London Symphony Orchestra & Lee Reynoldså - Wonderland: The Alice Sound (2023) [Hi-Res]

Delve into the captivating world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice books with brand-new music created by Scottish composer Paul Rissmann performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.

150 years after the publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, LSO Animateur Paul Rissmann began work on a project that would see the musicians of the London Symphony Orchestra collaborating with young, school-aged singers. Together, they bring to life the story of Alice in a truly enchanting way.

Having set out to discover how Victorian composers represented Carroll’s iconic characters, Rissmann began working with Professor Kiera Vaclavik from Queen Mary University of London. During their research they uncovered a host of sheet music that presented Alice as a quiet, saccharine character—a far cry from the feisty heroine in Carroll’s book.

Wonderland: The Alice Sound
There were, however, a few exceptions to this, including a short piano piece by Arthur Cleveland. Taking just eight bars of music from this early surviving manuscript, Rissmann began work on a new piece—one that would portray Alice as a determined young soul, as someone inspiring and contemporary.

At the culmination of the project, over 1,000 school children came to the Barbican Concert Hall to sing Lewis Carroll’s words accompanied by the full force of the LSO, and supported by four soloists. This recording, captured at LSO St Luke’s, forms part of the LSO’s new range of new learning resources, which give children, parents and teachers the opportunity to take part from home.

Kathryn McDowell, Managing Director of the LSO, said: “I am delighted that this special project has come to fruition, giving users unique access to a multidisciplinary creative process brought together by a peerless team of musicians, singers and creative artists, all leaders in their fields of music, literature, composition and animation.”