THE BEAR for narrator (or film), girl soprano, tenor, baritone and orchestra op.510 (April 1999)

Notes

THE ANIMATED FILM

The animated film of 'The Bear' was made in 1997/8 by the same team that made ‘The Snowman’ , based again on a story by Raymond Briggs and first shown on Channel 4 TV on Christmas Eve 1998. It is a companion-piece to ‘The Snowman’ except that the hero is a small girl – sung here and on the film by Charlotte Church. The adaptation and storyboard development of the film were made by director Hilary Audus and art-director Joanne Harrison, the producer was John Coates.

THE STORY AS TOLD IN THE FILM

'A young girl, Tilly, visits the zoo with her mum and dad, but accidentally drops her best-loved toy into the polar bear's pit. That night, Tilly cries herself to sleep, only to wake and find a huge polar bear standing over her- he's come to return her precious teddy.

So begins a magical friendship with some bear-size complications, the biggest problem being how to keep such an enormous pet hidden from her parents. Everything changes when The Bear hears a call of the wild from the spirit of The Star-Bear who descends from the constellation in the sky to embark on an extraordinary night adventure across the City of London.

The Bear is represented by a tenor and the Star-Bear by a bass-baritone but all three singers join in the song ‘Somewhere a star shines for everyone’, sung as they skate down the frozen Thames.

NEW SONY ALBUM 2009

Howard Blake's narration was mixed to the original film soundtrackat Golddust Studios, Bromley (2003) in a recording produced by Kasper Cornish from which this Sony release has been re-mastered (October 2009)

 

Lyrics

THE BEARS' SONG
See how the great bear gleams
So far, far away up high,
You can see how the starry beams
Make a trail in the wintry sky.
It guides you home,
It shows you the way,
It leads you back to those whom you love,
where your heart belongs.
Just take one step and it will start you upon the journey homeward,
Clothed in a silver cloud
And following stride by stride,
Oh - swath'd in a a robe of stars, and travelling side by side,
The Star-Bear will lead you safely home.

TILLY'S SONG
Somewhere a star shines for everyone,
Somewhere one's shining for me.
No matter how rich or poor you are,
If you are born with a rising star
Somewhere a star shines for everyone,
No matter who you may be.
High or low, great or small
we can be happy,
Somewhere a star shines for me.

Performances

1st December 2009 - 2nd December 2009	Cologne Radio Orchestra, conducted by Tobias van de Locht,
21st December 2008 - 22nd December 2008	Bath Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. by Jason Thornton, Colston Hall, Bristol; Town hall, Cheltenham
5th December 2008 - 6th December 2008	Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong., Concert including 'The Snowman' concert work. 3 perfs 5th Dec 7.30, 6th Dec 3.00 & 7.30
1st June 2008	The Macao Orchestra conducted by Francis Kan, Macao Cultural Centre. Grand Auditorium Children's Day Concert-My world of fairytales
2nd December 2007	Bath Philharmonia: Howard Blake double bill The Snowman and The Bear. 2.30pm, 7.30pm, CARDIFF: St David’s Hall (029 2087 8500) ,
25th November 2007	Bath Philharmonia conducted by Jason Thornton (2 performances, matinee and evening), Theatre Royal Bath Concert of 'The Snowman'and 'The Bear' with pre-concert talk by Howard Blake with Jason Thornton
17th December 2006	RTE Concert Orchestra, The Helix, Dublin tbc
10th December 2006	Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra conducted by Richard Honner, Hong Kong City Concert Hall With The Snowman and both with projected film
19th June 2005	City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, Anthony Inglis, Kowloon City Hall
13th December 2004 - 18th December 2004	Royal Scottish National Orchestra,David Rintoul, Christopher Bell, Usher Hall Edinburgh, Caird Hall Dundee, The Music Hall Aberdeen, Royal Concert Hall Glasgow Performed with both narration and projected DVD of the animated film
29th December 2003	Michael Fenton Stevens, London Concert Orchestra, Howard Blake (cond.), The Barbican Concert Hall, City of London
28th December 2003	Michael Fenton Stevens (narrator), London Concert Orchestra conducted by Howard Blake, Birmingham Symphony Hall

Related Works

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