For part of his Arts Award, Senior Student Sam Hung has written a review of ‘The Snowman.’
I went to see “The Snowman” on Saturday the 16th of January at 3:00 pm. The concert was at Ushaw College with Durham County Youth Orchestra & Choir and included a variety of Christmas songs such as “Let It Go”, “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”, “For the First Time in Forever” and “Love Is An Open Door” from Frozen. I have been to similar concerts like this before.
The orchestra showed the audience “The Snowman” film whilst playing the soundtrack live. I really enjoyed it as both the music and the film made me feel happy and relaxed. Although Christmas time had just passed, the spirit of Christmas returned to me during the concert.
“The Snowman” is originally a children’s picture book without words by English author, Raymond Briggs. The book was adapted into a 26-minute animated television special in 1982 which debuted in Britain on 26th December 1982. It was nominated for an Academy Award. Its showings have since become an annual event.
My younger brother, Moses Hung, was the pianist in the concert who played the main part of the music of “The Snowman” throughout. I remembered that when Moses was a baby, he loved this music so much and always hummed the beginning part of “The Snowman” whenever he felt happy or angry. The concert made the music very charming when the film came out in front of me. It was pure and innocent which reminded me of all the happiness in our childhood. I have a similar experience to Moses. My favorite toy, Chilly, is also a snowman who accompanies me every night since I was young until now.
There was a girl who sang “Walking in the Air” which was originally sung by Aled Jones. Her voice was so beautiful and heart touching which made some audience members cry with tears. In fact, “The Snowman” was the most emotional piece of music I have ever heard in my life.
From my point of view, the concert was excellent and very successful because it made people feel relaxed and comfortable from the beginning up to the end. I would recommend it to my friends to come and watch because it could reduce our stress and make you forget about the pressures of everyday life. I really believed that “The Snowman” performance allowed the audience to return to an innocent situation or memory full of kindness, friendship, love and hope.
This concert was supposed to take place on 12th December, 2015 before last Christmas. Unfortunately, there was a horrible snowstorm on the day and the organiser had no choice but cancel the concert. I am so lucky that I finally watched this concert even though it was postponed until after Christmas. “The Snowman” concert brought wonderful memories and imagination to all the audience. It is such a magical piece of music which is unforgettable and will last forever.Perfect for Razzamataz students, Arts Awards recognize individual creative development and are adaptable to all interests and abilities. The programme has two strands – arts practice and arts leadership and students must gather evidence of their creative and skills development, which they present as a portfolio.
There are no entry requirements and are awarded at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels, which are equivalent to GCSE and A Level standard qualifications. The Gold Award is now recognised on the UCAS (University and College Admission Service) points system. When students have successfully completed their portfolios and have been marked by an Arts Award Assessor, they are required to be moderated by Trinity-Guildhall. Trinity College, London is the awarding body.
If you would like to take an Arts Award as part of your regular classes please speak to the school Principal, Alison.
