Stroud News and Journal:

STROUD Choral Society is to give the world premiere of a new work by renowned American composer Peter Ash based on a Roald Dahl book.

Affectionately entitled Pelicantata, the new piece sets Dahl’s The Giraffe and the Pelle and Me to music and has been created with support from the Roald Dahl Estate.

It will be performed at Bath Abbey on Saturday, March 4 at 7.30pm.

Stroud Choral Society is one of the oldest choral societies in Britain, established in 1843.

They have a longstanding tradition of musical excellence but Pelicantata will be its first commission for orchestra, adult and children’s voices.

Society chairman Brough Girling said: “Choral societies like ours depend on signing works by long-dead composers.

“We wanted to put something back into the choral repertoire and so decided to commission an exciting new piece.

“We approached the Roald Dahl Estate who promptly suggested his classic book, The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me.”

Known for The Golden Ticket - a highly successful opera based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Peter Ash seemed the ideal candidate to compose such a new work.

Felicity Dahl invited Roald’s official biographer Donald Sturrock to create a libretto. The resulting piece is a beautiful work for orchestra, adult and children’s voices.

The performance will see the 140-strong Stroud Choral Society give The Pelicantata its world premiere in the splendid surroundings of Bath Abbey.

The children’s voices will be provided by the Minpins, Stroud Choral Society’s Children’s Choir which was created with the support of the Roald Dahl Estate (and named after another of Dahl’s books, where the Minpins are a ‘city of little people’).

Wielding the baton will be Huw Williams, Director of Music at Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace as well as Stroud Choral Society, and one of the creative forces behind the project.

Mr Girling added: “Roald Dahl often spoke of his concerns that children had limited access to good classical music.

“We hope that our commission will help to correct this and continue to inspire children to enjoy Roald’s wonderful stories.”

  • PELICANTATA’s world premiere will take place at Bath Abbey on Sautrday, March 4 at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from www.stroudchoral.org