The Snowman

The Snowman began as a wordless children’s picture book by Raymond Briggs published by Hamish Hamilton in 1978. In 1982 the animated film company TVC (Television Cartoons) developed the story, and in association with Channel 4 TV made a 26-minute cartoon, produced by John Coates and directed by Dianne Jackson. The film was also wordless but featured the song Walking in the Air which was sung by Peter Auty, a chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral, who has since become a celebrated operatic tenor. Howard Blake wrote both the music and lyrics of the song and also composed and conducted the complete orchestral score for the film with his own orchestra The Sinfonia of London. The Snowman was first shown on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve 1982 and was lauded an immediate success, nominated for an Academy Award and won prizes in France, Italy and The British Academy’s Best Children’s Film Award 1983. TVC and Hamish Hamilton created Snowman Enterprises for the promotion and exploitation of merchandising.

In 1983, Blake wrote a narration to accompany the recorded score and using his remixed film score track produced The Snowman record album for CBS Masterworks on vinyl and cassette with Bernard Cribbins as narrator. A live first performance of this narrated concert version was given at The Barbican in The City of London promoted by The Raymond Gubbay Organisation in December 1983. The first of countless live orchestral concerts both in UK and internationally. Faber Music published the score and parts for concert, both professional and for school orchestra along with various arrangements of the song, including various instrumental versions.

By 1988 the album had gone platinum and when CBS Masterworks merged with Columbia/Sony the rights transferred and the album was re-released on CD with a beautifully-produced illustrated Booklet. Columbia CDX 71116.

In 1985 the US toy firm Toys ‘r Us requested permission to adapt and record Walking in the Air for a prominent television advertising campaign in UK. By this time Peter Auty’s voice had broken and Blake discovered the 12-year old Aled Jones whom he had seen on a BBC documentary. He proposed that a single might be recorded in the same session and this version reached number 3 in the UK music charts for EMI, featuring on Top of the Pops and helping to raise the profile of The Snowman in all its versions.

Immediately after composing the ballet in summer 1993, Blake was approached by Bill Alexander, the artistic director of The Birmingham Repertory Theatre and invited to create a ninety-minute stage show featuring dance and mime. Howard Blake suggested that with Robert North’s permission they use his newly-written ballet score and create additional music and action to extend the show by a further 30 minutes. The stage show opened in December 1993 with choreography by Pat Garrett and costumes and sets by Ruari Murchison. Blake wrote the additional music and the show ran for 90 performances until the end of January 1994.

The Birmingham Rep stage show opened in Sadler’s Wells’ The Peacock Theatre, Kingsway, London for its first West End season in December 1998. In 2007 seasons were also mounted at The Edinburgh Festival Theatre and The Lowry, Salford. A complete DVD film of the stage show was produced at Birmingham Rep in 2010, featuring narration by Joanna Lumley and showcasing the cast and orchestra from London’s annual Peacock Theatre production.

The Snowman stage show has continued to run at Sadler’s Wells’ Peacock Theatre in London and at touring venues. It is celebrated as the ‘longest-running Christmas show in the West End’ and continues to enchant people of all ages every winter.