THE SNOWMAN CONCERT VERSION for narrator (or film), boy soprano and orchestra op.323 (October 1983)

Published by: Chester CH77176 www.chesternovello.com
Commissioned by: CBS Masterworks
Instrumentation: narrator, treble, 2flutes(=piccs),1 Oboe (=CA),2.Clarinets (2nd=B/cl),1 bassoon; 2 Horns,1 Trumpet,0.0. 2 perc. pno, celeste(or pno/cel), harp, strings
[Key to Abbreviations]
Note on Lyrics: Narration by Howard Blake by permission of Raymond Briggs; Lyrics of 'Walking in the air' by Howard Blake
Duration: 26 mins
First Performance: Commentary recorded by Bernard Cribbins Summer 1983

The first concert performance was given in December 1983 at The Barbican Concert Hall, London, with Bernard Cribbins as narrator, Peter Auty as treble soloist and The Sinfonia of London conducted by Howard Blake
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Enquiries for all sheet music, score and orchestral parts, media and grand rights licensing to Chester Music CH77176 www.chesternovello.com

This concert version may be performed either with narrator or with projection of the original animated film, available from www.thesnowman.co.uk or anna@annamenzies.com

The Snowman Piano Score is published by Chester CH7 6879

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

CD Sony BMG (Columbia) CDX 71116 (complete CD of The Snowman, first with narration by Bernard Cribbins second without narration).

Available from from Amazon and other retailers. 

The 1985 Aled Jones cover version of "Walking In The Air" is available from EMI. 

Many other cover versions available - see The Snowman site 

1.'THE SNOWMAN' (1983), THE COMPLETE MUSIC SOUNDTRACK OF THE ANIMATED FILM WITH ADDED NARRATION SPOKEN BY BERNARD CRIBBINS, 'WALKING ON THE AIR' SUNG BY TREBLE, PETER AUTY, WITH THE SINFONIA OF LONDON CONDUCTED BY THE COMPOSER, HOWARD BLAKE ON COLUMBIA CDX 71116, 'SIDE A' WITH NARRATOR, 'SIDE B' MUSIC ONLY.  AVAILABLE FROM SONY CLASSICS AND AMAZON

2. 'THE SNOWMAN' (2008) WORDS AND MUSIC BY HOWARD BLAKE; PRODUCED BY HOWARD BLAKE, NARRATED BY JAMES NESBITT, TREBLE, PETER AUTY, THE SINFONIA OF LONDON CONDUCTED BY THE COMPOSER, SONY/BMG 86972 02502COLUMBIA, 'SIDE A' WITH NARRATOR, 'SIDE B' MUSIC ONLY.  AVAILABLE ON SONY CLASSICS AND 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.

Movements

• 01/01: THE SNOWMAN STORY - Waking In A World Of Snow 1 minutes 56 seconds
  
• 01/02: Footprints In The Snow 44 seconds
  
• 01/03: Building The Snowman 56 seconds
  
• 01/04: Bedtime 1 minutes 05 seconds
  
• 01/05: The Snowman Comes To Life 3 minutes 19 seconds
  
• 01/06: Calypso 1 minutes 17 seconds
  
• 01/07: The Music Box Dance 1 minutes 31 seconds
  
• 01/08: Motorbike Galop 3 minutes 17 seconds
  
• 02: Walking In The Air 3 minutes 30 seconds
  
• 03/01: Dance Of The Snowmen 2 minutes 33 seconds
  
• 03/02: Flying Home 1 minutes 37 seconds
  
• 03/03: The Next Day 1 minutes 48 seconds
  
• 04/01: THE SNOWMAN SOUNDTRACK - Waking In A World Of Snow 1 minutes 56 seconds
  
• 04/02: Footprints In The Snow 44 seconds
  
• 04/03: Building The Snowman
  
• 04/04: Bedtime 1 minutes 05 seconds
  
• 04/05: The Snowman Comes To Life 3 minutes 19 seconds
  
• 04/06: Calypso 1 minutes 17 seconds
  
• 04/07: The Music Box Dance 1 minutes 31 seconds
  
• 04/08: Motorbike Galop 3 minutes 17 seconds
  
• 05: Walking In The Air 3 minutes 30 seconds
  
• 06.01: Dance Of The Snowmen 2 minutes 33 seconds
  
• 06/02: Flying Home 1 minutes 37 seconds
  
• 06/03: The Next Day 1 minutes 48 seconds
  

Notes

It may be performed either with narrator or with projection of the original animated film, available from www.thesnowman.co.uk

