RSNO Christmas Concert Featuring The Snowman

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra bring The Snowman to the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Saturday 19 December, with two performances that afternoon and evening. It's a family-friendly one, and the format is straightforward: the film runs on the big screen while the orchestra plays along to the images, with Hugh Dennis narrating as it goes. Around them, there are sing-along carols and festive melodies, including Consider the Penguin and The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Conducting is Karen Ní Bhroin, one of Ireland's foremost young conductors and a 2024 Taki Alsop Fellowship recipient, who was mentored by Marin Alsop and directed Irish National Opera's Breathwork in 2023. Narrating is Hugh Dennis, best known from BBC2's Mock the Week and the sitcoms Outnumbered and Not Going Out. They're joined by the RSNO Training Choir, the RSNO Chorus and the RSNO Chorus Academy Glasgow.

There's a bit of history behind the voices, too. The RSNO Chorus grew from a choir formed in 1843 to sing the first full performance of Handel's Messiah in Scotland, and the RSNO Youth Chorus was founded in 1978 by Jean Kidd. The Glasgow date is part of a wider Scottish tour, with stops in Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh.

There are two shows on the day, at 2.00pm and 6.00pm, so you can take the kids in the afternoon or go later in the evening. Tickets are £52, £45, £38, £29.50 and £20, with booking fees potentially on top and discounts for under 18s, under 26s, mature students, unemployed patrons, patrons with disabilities and groups.