Editing The Snowman (section)

===Music===
The production team contacted [[Howard Blake]] early in the production, as they were having difficulties finding the right tone for adapting the wordless picture book. Blake suggested that the film should not feature dialogue, but instead a [[through-composed]] orchestral soundtrack. He recalls the song "[[Walking in the Air]]" was written some years earlier during a difficult period in his life, and the song formed the main theme for the work.<ref name=FinancialTimes>{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Helen |title=How Walking in the Air took The Snowman to great heights |url=https://ig.ft.com/life-of-a-song/walking-in-the-air.html |access-date=1 October 2023 |work=Financial TImes |date=21 September 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231001234027/https://ig.ft.com/life-of-a-song/walking-in-the-air.html |archive-date=1 October 2023 |language=en-gb}}</ref><ref name=blake>{{cite web|url=https://www.howardblake.com/music/Film-TV-Scores/975/THE-SNOWMAN-ANIMATED-CHILDREN-S-FILM.htm|title=The Snowman|website=Howard Blake website|access-date=22 November 2019}}</ref> In 2021, Blake told the ''[[Financial Times]]'' that he wanted to incorporate the lyrics with "a symphony that expressed the complete innocence and beauty that we are all born with." Blake further brought up his religion, stating "It felt as though the idea came from God."<ref name=FinancialTimes/>

Howard Blake's orchestral score was performed in the film by the [[Sinfonia of London]].<ref name=blake/> The song "Walking in the Air" is sung in the film by chorister [[Peter Auty]],<ref>Interviews with [[Peter Auty]], [[Aled Jones]], [[Raymond Briggs]] and [[John Coates (producer)|John Coates]] on the making of documentary titled "Snow Business" included on the 2002 20th Anniversary DVD</ref> who was not credited in the original version. He was given a credit on the 20th anniversary version.

In 1985, "Walking in the Air" was covered by chorister [[Aled Jones]] in a [[Single (music)|single]] which peaked at number five on the [[UK Singles Chart]]. Jones is sometimes mistakenly credited with having sung the song in the film.<ref name="BBCFilms">For example: {{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2000/12/04/the_snowman_1982_review.shtml|title=The Snowman (1982)|last=Barclay|first=Ali|date=4 December 2000|work=BBC – Films|publisher=BBC|access-date=2008-05-24}}</ref> Blake's soundtrack for ''The Snowman'' is often performed as a standalone concert work, often accompanying a projection of the film or sometimes with a narrator (the version for narrator was first performed by [[Bernard Cribbins]] in Summer 1983).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.howardblake.com/music/Orchestral/Orchestra-with-Projected-Film-or-narrator-/556/THE-SNOWMAN-CONCERT-VERSION-to-be-performed-with-optional-projected-film-or-narration-or-both-for-boy-soprano-and-orchestra.htm|title=The Snowman concert version|website=Howard Blake website|date=23 November 2019}}</ref>