Howard Blake – Composer
Howard Blake OBE FRAM is one of the most popular and prolific English composers whose music has enchanted audiences worldwide both on the screen and in the concert hall.
His iconic score for the 1982 animated film The Snowman featuring the legendary Walking in the Air has become a defining work of British culture. Its concert arrangement receives international performances and the theatrical stage adaptation runs annually at Sadler’s Wells’ Peacock Theatre in London. Blake’s substantial catalogue of orchestral works, concertos, and choral compositions has been performed by the world’s leading ensembles including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and the English Chamber Orchestra.
From his early scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music to commissions celebrating Princess Diana and the United Nations, and feature film collaborations with Ridley Scott, Bernard Herrmann, Quincy Jones and Henry Mancini, Blake’s six-decade career has established him as one of Britain’s most performed and beloved composers. Highbridge Music Limited was established in 1983 to publish and distribute the comprehensive catalogue of Blake’s compositions.
The Snowman Stage Show
The Snowman stage show opened at Sadler’s Wells’ The Peacock Theatre, London for its first West End season in December 1998. Celebrated as the longest-running Christmas show in the West End, it has been staged annually at The Peacock Theatre and at touring venues ever since and continues to delight audiences of all ages.
Film & Television
Blake has composed scores for more than 80 feature films and 200 commercials across six decades. Celebrated compositions include Sir Ridley Scott’s The Duellists (1977) which won the Critics Award at the Cannes Film Festival, A Month in the Country (1987) which won the BFI Anthony Asquith Award for musical excellence, and his orchestral score for Flash Gordon (1980) which was jointly nominated for a BAFTA with Queen.
Highbridge Music
Highbridge Music Limited was established in 1983 to administer the publication and distribution of the comprehensive catalogue of Howard’s music and compositions. Selected works are available to buy as sheet music downloads.