A big idea

[Kenneth]

Ferryman - would you wish to re-engergise your project?

It's been my goal ever since I retired....


...how about Alice's Adventures in Wonderland? It's pretty loose in its structure so people could choose characters, scenes or sections of the book. It wouldn't need to follow too much of a formal structure.

I love this idea. You could pretty much go anywhere with this, the story possibilities are endless!

[Flash Harry]

It needs to be fanstastical. Then it does not need to be rooted in reality.


I propose The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien


Get the book, read it, marvel at it. chop a leg off, buy a watch, steal a bicycle, fall in love with it. Look out for men in serge suits.

[IanR]

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a great idea. I couldn't contribute to a musical though I'm afraid, musicals are not my thing at all (sorry bout that....).

Musicals are not my thing either but if you are the one writing it, then it doesn't have to be like the others.

[Hilary]

I like the idea of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland too but l'll get The Third Policeman's book and have a read!

[Hilary]

I'd like to do something a bit out there - has anyone heard Dean Friedman's score for I bought a vampire bicycle?

https://soundcloud.com/deanfriedman/she-runs-on-blood-instead-of-gasoline?in=deanfriedman/sets/dean-friedman-film-tv-game

Someone could start it off and then we could each take a turn with the plot and the music. I also think it would be good to have a mute main character so that there would be lots of opportunity for instrumentals (I'm thinking of the group here and not myself!).

If those that are interested don't want to write their own plot then I like the idea of A Shape of Water - the plot's a bit out there and really intersting, no-one's done it before and neither of the 2 main characters actually speak. I think it would play to many songcrafters strengths musically (not mine, obviously) in that you've got the musical chops to do something like this.

[bruno]

Well Alice in Wonderland could be done in 12 songs - without narration, something like ....

1. Alice and the White Rabbit
2. Hallway of doors/The Key
3. The choice (the garden and the note to drink me)
4. That shrinking feeling
5. The white rabbit
6. The advice/Caterpillar
7. The Pigeon & the woods
8. The duchess and the cook
9. The Mad Tea Party
10. The Queen of Hearts
11. The Knave
12. Awake

[64Guitars]

Well Alice in Wonderland could be done in 12 songs - without narration,

Without narration, it would be a sort of rock opera like Suffering Machines, which is absolutely fine if that's what people want to do. But it's worth considering some narration between songs in the way that it was done in Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Centre of the Earth. The narration serves to connect one song to the next in the story and sets the scene for the next song. It could be spoken over soft background music (strings or keyboards, for example). Ideally, that background music could be part of the next song so that it flows seamlessly into the song. The narration dosen't have to be very long. Just a few sentences to describe what happens after the events of the first song and set up the scene for the next song.

If you've never listened to Wakeman's Journey to the Centre of the Earth , I recommend doing so. It will inspire you in how to retell a classic story and show how narration can be used between songs to tie the songs together into a proper story.

Another one that's worth a listen is Bill Bruford's "Fainting in Coils". It's actually an instrumental but it begins with some narration from chapter nine of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, "The Mock Turtle's Story".

[Hilary]

I like the idea of some narration set to music but I'm guessing I won't exactly be one of the main contributors so I'm happy take advice.

Did anyone see the Simon Callow's one-man band A Christmas Carol yesterday, I was really disappointed.

[Ferryman]

Liking the Alice thing and possible synopsis

Personally I find stuff like JTTCOTE rather cringeworthy, prog at its very worst.... (sorry 64G  ) But I don't mind if we have this whole thing narrated, just don't ask me to do the narration!

[Hilary]

But I don't mind if we have this whole thing narrated, just don't ask me to do the narration!

We can do both!