Katie Chatburn Composes for R4 Christmas Carroll Drama

Katie Chatburn, RNCM Tutor in Popular Music, has composed the music to a new Radio 4 Christmas Day drama.

Narrated by Tony Robinson (pictured below), The Hunting of the Snark is based on Lewis Carroll’s masterpiece of the same name, which follows a strange assortment of characters on their quest for an elusive beast. It features former Coronation Street star Eric Potts as the bell-ringing Captain, who leads his motley crew as they brave terrifying danger in their chaotic pursuit of a creature known as Snark.

Director Charlotte Riches said: ‘Like most people, I love a classic adaptation at Christmas. The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll is not as well-known as his Alice books, but is just as wonderful and colourful. This nonsense poem follows several strange and quirky characters on their quest to find the very surreal sounding beast, Snark. The poem is funny, dramatic, scary, odd and exciting – all elements which we have hopefully captured in the drama. The addition of songs, drawn from and inspired by the poem, alongside specially composed music, I believe really gives the drama a unique and special feel. Our aim was to create a whole world which people can lose themselves in for 44 minutes before or after (depending on what time you have it) Christmas dinner.’

Katie added: ‘Writing and recording the music was a fantastic experience.  I used strings and alto flute – recorded by RNCM postgraduate Katie Williams – to create a folk/sea shanty-inspired quirky and at times dark atmosphere. It was fun working as MD with the actors to record the songs and meeting the fantastic Tony Robinson!’

The Hunting of the Snark can be heard on Radio 4 at 2.15pm on Christmas Day.

25 November 2015