In the summer of 2019, whilst looking for cultural anniversaries to observe in the following year, the Deputy Director of Music at Kent, Dan Harding, noticed that 2020 marks the bicentenary of the birth of Sir John Tenniel, whose illustrations so magically brought to life the first publication of Lewis Carroll's classic tale in 1865.

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In researching musical adaptations of the work, he discovered that Carroll himself had been involved in a stage version, evocatively subtitled A Musical Dream Play for Children and Others, that had been first performed in 1886 and enjoyed huge success until eventually closing in 1927. It has not been possible to see an orchestral score and parts, but drawing on a vocal score, the music to the first act has been re-orchestrated for piano and wind instruments, evoking the practice of domestic music-making that was a popular pastime during the Victorian era.

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The music, written by Walter Slaughter, is full of Victorian charm, with elements of Tchaikovsky, Dvorak and Arthur Sullivan, the latter with whom Slaughter was acquainted. Lyrical melodies, playful textures and colourful harmonies clothe the play in suitably charcterful music, creating a wonderfully evocative score underpinning the drama.