Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone In Concert, Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham - review

For the first time, legendary film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was projected upon a HD screen while a full orchestra performed John Williams' unforgettable score.

The evening began with a brief introductory video behind the scenes of the film - showing how the music was created and letting us hear the intimate words of the people behind it all. It really made me appreciate how much hard work goes into something that sometimes, I so passively consume.

It is easy to forget how much of an impact music has on a film. From spectacular scores to the simplest of sound effects - music greatly affects our emotional reception of a film, most of the time without us even noticing.

It was impossible not to notice the gravity of the music in Harry Potter when the large orchestra took to the stage and sat behind the wide array of instruments arranged in almost picture-perfect precision.

I imagined that this would be quite a formal affair, but the conductor for the evening greeted the audience with a friendly cheer and implored us all to get as involved with the film as we could be cheering, laughing, booing and even raising our wands where appropriate.

Unfortunately I had left my wand at home, but I was more excited than even now for the film to start.

Just like the first time I sat down to watch Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, I was instantly moved and enchanted by the sheer wonder of the narrative - brought to life once more by the truly magnificent live music score.

It was impossible to let the music simply wash over me when I could now see the technical precision that goes into every single note, and I discovered a whole new layer of appreciation for my childhood favourite film.

From Hedwig's theme to the simple notes of the harp keeping Fluffy asleep, every sound was accounted for by the live orchestra and sounded more clear and powerful than ever.

Each breathtaking reveal now had extra depth - a personal highlight of mine being the moment Hogwarts is first revealed to the students and in-turn the audience. I have always found this to be one of the best scenes in cinema history, and now accompanied by the soaring violins, cellos, brass sections and more - it will forever be an experience that will raise the hairs on my arms.

This magical atmosphere was only intensified by the audience interaction. When their favourite characters entered the frame they cheered, when Slytherin was mentioned they booed and claps echoed across the arena when Gryffindor won the house cup. Cinema doesn't have to be a solitary experience, cinema can bring people together in a shared passion - something I had not experienced before, and now something I crave with every film I see.

An experience I would recommend to anyone and everyone - seeing a film with a live orchestra added a whole new layer of depth to the cinema experience for me, and made me appreciate the talent and work that goes in to the music we so often take for granted.