Lyrics

Lyrics of 'Walking in the Air' by Howard Blake

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

10th December 2011	The City of Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra will be giving 3 all-Howard Blake concerts before Christmas conducted by Colin Touchin with narrators Jacqueline Gourley and Henry Coombs. Programme will be The Snowman and The Bear, both with projected film 2.30 and 5.00 on 10.12.11 at Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall 2.30 on 11.12.11 at Tsuen Wan Town Hall Auditorium
1st June 2008	Macao Orchestra, Yan Chan, Macao International Festival, Macao S.A.R. The concert also features a performance of THE BEAR for girl sopano, tenor, bass, narrator and orchestra
1st June 2008	01/06/08 Snowman, The Macao Orchestra/Francis Kan, Macao Cultural Centre (Grand Auditorium) / Macao Macau International Festival (with film)
December 2007	Norwich Pops Orchestra, Geoff Davidson (with film), Norwich Playhouse, Norfolk, UK
26th December 2007	Mecklenburgisches Staats-theater, Martin Schelhaas, Mecklenburgisches Staats-theater Schwerin, Germany
26th December 2007	The Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra/Piecaitis, Vilnius Congress Concert Hall Lithuania
23rd December 2007 - 24th December 2007	Northern Sinfonia, Alan Fearon, The Sage, Gateshead (with film)
22nd December 2007	Royal Scottish Natonal Orchestra, Christopher Bell, Royal Concert Hall Glasgow (with film)
22nd December 2007	Walking in the Air, Royal Liverpool PO/Ian McMillan, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool UK
21st December 2007	BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/Peter Cynfryn Jones BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/Peter Cynfryn Jones, Music Hall, Aberdeen UK
20th December 2007	BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/Peter Cynfryn Jones, Town Hall, Ayr UK
20th December 2007	Nordeutscherundfunk, Hannover, Howard Griffiths, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Hannover, Germany
19th December 2007	RSNO, Music Hall Aberdeen
18th December 2007	RSNO Christopher Bell, Caird Hall Dundee
18th December 2007	Thüringen Philharmonie Gothe-Suhl/Hermann Breuer, Suhl und Gothe Germany
17th December 2007	Orchestra of St John's/John Lubbock, Cadogan Hall, London (with film) UK
16th December 2007	Northern Chamber Orchestra, Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire (x 2) UK
16th December 2007	Walking in the Air, Huntington SO/Kimo Furumoto, Joan C Edwards Performing Arts Center, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA
16th December 2007	Walking in the Air Gloucestershire Youth Orchestra/Glyn Oxley, Town Hall, Cheltenham UK
15th December 2007	The Cantori Vocal Ensemble/Michael Crombie, United Free Church, Woodford Green UK
15th December 2007	Worcester Symphony Orchestra//Adrian Lucas, Worcester Cathedral UK
15th December 2007	Northampton County Youth 'Oldies' Orchestra/Paul Truman, Northampton High School UK
15th December 2007	15/12/2007 Walking in the Air,Huntington SO/Kimo Furumoto, Joan C Edwards Performing Arts Center, Marshall University, USA
14th December 2007	London Mozart Players, Walking in the Air, Croydon Parish Church
8th December 2007	Ulster orchestra, Christopher Bell, Waterfront Hall, Belfast (2 perf with film)
8th December 2007	cond. Markus L Frank, Anhaltisches Theater, Dessau (3 perfs) Germany
8th December 2007	Northampton Concert Orchestra/David Chambers, United Reformed Church, Northampton UK
6th December 2007	Thüringen Philharmonie Gothe-Suhl/Hermann Breuer, Suhl und Gothe Germany
1st December 2007	National YO of Ireland, Gearoid Grant, The Helix, Dublin
25th November 2007	Bath Philharmonia, Jason Thornton, Howard Blake (pre-concert talk), Theatre Royal Bath (2 perfs)
