SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS

Music by Eleanor Alberga

Text adapted by Donald Sturrock

For narrator/s and symphony orchestra

40 minutes

Published by Peters Edition

"...exciting and magical score whose rich, colourful and atmospheric mixture of symphonic and Caribbean music captured the imagination of all the children in the audience.”

The Independent

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was premiered in London in 1994. It is adapted from Roald Dahl’s subversive version of the well-known fairy tale from his collection of comic verse, Revolting Rhymes. It was performed by the London Philharmonic in a semi-staged version conducted by Franz Welser-Möst, and a cast including Griff Rhys Jones and Geraldine James. It has been revived in concert versions several times since then. The music, by the remarkable Jamaican composer, Eleanor Alberga, is full of drama and magic.

In May 2021, Snow White received its U.S. premiere with the Florida Orchestra conducted by Daniel Black, to enthusiastic audiences.

“Danny DeVito's narration is charming, endearingly warm and welcoming without condescending to its target audience of young listeners. Joanna Lumley and Griff Rhys Jones voice the character parts with brio...Peter Ash conducts a vigorous performance which is fully alive to the score's angularity and bold colourings...I can imagine this CD being thoroughly relished by young families listening together, and it was certainly worth releasing.”

BBC Music Magazine, March 2012 ****

ORCHESTRATIONS

1-4 Narrator/s. 2 (2nd picc) . 2. 3 (3rd bass) . 1 contra/ 4. 2. 3. 1./ timp. perc (4) ./ pno. harp./ strings.

A chamber version for 22 players is also available.

TRANSLATIONS

German and Norwegian

RECORDINGS

Taliesin Orch / Ash - Released by Orchid - Nov 2011

Joanna Lumley, Danny DeVito, Griff Rhys Jones

BIT 20 Ensemble / Bergby

TEACHER'S PACK & EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT

A and C Black Schools Musical version

For more about Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes:

http://www.roalddahl.com/roald-dahl/stories/1980s/revolting-rhymes

PERFORMANCES

WORLD PREMIERE

London Philharmonic Orchestra/Welser-Möst

Royal Festival Hall, 1994

U.S. PREMIERE

Florida Orchestra/Daniel Black

Tampa Bay, Florida, May 2021

In 2019, the LSSO presented a fully-choreographed concert performance at the Barbican Centre in collaboration with Elmhurst, Birmingham Royal Ballet's training school. The production was narrated by Simon Callow, conducted by Peter Ash and choreographed by Mark Baldwin.

Performances have taken place in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, London, Bergen and Luxembourg.

BUY CD

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - London Schools' Symphony Orchestra 2019

Promo Video