THE SNOWMAN (animated children's film) op.310 (September 1982)

Commissioned by: Channel 4,TVC
Instrumentation: Solo treble, 2121 2100 2perc, piano,celeste, harp, strings

[Key to Abbreviations]
Note on Lyrics: by Howard Blake
Duration: 26 mins
First Performance:

Recorded 5th July 1982 at CTS Studios with The Sinfonia of London, leader Jack Rothstein, conducted by Howard Blake, sound engineer John Richards,. Final version of 'Walking in the Air' as used in the film tracked on to the completed orchestral track at De Lane Lea Dean Street London by Peter Auty, St. Paul's Cathedral chorister, directed by the composer.

First Shown on Channel 4 TV Christmas Eve 1982

All sheet music for "The Snowman" and "Walking In The Air" since 2010 is published and available from Chester Music Ltd, part of The Music Sales Group, www.chesternovello.com It can be purchased online from MusicRoom.com, or from music retailers.

"Walking In The Air" is also available in a concert piano-only version arranged by the composer direct from Highbridge Music as part of the collection of piano pieces called "Lifecycle", available form Amazon or from Highbridge Music; enquiries to anna@annamenzies.com

Video of the film DVD Universal 902 030 2 11, DVD Columbia Tristar Home Video from Amazon

Howard Blake describes 25 years of The Snowman animated film and 10 years of The Snowman Stage Show at Sadler's Wells Peacock Theatre in London's West End and plays "Walking in the Air". View the recording here.

The classic original Columbia album conducted by Howard Blake with treble soloist Peter Auty and narration by Bernard Cribbins is available from Sony Music Entertainment CDX71116CD, Amazon and retailers.

The 2010 DVD film of The Snowman Live Stage Show narrated by Joanna Lumley is available from Sony Music Entertainment, CDR 81267; also from Amazon and retailers.

Notes

The film was drawn and directed by Diane Jackson, produced by John Coates, based on the wordless picture book by Raymond Briggs published 1975

Queries for sheet music should be made to Chester Music/Music Sales Ltd, 14-16 Berners Street, London W1T 3LJ tel: 0044 207 612 7400    e-mail: trade.enquiries@musicsales.co.uk

 Queries in regard to grand rights, publicity material,film rights for the original cartoon film and projection rights for use with live orchestra,merchandising,books etc are available from: anna@annamenzies.com 

+Queries in regard to The Stage Show, as performed at Birmingham Rep and The Peacock Theatre in association with Sadler’s Wells (1993-2005), should be addressed to:

Stuart Rogers,
Birmingham Rep,
Broad Street,
Birmingham B12EP.
stuart.rogers@birmingham-rep.co.uk,
tel: 0121 245 2000,
fax: 1021 245 2100.

+ Any other queries falling outside these categories in regard to ‘The Snowman’ should be made to anna@annamenzies.com or howardblake.obe@virgin.net

Lyrics

Lyric of 'Walking in the Air' by Howard Blake 1982

We're walking in the air,
We're floating in the moonlit sky,
The people far below are sleeping as we fly.

I'm holding very tight,
I'm riding in the midnight blue,
I'm finding I can fly so high above with you.

On across the world
The villages go by like dreams,
The rivers and the hills,
The forests and the streams.

Children gaze open mouthed,
Taken by surprise,
Nobody down below believes their eyes.

We're surfing in the air,
We're swimming in the frozen sky,
We're drifting over icy
Mountains floating by.

Suddenly swooping low on an ocean deep,
Rousing up a mighty monster from his sleep,

We're walking in the air,
We're floating in the midnight sky
And everyone who sees us greets us as we fly

Performances

25th December 2011 - 26th December 2011

Boxing Day 8.00am Ch.4 TV: A showing of the original animated film of The Bear