The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra has been in operation since 1955 and has become a vital part of the thriving arts scene in Calgary. On Nov. 28 and 29, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra put on the Home Alone in Concert Show. The idea was to have the classic and highly beloved Christmas movie, Home Alone, paired with an orchestra and choir to bring a new way of experiencing what is a classic movie.
The orchestra performed quite spectacularly on this particular evening, bringing the Home Alone movie alive, with each of the scenes having added depth due to the orchestra. It made the dramatic scenes of the movie, like the scene where Kevin sets up his traps around the house, extra suspenseful. It did the same for the scene where Kevin steals the toothbrush and the following chase through the ice skating rink.
The venue itself added to the experience with the choice of the WinSport Event Centre. Located at the Canada Olympic Park, it certainly enhanced the atmosphere. It’s a venue that can seat up to 4000 people, which in itself is quite impressive. On this evening, its size added to the experience with the sound travelling all across the venue, mixed in with the light set-up that made the arena sparkle. It was certainly quite a sight to behold.
At the end of the show, we saw the choir come on to the stage and perform some classic Christmas songs to end the performance. It sounded remarkable to hear over 80 people come together to perform beloved Christmas songs. It was done well for the festive occasion as the day slowly became shorter and significantly colder.
What stood out to me was how the different groups of people came together to collaborate on this show. We had the chorus provided by students from the University of Calgary, including those from the music department. And the orchestra provided by the Calgary Philharmonic, which has had decades of experience performing here in the city of Calgary.
Finally, this was all brought together by the conductor, Andrew Crust. Andrew Crust is an admired conductor with his experience ranging from working with the Vancouver, Winnipeg and Nova Scotia symphony orchestras. As well as the Orchestra Giovanile Italiana in Italy, the Hamburger Symphoniker at the Mendelssohn Festival in Germany, and the Moravian Philharmonic in the Czech Republic abroad.
It was an incredibly charming way to celebrate the beginning of the winter season as well as bring in that festive Christmas atmosphere. The act of giving is certainly what makes Christmas what it is, and we were reminded of it through a beautiful rendition of a classic movie, which shares the jubilant of the holiday season as well as the importance of family.
More about upcoming performances by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra can be found here.
