“They were doing this 100 years ago with organ and silent films,” says Justin Freer. Tonight’s conductor stands in front of the New York Phil and tonight’s would-be ‘soloist’: the impressive screen onto which this evening’s feature presentation will be projected. When the new David Geffen Hall was unveiled, special mention was given to its cinematic muscle and now it’s time to sample the goods in the presence of Christmas royalty: Elf.

“Let’s hear all the kids in the audience,” is Freer’s next command. He gets more response than he may have bargained for as Will Ferrell’s 2003 festive romp attracts ‘kids of all ages’ including several adult-children in full elf attire. The atmosphere is delightful and as the orchestral forces kick into gear the effect is spellbinding…and all they’ve done is play the New Line Cinema theme tune. But that’s the special thing about putting an orchestra in front of a movie screen; musical cues that are usually mixed seamlessly into the fabric of a film are brought to the fore, dialed up a couple of notches, given their chance to shine. Having watched this movie almost annually for the past couple of decades, this is the first time where John Debney’s score has taken literal center stage. Turns out it’s a banger.

The big reveal of the concert is that it’s not just the music which has been enhanced for new appreciation. Elf is a regular on small screens at this time of year, but this opportunity to see it on a large screen reveals new, charming details. The embroidery on Santa’s braces, the framed dollar bill and family pictures behind Mr Hobbs’ desk, the texture of Buddy’s coat. What’s more, the practical addition of subtitles (so that dialogue is intelligible against the power of the live score) also means that some hidden jokes are revealed. Throwaway lines are illuminated and we’re also treated to watching a New York movie with a New York audience ready to laugh at the quirks of their own city. High definition visuals, high definition jokes, high definition music: the cumulative result is high definition feeling and gratitude to be in this room having this experience.

Having recently seen the Music by John Williams documentary, it would be easy to say that the magic of Elf in Concert is hearing a classic movie accompanied by live orchestra. However, in watching a movie with a hall-full of people—surrounded by laughter and spontaneous applause—the true magic reveals itself to be in the gathering around a warm-hearted movie with warm-hearted strangers. Much in the same way Elf teaches us that ‘the best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear’, the NY Phil’s audience singing, laughing and clapping loud for all to hear is spreading Christmas cheer in New York. It’s well worth a visit if you need to top up your own Claus-o-meter.

Immerse yourself in film, music and feeling in The Art of the Score series with the NY Phil. Image credit: Chris Lee.