VIDEO
With music / performances by Leigh Haggerwood
MY FAVOURITE TIME OF YEAR
It had always been an ambition of mine to write a traditional-style Christmas song. As a child in the early 80's, they were the soundtrack to the season and the festive charts were a cause for great excitement. As the song developed, circumstances prevailed which saw me form 'The Florin Street Band and sing the song myself. I booked The English Chamber Choir, a string section, and numerous session musicians which I recorded over a week at Trevor Horn's Sarm studios in west London in 2010. I then went all-out with an accompanying music video which was filmed at Blists Hill Victorian Town in Ironbridge, Shropshire. I was very lucky to have been able to work with some of the best in the industry, and the resulting song and video has had an incredible impact round the globe - gaining thousands of devoted fans, millions of YouTube hits and regular broadcasts on TV and radio. The song and video have won awards and the public response has inspired me to create an entire Florin Street musical which is in production now.
Director: Nick Bartleet - Pixeloft
Cinematographer: John Perez
Location: Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge.
Artist: The Florin Street Band
Label: Calmsound
Written, produced, performed, conceived and funded by Leigh Haggerwood
LIGHT OUR WAY
Software
Light Our Way is my most recent addition to The Florin Street Band's music video collection. As part of the Florin Street story, it forms part of my character's journey to find his love. I wrote the song as a kind of chant, and intended it to be simple and quite haunting. The video was shot in Devon, Somerset and Wales and it features myself and eminent female vocalist Bryony Purdue. I took great care in recording and mixing the song and I worked with talented cameramen, editors and colouring artists to achieve the look I had in mind. Light Our Way was released in December 2015 and has been warmly received by fans of The Florin Street Band.
Director: Jackson Kingsley / Leigh Haggerwood
Location: Exmoor and Dartmoor, Devon. The Wye Valley, Wales, and the City of Bath, Somerset.
Artist: The Florin Street Band
Label: Calmsound
Written, produced, performed, conceived and funded by Leigh Haggerwood
WINTER WONDER
The Winter Wonder is an event put on by the town's folk at the climax of the Florin Street story. Despite the fact that the musical is intended to be primarily an animation, I decided to keep making live-action music videos because they are so incredibly well received and appreciated. I wanted to write a song full of joy and merriment, and I actually wrote and recorded the song whilst we were already planning the video. I was delighted to have been able to work with an enthusiastic cast of dancers, actors and musicians, and collaborate on the music video with two production companies. We filmed the video at Englishcombe Tithe Barn just outside of Bath, Somerset. Both the song and video have won awards and have been regularly broadcast since their release in 2013.
Director: Jackson Kingsley
Producer: Jacqui Doherty
Cimeatograopher: Roger Harding
Location: Englishcome Tithe Barn, Bath, Somerset.
Artist: The Florin Street Band
Label: Calmsound
Written, produced, performed, conceived and funded by Leigh Haggerwood
SUNDIAL
I formed my first band, Scarlet Division at the age of 14 with my best friend - a then unknown Jamie Oliver. I wrote the songs and played keyboards in the band, and we spent much of our teen years rehearsing and gigging locally before eventually performing for major labels in London. The band were signed to Sony in 2000 and my song 'Sundial' was chosen as our debut single. The video was filmed in our home county of Essex, and directed by legendary director Tom Carty - known for the award-winning Guinness adverts among others.
Director: Tom Carty
Production Company: Gorgeous.
Artist: Scarlet Division
Label: Sony Music
Written by Leigh Haggerwood
FISH STEW
Jamie and I have a history of writing silly songs together, and after the success of the Lamb Curry Song, it has become a regular occurrence for his live shows over the years. Jamie usually has an idea of what he wants to sing about, and he isn't shy about getting on the microphone and giving it his all with his vocals. Fish Stew was originally written for his BBC Good Food Show appearances at the Birmingham NEC, but like the other songs, it has found its way into several of Jamie's shows and YouTube videos. They are a lot of fun to make!