11th November 2007	Funharmonics, Chris Jarvis/David Angus, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Festival Hall
1st August 2007	Taipei Chinese Orchestra conducted by En Shao, Taipei, Taiwan (tbc)
7th January 2007	Bernard Cribbins (narrator),Benedict Williams,(treble from King's College Cambridge, director Stephen Cleobury), Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by the composer, Corn Exchange,Cambridge
5th January 2007	Orchestra of the National Concert Hall,David Brophy, Craig Doyle (with film x2), National Concert Hall,Dublin, Eire
4th January 2007	Orquesta Sinfonica de Navarra, Carl Davis, Auditorio Baluarte, Pamplona, Spain (with film)
2nd January 2007	Northern Sinfonia, Alan Fearon (with film), The Sage, Gateshead
28th December 2006 - 29th December 2006	Northern Sinfonia conducted by Alan Fearon, with film, Middlesborough Town Hall The Sage, Gateshead
23rd December 2006	Toronto Symphony Orchestra, with film, Toronto, Canada
23rd December 2006	Orchestra of St John's Smith Square, conducted by Johm Lubbock, Cadogan Hall,London (with film) To include 'Cradle Song' for boy & girl trebles and 'The Bear' with projected film and soloists (tbc)
23rd December 2006	RSNO, Christopher Bell (with film), Usher Hall, Edinburgh
23rd December 2006	Orchestra Sinfonica Verdi, Fabrizio Dorsi, Milan, Italy
23rd December 2006	Hutton & Shenfield Choral Society, Aurelian SO, Tim Hooper, Brentwood Centre, UK
21st December 2006	RSNO Christopher Bell (with film), Caird Hall, Dundee
20th December 2006	Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Junior Chorus, Christopher Bell, Music hall, Aberdeen
17th December 2006	Royal Scottish National Orchestra, conducted by Christopher Bell, with film, Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Scotland
17th December 2006 - 18th December 2006	Orchestra of the National Concert Hall, David Brophy, Craig Doyle, National Concert hall, Dublin
16th December 2006	Folkestone orchestra, Saga Pavilion, Folkestone
14th December 2006	Latymer Students, Latymer School, London
14th December 2006	Student orchestra, Geoff Lavery, Bedford Modern School
13th December 2006	Dacorum Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Loten, Berkhampstead Collegiate School
12th December 2006	BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Grant Llewellyn, St David's Hall, Cardiff
11th December 2006 - 12th December 2006	Ayrshire Symphony Orchestra, St Margaret's Church Ayr
10th December 2006	City of Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Richard Honnor, with film ( 2 performances), Hong Kong City Concert Hall, China Also featuring a performance of 'The Bear'
10th December 2006	Gloucestershire Youth Orchestra, Cheltenham Town Hall
9th December 2006	Ulster Orchestra conducted by Christopher Bell, with film (2x), Waterfront Hall, Belfast. Northern Ireland
8th December 2006 - 9th December 2006	National Chiang Kai Shek Symphony Orchestra, with film. Carl Davis, National Chiang Kai Shek Auditorium, Taipei, Taiwan
5th December 2006	Caerphilly Music & Arts services (x2), Cardiff
3rd December 2006	Gottingen SO, Christoph Muller, Gottingen, Germany
1st December 2006 - 3rd December 2006	Landesjugendorkester Bremen (Leer), Bremen Germany
25th November 2006	Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, 'Symphony for Kids', Edmonton, Canada (with film projection)
19th November 2006	Duna Szimfonikus Zenekar, Duna palata, Budapest, Hungary
6th May 2006	London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by David Parry, solo treble Sam Oliver, Abbey Road Studios (in a recording for the LPO's own record label)
25th February 1996	Cambridge Philharmonic Society, Matthew Rowe, Corn Exchange Cambridge Walking in the air

