MOVIE MUSIC UK

Original Review by Jonathan Broxton

We’re walking in the air…

The Snowman is a magical adaptation of Raymond Briggs’ well-loved 1978 storybook of the same name. Directed by Dianne Jackson, it tells the tale of a young boy named James who builds a snowman one Christmas Eve, which comes to life that night and takes James on an unforgettable trip to the North Pole to meet Father Christmas. It’s a simple story of childhood wish fulfillment, told with loving attention to detail and superbly stylized renderings, but also with a sense of bittersweet poignancy and emotion that often underpins Briggs’s work. In the years 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 the British TV network Channel 4 screens the film, allowing families both young and old to enjoy this wonderful piece of seasonal tradition time and again. It is now considered undisputed animated classic, and a touchstone of British Christmas culture.

The score for The Snowman is by composer Howard Blake. In recent years Blake has virtually disappeared from the film scoring scene, but he enjoyed a healthy film and TV scoring career in the UK, especially during the 1960s and 70s, when he wrote excellent music for films such as An Elephant Called Slowly (1969), The Duellists (1977), The Riddle of the Sands (1979), and the 1980 Flash Gordon film which he co-wrote with the rock band Queen. Blake had also apparently been in contention to score the Alien in 1979, him having worked with director Ridley Scott on The Duellists, but his spot taken by some bloke called Jerry Goldsmith… I wonder whatever happened him? However, even taking all that into consideration, 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, which is by far his most well-known and well-loved work.

The cornerstone of The Snowman is the original song “Walking In The Air,” which in context accompanies the scene in which the Snowman and James take flight and make their epic journey northwards to see Father Christmas. Blake employed the talents of the then 13-year-old St. Paul’s Cathedral choirboy Peter Auty to lend voice to his exquisite melody and his poetic words, and the end result is just sublime. With opening chords that have always reminded me of John Williams’s score for E.T. (another score which features flying), and with a spine-tingling chorus and an instrumental bridge to die for, “Walking In The Air” went on to attain significant fame when it was subsequently released as a single by boy soprano Aled Jones. That recording reached number five in the UK Singles Chart in December 1985, and Jones went on to become a popular TV presenter celebrity on the strength of his performance. I have always loved the song immensely; it perfectly blends the wonder and magic of Christmas with a slight sense of wistfulness and melancholy that is hard to describe, but is deeply felt.

The remainder of Blake’s score is presented in two suites, running at 15 and 6 minutes respectively, either side of the song. As the story of The Snowman unfolds completely without dialogue, Blake’s masterful score takes on increased significance. Although necessarily a touch cartoonish in nature at time, Blake convincingly and cleverly manages to convey the good humor 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 UK, 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, and it’s very easy to see why.

Buy the Snowman soundtrack from the Movie Music UK Store

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. The Story of the Snowman narration by Bernard Cribbins. Recorded and mixed by John Richards. Album produced by Howard Blake.