Ellie Goulding performs with the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco on Nov. 20, 2023. Mike DeWald/STAFF

SAN FRANCISCO — Pop hitmaker Ellie Goulding traded beats and synths for overtures and orchestration, teaming with the the San Francisco Symphony on Monday at the Davies Symphony Hall. Arranged and conducted by Derrick Skye, the show is the third in a brief tour that also takes the U.K. vocalist to New York and Los Angeles.

This show was less about fusing pop with classical music and more about Goulding immersing herself into the orchestral arrangements. While the biggest hits were included, the evening’s selections also included deeper cuts that best translated to the arrangements and the most personal to the artist.

“It’s amazing how some of the songs artists love the most are the ones they don’t want anybody to hear as album tracks,” Goulding said about how she picked the set list.

The orchestra players took their positions, Skye walked to the conductor’s podium and led the instrumental introduction to “Delirium.” Goulding then made her entrance to a roar of applause. Clad in all white, she stood next to Skye and the pair launched into one of the singer’s biggest hits, “Burn.”

Ellie Goulding performs with the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco on Nov. 20, 2023.

“Mother!” an attendee yelled from the balcony, a familiar refrain for Goulding fans, or divas in general.

Goulding quietly quipped about her uncomfortable shoes and the impracticality of her water bottle placed on the stool beside her. Skye played off of her shy banter, reacting to her one-offs and side comments.

“These shoes have to go,” Goulding said early on. “I wanted to be able to make an entrance.”

The shoes did come off just a few songs in, and Skye followed suit, neatly placing his shoes on the stage.

The format of the concert worked well for Goulding, who doesn’t often get to talk to fans during her concerts. The singer was funny, effusive and even vulnerable at times, talking about the origins of her music and how they fit in with her career trajectory. The only thing missing? Songs from her latest album, January’s Higher Than Heaven.

“It’s a bit weird, but in the U.K. … this is the song I’m most know for,” Goulding said before moving onto a cover of Elton John’s “Your Song.”

The performance was also a showcase for her superior vocal talent. The stringed accompaniment allowed the nuance of her delivery to shine—from her tone to her range and power. Songs like “The Writer” and Explosions” absolutely soared. As the latter reached a crescendo in the chorus, all the spotlights behind the stage shined bright, illuminating the entire hall.

Before “Woman,” from 2020’s Brightest Blue, an introspective Goulding recalled a time about a decade into her career. After non-stop touring, it was her first moment to evaluate her accomplishments. Instead she began to question herself and the song came from there.

Deep cut “Dead in the Water” led to a rousing standing ovation (one of several).

“It’s a bit sad,” Ellie Goulding said. “I guess I should have played that song more often.”

After a rousing performance of “My Blood,” and a brief intermission, the musicians returned to the stage.

“What you don’t know is that we all did a shot backstage,” Goulding announced.

Typically upbeat songs like “I Need Your Love” took on a very different personalities, channeled through violins rather than a backbeat. Skye helped to forge the bond between the audience, Goulding and the orchestra. His takes on Goulding’s songs tapped into to a rise and fall of momentum and added depth in the quiet moments.

Ellie Goulding performs with the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco on Nov. 20, 2023.

Not only did the San Francisco Symphony deliver, but so too did Goulding’s trio of the back-up singers. The four part harmonies brought richness to the bouncy “Anything Could Happen.”

Goulding then put a dramatic, cinematic spin on her hit “Lights,” a song with which she’s had a love/hate relationship after it put her on the map in the U.S.

After leaving the stage to a standing ovation, Skye hyped up the crowd to chant Goulding’s name and she returned for a singalong rendition of the hit “Love Me Like You Do.”

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.