Aled Jones sings ‘Walking in the Air’ in falsetto... 40 years on!

2 January 2025, 16:39

Aled Jones - "We're walking in the air!"

Watch the moment Aled Jones sang the tune that made him famous, 40 years on.

Aled Jones became a household name in 1985, when his recording of ‘Walking in the Air’ reached number five in the UK pop chart.

Since then, he has gone on to have a highly distinguished career as a singer, actor and presenter, yet the fame he achieved as a child seems unshakable, with The Snowman cemented in the public’s psyche as a Christmas classic.

Created by the late illustrator and novelist Raymond Briggs and first published in 1978, this festive tale originally started out as a wordless picture book. Its delightful sketches tell the story of James, a young boy so excited by the snow that he runs outside to build a snowman – but little does he know, his chilly friend will come to life at midnight.

It may come as a surprise to many that it was not Aled Jones who sang on the original recording of the 1982 film. It was performed by St Paul’s Cathedral choirboy Peter Auty, who has since gone on to have a successful career as an operatic tenor.

Read more: Did Aled Jones sing ‘Walking in the Air’, and who wrote the music?

For the young Aled Jones, a Toys ‘R’ Us advertising campaign proved to be his big break, and it was this recording that propelled 15-year-old Aled into stardom.

Aled frequently makes references to his breakthrough recording, and has been known to sing a section in falsetto on his tours, much to the delight of audience members.

This delightful moment took place at Classic FM’s Carols by Candlelight with Viking, which Aled hosted back in December 2023. It featured the sublime Choir of St Bartholomew the Great under conductor Rupert Gough.

Aled Jones sings moving ‘Pie Jesu’ duet with his 13-year-old self

During the concert, Aled also performed the beautiful Austrian carol ‘Still, Still, Still’. Now, many years after his childhood stardom, he has a rich and full baritone voice and is in demand as a singer in venues across the country. He has released several albums, including the acclaimed One Voice series, which features music very close to his heart.

Audience members on social media have reacted with strong positivity to Aled’s joke – which has received over 15 million views on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook – with one viewer commenting ‘Self-awareness: 1000000’, and another remarking, ‘His voice is as rich today as always’.

We may be a bit biased, but we agree!