There is plenty to warm the heart this winter in Manchester. One of the more joyful places to visit is the Bridgewater Hall, home of the Hallé Orchestra.

The Hallé recently staged their Winter Classics concert and there were lots of melodic tunes to welcome in the winter.

The orchestra, conducted by Stephen Bell, played an array of stirring tunes to ease music-lovers gently into the festive season.

The concert started with Prokofiev’s famous Lieutenant Kijé: Troika - one which certainly got the evening off to a flying start. You could just imagine dashing through a snow-covered landscape on a sleigh, with the icy wind blowing through your hair. The Hallé certainly know how to stir the emotions.

This was followed by the hauntingly melodic 19th century The Swan of Tuonela, by Finnish composer Sibelius, and Sleigh Ride by Delius, evoking images of a waltz around a 1940s’ dance floor.

Offenbach was next with Ballet of Snowflakes. The Hallé played this to perfection with the jaunty tones reflecting swirling snowflakes on an ice-covered lake - perfect for this time of year and one you can imagine the ice-skaters on the rinks not too far from the Bridgewater dancing to.

Credit: Tom Stephens 

The Snowman: Serenade by Korngold was next, followed by the 1950s’ Winter Bonfire by Prokofiev to take us into the interval.

The second half exploded with Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel Overture. The Hallé roused the Bridgewater with the 1893 piece which took the audience on a journey through wintry woods with their soothing tones.

Next was Anne Dudley’s epic Northern Lights - a reflection of Norway’s Aurora Borealis. Anne won an Oscar for her score for the film The Full Monty - and I must say I was a little starstruck when I realised she was sat just two seats away from me!

The Hallé then played Vivaldi’s Four Seasons: Winter from 1725 with its haunting violin music, led impeccably by the Hallé’s lead violinist Peter Liang.

This was followed by Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus: Melancholy, before the famous Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky.

This was another epic tune which builds up gradually with the lilting harp, before rising in the brass and woodwind section in that well-known waltz - just imagine being swirled round on the ice with twinkling lights around you - just perfect for a cold winter’s night. Visit https://www.halle.co.uk for more information.