performance by narrator and orchestra for children
The Happiness Box, for narrator and orchestra, is a c.45 minute performance for children aged between 3-7, adapted by award-winning composer Bryony Marks from the original story of the same name by Changi POWs David Griffin and Leslie Greener (illustrator).
Illustrations by Leslie Greener, 'The Happiness Box', The Australasian Publishing Company, Sydney 1947. Reproduced with permission from the Greener Estate. The front and back cover illustrations, and the middle insert entitled 'In the middle of the flower sat Bumble, the bee who knew everything', appear in colour in the book. The other black and white illustrations have been colourised for performance by Neale Mar.
Photos of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra performing The Happiness Box, conducted by Brett Kelly with Stephen Curry as narrator, reproduced with permission from the MSO.
The Happiness Box was commissioned by Symphony Services Australia, the Robert Salzer Foundation and Father Arthur E. Bridge AM for Ars Musica.
