The symphony will perform its Christmas concert, “Holidays at the Movies” this Saturday at the Idaho Falls Civic Center for the Performing Arts at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The show will consist of music taken from classic holiday films, including “Home Alone,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and “Frozen.” (Click here for tickets.)

Devin Hughes, the show’s conductor, said that this concert will remind the audience how much of a role symphonic film music plays in all our lives, even at Christmastime. 

“So the concept behind this performance was that we kind of tried to put together all the classic (Christmas) film scores people think about all the time,” said Hughes. “‘Home Alone’ is a masterpiece and (its composer) John Williams, who in 1977 did ‘Star Wars’ then ‘Indiana Jones’ and then ‘Harry Potter’ – he’s in our ears all the time. More people would probably recognize the ‘Harry Potter’ theme than ‘Beethoven’s 5th’.”

Hughes said that “Holidays at the Movies” presents very familiar music in a context patrons may be used to hearing it.

“There’s not going to be movies on the screen,” he said. “We’re not going to be projecting images. The show is really going to center around the music’s ability to stir the soul. The why some of the greatest music that exists is in the movies: because music exists to tell a story.”

“Holidays at the Movies” is also a great way for people who are new to symphonic music to experience the power of an orchestral performance while also getting to hear music they may already know and love.

“When you put a song in the context of the whole orchestra, it’s this magical experience and magical vibe and feeling that nobody else can really recreate,” said Hughes. “It’s eighty people coming to make this perfect harmonious creation and I think everybody needs to be a part of that.”