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Watching The Snowman on TV is fast becoming a Christmas tradition for many people. This enchanting festive classic is as famous for its beautiful animated imagery as it is for the accompanying tune, Walking in the Air. The Snowman Based on Raymond Brigg's 1978 book, The Snowman, a 26-minute animated film of the same name was devised and shown on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve in 1982. It has been a repeat feature of Christmas TV schedules ever since. The Snowman tells the tale of a young boy who builds a snowman that comes to life. One night, the pair set off on an adventure in the sky to the North Pole, where they attend a party with other snowmen and Father Christmas. The wordless story is told through the use of animation, but when the boy and the snowman are flying through the air, the film is accompanied by the song, Walking in the Air. Walking in the Air English composer Howard Blake is credited with conceiving the beautiful and haunting song, Walking in the Air. Having already composed musical pieces for films and TV shows such as The Avengers, Howard, who was living in London at the time, found he suddenly experienced a mental block with his music writing. Close to a mental breakdown, Howard fled London. He found himself on a deserted Cornish beach, where he holed up in an empty hut. It was when he was walking on the beach that six notes popped into his head, which he transcribed onto paper. Over time, these notes kept returning to his mind, and it was only in 1982, when he met with film producer John Coates, that he eventually found a place for them. John was working on The Snowman film, and he needed a musical piece to accompany it. Those six notes turned into the score for the film, but it needed some lyrics. It was when Howard took a walk one day and stepped onto the pavement, 'like he was stepping into the air', that he got the idea for the song's name and lyrics. He called it Walking in the Air. The vocals Many people associate the song, Walking in the Air, with Welsh singer, Aled Jones. However, the original version on the film was actually sung by Peter Auty - a choirboy from St Paul's Cathedral. It was only when Toys R Us wanted to use the song for an advert in 1985 that Aled Jones was asked to sing it, as, by that time, Peter's voice had broken. Although initially Peter never received any credit, he was finally acknowledged on the 20th anniversary of the song. Aled Jones enjoyed success with his version of Walking in the Air - it reached number five in the UK charts. The song has since been covered many times, and in an array of different styles. In fact, on Howard's 70th birthday, his young son Robert, an aspiring musician, sang a version of the song at a concert. If you want to build snowmen this year, or embrace the outdoors this winter, make sure you're dressed for the occasion. At Griggs, you'll find a great range of top-quality brand names that will kit you and your family out from head to toe, whatever the weather.