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| Howard Blake | |
|---|---|
| Name | Howard Blake |
| Birth date | 12 February 1938 |
| Birth place | London, England |
| Occupation | Composer, conductor, pianist |
| Years active | 1950s–present |
Howard Blake (born 12 February 1938) is an English composer, pianist, conductor and orchestrator known for film scores, concert works, choral music and recordings, best known for the soundtrack to the film The Snowman, his song "Walking in the Air", and large-scale orchestral and choral pieces. He has written for film directors, orchestras, broadcasters and theatres, collaborating with performers and institutions across the United Kingdom and internationally.
Blake was born in London, England, the son of a music-loving family; he studied piano and composition during childhood before winning a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music where he studied under Cornelius Cardew-era teachers and received formal training in composition and piano. He later studied conducting and composition with figures associated with the BBC and the Royal College of Music, developing contacts with ensembles such as the London Symphony Orchestra and soloists active in the West End and classical recording industry.
Blake began his professional career as a pianist, accompanist and arranger for performers appearing on programmes produced by the BBC and touring with vocalists and instrumentalists across the United Kingdom and Europe. He moved into composition for film and television, working with directors and production companies including Warner Bros., Miramax, and the Rank Organisation, and providing scores for feature films, television dramas and documentaries. He collaborated with conductors and orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra for recordings and premieres, and his music was performed at venues including Royal Albert Hall, Southbank Centre and the Royal Festival Hall. Blake also wrote for ballet companies and theatre productions in the West End and collaborated with choral directors linked to institutions like St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. He published works through major music publishers and had commissions from broadcasting institutions such as the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and international broadcasters in Germany, France and Japan.
Blake's best-known film score is for the animated film The Snowman directed by Dianne Jackson, featuring the song "Walking in the Air", recorded by performers from the London Festival Ballet and later covered by popular artists and choirs worldwide. His concert catalogue includes the oratorio Veris Gratia performed by choirs at St Martin-in-the-Fields and the Royal Choral Society, the cello concerto premiered by soloists with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, and the piano concerto performed by soloists in venues associated with the Royal Festival Hall and the Wigmore Hall. He composed film scores for productions such as The Duellists (associated with director Ridley Scott), collaborations with directors in British cinema and television adaptations of classic literature produced by the BBC Television drama department. Blake's output covers choral anthems for cathedral choirs at Ely Cathedral and York Minster, chamber music premiered at festivals such as the Cheltenham Festival and the Edinburgh Festival, and film orchestrations recorded by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Blake's compositional style blends lyrical melody, Romantic orchestration and modern harmonic colour, drawing influence from composers and performers associated with Benjamin Britten, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst and the late Romantic tradition as represented in British orchestral life. He has acknowledged the influence of film composers linked to Hollywood studios such as Max Steiner and European symphonic writers tied to the Berlin Philharmonic tradition, as well as choral practices from institutions like King's College, Cambridge, and contemporary composers whose works were performed at festivals like Aldeburgh Festival and venues including Royal Albert Hall.
Blake received recognition from British and international organisations for his contributions to film music and concert repertoire, with awards and nominations from bodies associated with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and honours from choral and broadcasting institutions. He was commissioned and awarded prizes in composition competitions sponsored by the Royal Philharmonic Society and received lifetime achievement acknowledgements in ceremonies involving the BBC and performing ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra and choral societies linked to Westminster Abbey.
Blake has lived and worked in London and the English countryside, maintaining a career that spans collaboration with singers, instrumentalists, conductors and directors across the United Kingdom and internationally. His music remains part of seasonal broadcasts on networks such as the BBC and in concert programming by orchestras and choirs including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and cathedral choirs at institutions like St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. He has influenced later film composers and choral writers through recordings released on labels associated with the Decca Records and EMI catalogues, and his works continue to be performed at festivals such as the Edinburgh Festival and venues including the Royal Albert Hall.
Category:English composers Category:Film score composers