lennon classic.
Allegri Ladies will perform a variety of early and contemporary carols and songs - some familiar, some less so, which will transport the audience to different places around the world. A highlight will be the gentle Austrian carol, Still, Still, Still. The string section of Orchestra NorthWest will add extra warmth to this beautiful lullaby in this rich arrangement by Mack Wilberg.
Orchestra NorthWest will again take centre stage with performances of two Christmas favourites by composer/arranger Leroy Anderson. A Christmas Festival and Sleigh Ride are sure to leave the audience feeling full of festive cheer.
There is truly something for everyone at the Allegri/Orchestra NorthWest Christmas concert and we can think of no better way to press pause on all the hustle and bustle of the season and enjoy some Christmas magic with family and friends.
The concert is supported by the Public Health Agency through the Clear Project as well as the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Tickets can be booked via the link below: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-snowman-and-other-christmas-classics-matinee-performance-tickets-1061101656619
