The Snowman + Live Score

Unite the Union Brass Band are bringing The Snowman to Showroom Cinema this December, with the band playing the score live as the film runs. It's a wordless film, so the music does all the heavy lifting — Howard Blake's score is the only thing carrying the story, with 'Walking in the Air' being the only piece of dialogue in the whole thing. The screening lasts an hour and a half, and it's preceded by a short concert of festive songs performed live, so you'll have a bit of a warm-up before the film starts.

If the name sounds familiar, it's because Unite the Union have been playing since 1900. Around here they're best known for their appearance in The Full Monty and for their live performance of Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers, so they're well-used to playing along to the screen. The Snowman first reached UK audiences on 26 December 1982 and has been shown every year on Channel 4 since, so for a lot of us it's a bit of a fixed point in the calendar. Seeing it with a live brass band in the room changes the feel of it.

There are plenty of slots to choose from across three weekends, so it's easy to fit in around the Christmas rush. On Saturday 5 December there are screenings at 11:00, 14:00 and 17:00; on Sunday 6 December it's 11:00 and 14:00; and on Sunday 13 December it's 11:00 and 14:00 again. With the short concert beforehand, the whole thing runs a bit longer than the film alone, so keep that in mind if you're planning your day.