Alan Cameron's Edublog Learning in the 3rd Millennium 

On a wet Saturday in October 2007, I sat with BAFTA winning film director Norman Stone at the piano in his house. In the space of 2 hours we rattled out 5 music hall songs (all Norman’s words) which feature throughout his drama documentary, ‘Florence Nightingale’. Lennon & McCartney didn’t work as fast as this! 5 songs knocked out in record time, recorded direct to MP3 and emailed across the Atlantic to be arranged for performance a week later with Roy Hudd in Liverpool. One of the songs is featured in the video clip above, around 4 minutes in. Great fun to spend time at the piano with Norman on a wet Saturday afternoon with the end result seeing the film winning an award in New York!

The 2010 New York International Film Festival. Award for Best Historical Short Film: Florence Nightingale.

Florence Nightingale – a full costume drama that tells the untold story of one of Britain’s greatest heroines, based on her own words.

Shown on BBC One on the 1st of June 2008, Florence Nightingale received 4.7 million viewers and a 22.9% audience share. Starring Laura Fraser, this film brings to life the story of Florence Nightingale’s spiritual and emotional breakdown after the Crimean War: a moment of crisis, doubt and failure that ultimately inspired her revolutionary career in medicine.

It also introduces the actor comedian Roy Hudd as the leader of a raucous Music Hall troupe, who dip in and out of the action with songs in the style of the times.

Norman in great form telling me about his school days!

Went round to Norman’s for lunch today after filming ‘Celtic Connections’ performances this morning in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. We also did a bit of birdwatching (large buzzard in the garden!). Had a bit of catch up, and discussed his latest film, KJB. Norman gave me a copy of the DVD which I’ve watched already – really enjoyed it, interesting, entertaining true story of how the King James Bible came into being, 400 years ago in 1611.

Norman agreed today to putting himself in front of the camera for a clip I hope to include in a teacher professional development film I’m making on ‘Transitions’. He recalled a few of his experiences as a young lad in school when moving school or changing teachers. A great storyteller –  very amusing!

Norman’s ‘Shadowlands’ for BBC1 in the 1980s gained him two Bafta awards, an International Emmy, and the Prague D’Or for Best Director. Other awards include a Bafta for the Omnibus special on the life of Dudley Moore, “After the Laughter”. He won a Golden Remi for his first feature film “Man Dancin'”, which he created and directed in his home town of Glasgow. Recently Norman’s BBC1 costume drama ”Florence Nightingale” won an award for Best Historical Short Film at the 2010 New York International Film Festival. I’m pleased to say I had the pleasure of contributing to this in a very small way, helping out with composition / arrangements of the music for the Music Hall link scenes. And I greatly enjoyed working with Norman on the production of an educational DVD, ‘A Musical Mystery Tour’ (2006).

His latest film, KJB, The Book That Changed the World, tells a very extraordinary true story.