The San Francisco Symphony will perform a live-rendition of the soundtrack from a Christmas-themed romantic comedy at Davies Symphony Hall for two days during their holiday performances. 

This is the second consecutive year the orchestra will perform “Love Actually” which is a film that takes place in London and follows intertwining and heartwarming stories set during Christmastime that released on Nov. 6 2003. Many of the holiday performances are lively and engaging experiences for all ages, according to a SFS press release. 

“Having a movie in addition to the music was what interested me in going in past years,” sophomore Celeste Roam said. “When I went, I heard how beautiful the symphony was and soon after went to a solely musical performance. I think a movie can help to show a lot of students that the symphony can be fun.”

The SFS educational outreach provides school concerts and music training programs for youth to engage with music. Attending the symphony is especially engaging young musicians, according to sophomore Chelsea Li.

“Watching them play is not only inspiring, but interesting, because I get to see different styles of playing.” Li said. “I am a pianist and I never play in a larger group, but watching the symphony made me want to try new things.”

“Love Actually” features Christmas songs such as “White Christmas” and “All I Want for Christmas is You.” The movie is a combination of Christmas cheer and heart warming storylines, according to freshman Jardin Davis. 

“‘Love Actually’ is one of my favorite movies,” Davis said. “The live music sounds like it is going to be super fun because it would only enhance the ambiance of the setting further.”

In addition to the Christmas songs, the film also features a cover of “All You Need is Love.” The song, which was released in 1967 was written by the Beatles, although the version used in the film was recorded by Lynden David Hall. 

“When students think of the symphony I think they tend to assume most of the music will be classical and from the baroque-late romantic period,” Li said. “Whenever I go I find that they play a much wider range of genres and time periods than people assume, especially if it is a special event like a movie or a dance.”

The “Love Actually” performance takes place on Dec. 17 and 18 at Davies Symphony Hall with ticket prices ranging $70-170. Visit sfsymphony.org to register as a student for discounts on upcoming shows with the lowest discount tickets starting at $20.