THE Scarborough Spa Orchestra will perform great movie themes tomorrow (Thursday) as part of the gala concert "Reel Music".

The great film director Alfred Hitchcock knew better than most the importance of theme and background music in movies. But early in his career he refused to have music in one particular scene, saying that it was a lifeboat miles from anywhere in the middle of the ocean, so where did the orchestra come from? The composer suggested the orchestra came from the same place the camera did.

Movie scores these days can be masterpieces of modern music. John Williams is by no means the only film composer to feature regularly on the Classic FM playlist and the fill a significant number of slots in their chart of the top 300 classics.

At the other end of the musical spectrum, cartoons will be represented by tunes from Snow White, and family favourites such as Wizard of Oz and Harry Potter will feature.

As the town approaches Armed Forces Day, wartime memories will be stirred by famous themes from Bridge on the River Kwai, Casablanca and The Dambusters, with more gentle tunes from Ladies in Lavender and Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

The films themselves won’t be shown, but as part of the evening the big screen in the Spa Grand Hall will display stills and posters as a reminder of some of the greatest movies of all time.

Tickets for Reel Music are £11, with children free with a paying adult. Tickets are available from the box office on 01723 821888 and via scarboroughspa.co.uk