Peter and The Wolf and The Snowman at Colston Hall in Bristol review
Posted on: 2014-12-14
Our rating:
To keep an ebullient, excitable gaggle of popinjays rooted in their seats and transfixed silently to the screen for the best part of half hour is no mean feat, but The Snowman did just that - true testament to its beguiling, spellbinding magic.
A double bill of much-loved family stories - Peter and the Wolf and The Snowman - enthralled and entertained young and old alike at the Colston Hall on Saturday 14 December.
The venue was packed to the rafters and buzzing with excited mums, dads and their offspring. Admittedly, to begin with it was an amusingly surreal scene, this impressive emporium having hosted some of the most awesome names in entertainment but now nestling a rambunctious, animated crowd of Harrys and Henriettas. Sandwiches were chomped, drinks were slurped, aisles were besieged with whippersnappers tanked up on E-numbers, and the occasional teary-eyed tantrum could be heard rippling above the lively sea of noise.
But as soon as the concert started, that all but stopped - and everyone was transfixed for the next hour or so.
Enter stage left Sanjeev Bhaskar, actor and comedian probably best known for his role in Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No.42. After a brief, amusing introduction recounting his own childhood Christmas memories, he and the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera plunged into the delightful musical soundscape of Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf.
All the characters in the story are represented by specific instruments and a brief introduction told us what they were: flute for the bird, oboe for the duck, clarinet for the cat, bassoon for the Grandfather, French horn for the wold, woodwind and timpani for the hunters, and finally strings for Peter. Bhaskar nailed the narration, infusing it with ebullience and infectious enthusiasm, while the orchestra was impeccable, weaving its narrative web of aural magic and showcasing the supreme talents of some of its soloists.
A short interval gave kids the chance to run amok for 20 minutes and the parents to hit the bar for a clearly much-needed, stress-relieving beverage, before the hustle and bustle of everyone reclaiming their seats died down to a murmur and eventually hear-a-pin-drop silence as The Snowman enraptured everyone.
Written by composer Howard Blake 46 years after Peter and the Wolf, The Snowman is base on Raymond Brigg's 1978 children's book and has become a perennial festive season favourite. No narration here, just animation, music, and THAT song. The film was projected on a big screen above the orchestra playing, telling the simple story of a boy who builds a snowman that comes to life and is swept away on a brief, extraordinary journey, only to wake up the next morning to discover the snowman has melted.
Over 30 years old this 27-minute cartoon might be, but it's still an incredibly effective and undeniably moving story. To today's generation the animation might seem crude and jumpy - and it is - but amidst the deluge of over-egged, CGI-rendered nonsense today, it's a miniature gem of a cartoon that still retains its simplicity, charm and emotional power.
The song 'Walking in the Air' - sung originally by Peter Auty then everyone's favourite Welsh warbler, Ale Jones - was performed by young singer Glyn Webster, and was a goose-pimply delight. And anyone who hasn't got a lump in their throat at the final scene must have a heart of pure granite. The orchestra was perfectly synched with the film, matching the on-screen action flawlessly, particularly with some nifty 'mickey mousing' - orchestral hits catching specific on-screen nuances - and the lively jig Dance of the Snowmen.
To keep an ebullient, excitable gaggle of popinjays rooted in their seats and transfixed silently to the screen for the best part of half hour is no mean feat, but The Snowman did just that - true testament to its beguiling, spellbinding magic.
A wonderful, family-friendly, musically-enriching, superbly produced double bill of timeless musical treats.
4/5
Reviewed by Jamie Caddick for 365Bristol
Article by:
Born and raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Jimmy moved to Bristol back in 2004 to attend university. Passionate about live music, sport, science and nature, he can usually be found walking his cocker spaniel Baxter at any number of green spots around the city. Call James on 078 9999 3534 or email Editor@365Bristol.com.