Reviews

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The Snowman 1982

Jeff Sullivan, Christmas Movie Night - Mansfield Patch, 25/12/2011

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Review: The RSNO Christmas Concert, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Usher Hall, The Snowman

Sandy Scott, Edinburgh Evening News, 19/12/2011

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Holly Kyte, First Post, 19/12/2007

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THE SNOWMAN

HOWARD BLAKE

Rating:

Original Review: An undisputed animated classic, The Snowman is a magical adaptation of Raymond Briggs' well-loved storybook, telling the tale of a young boy who builds a snowman one Christmas Eve, which comes to life that night and takes the boy on an unforgettable trip to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus. It's a simple story of childhood wish fulfilment, told with loving attention to detail and superbly stylised renderings, and since its initial release in 1982, the film has gone on to be heralded as one of the best animated short films ever made. Every year over the Christmas period, in the UK at least, the TV station Channel 4 screens the film, allowing families both young and old to enjoy this wonderful piece of seasonal tradition time and again.

As the story of The Snowman unfolds completely without dialogue, Howard Blake's masterful score takes on increased significance. In recent years, Blake has virtually disappeared from the film scoring scene, despite a healthy career during the 1960s and 70s when he wrote excellent music for films such as The Duellists and Riddle of the Sands, and had his scheduled slot to score the film Alien taken by some bloke called Jerry Goldsmith... But if Blake never writes another note of film music in his life, his reputation in the genre's history will undoubtedly be secured by his contribution to this film, especially the legendary song "Walking In The Air".

Written to accompany the scene in which the Snowman and the boy take flight and make their epic journey northwards to see Father Christmas, Blake employed the talents of St. Paul's Cathedral choirboy Peter Auty to lend voice to his exquisite melody and his poetic words. With opening chords that allude to John Williams E.T., a spine-tingling chorus and an instrumental bridge to die for, "Walking In The Air" went on to attain world-wide fame when it was subsequently released as a single by the famous boy soprano Aled Jones in 1985. The remainder of Blake's score is presented in two suites, running at 15 and 6 minutes respectively, either side of the song.

Although necessarily a touch cartoonish in nature, Blake convincingly and cleverly manages to convey the good humour and emotion and magic in the story with a series of wonderful interconnected cues, all of which are performed with life and spirit by the Sinfonia of London. Among the highlights include the mock Caribbean-rhythms for when the Snowman is "sunbathing" in front of the fridge, the lovely music-box theme for the Snowman's dance around the boy's bedroom, the wonderful woodwind and xylophone scherzo for the pair's chaotic motorbike ride round the garden, the magnificently vibrant source music for the Dance of the Snowmen, and the bittersweet rendition of the Walking In The Air theme as the pair reluctantly fly home.

Columbia's album, which is apparently extremely difficult to find outside the British Isles, is one of the most intelligently structured I have ever encountered. As the entire score only runs for just under 26 minutes, the music is presented twice - firstly with narration by character actor Bernard Cribbins reading extracts from the book, and secondly as an unbroken suite of narration-free music. Whoever took the decision to release the CD in this format should be unreservedly congratulated for their vision: not only does the two-half technique mean that you get a 50-minute CD, but you also get a choice of how to experience it. For those unfamiliar with the film, Cribbins' voice provides a welcome connection between the music and the on-screen action, while for those who wish to experience Blake's delicate touch and detailed orchestrations can simply skip forward to track 4 and indulge themselves.

Many people the world over have taken the film of The Snowman to their hearts, and a similar number have embraced Blake's score with equal enthusiasm. Even disregarding the near-legendary song, Howard Blake's lively music for this animated masterpiece will surely stand the test of time and go on to be part of Britain's Christmas traditions for many years to come. Though Blake has written classical pieces, other film scores, music for a number of theatre productions, and even a second Briggs animation (The Bear), the majority of people still consider this composition to be the seminal work of his career.

Track Listing:

• The Story of the Snowman (15:30)
• Walking In The Air (written by Howard Blake, performed by Peter Auty) (3:30)
• The Story of the Snowman continued (6:40)
• The Snowman Soundtrack (15:30)
• Walking In The Air (written by Howard Blake, performed by Peter Auty) (3:30)
• The Snowman Soundtrack continued (6:40)

Running Time: 50 minutes 20 seconds

Columbia CDX-71116 (1986)

Music composed and conducted by Howard Blake. Performed by The Sinfonia of London. Orchestrations by Howard Blake. Narration by Bernard Cribbins. Recorded and mixed by John Richards. Album produced by Howard Blake.

Cinemusic Online
Filmtracks
Movie Wave
Score!
Scorelogue

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Movie Music U.K is designed and maintained by Jonathan Broxton (c) 2000. All opinions and views expressed on these pages are my own and are in no way intended to reflect those the University of Sheffield. All photos and album artwork used on Movie Music U.K. are only for the non-profit making promotional purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.

Jonathan Broxton, Movie Music UK, 1/1/2000

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