horton hears a who
To celebrate the highly-anticipated release of Horton Hears a Who! on DVD and Blu-ray this week, the world-famous Thai Elephant Orchestra is releasing a special song for their loveable cartoon counterpart entitled The Horton Symphony. Recorded at the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang, Thailand, the song is already causing quite a stir from London to the Jungle of Nool. The brain-child of respected elephant conservationist Richard Lair and renowned composer/performer Dave Soldier, the 16 strong Thai Elephant Orchestra has been wowing tourists with their musical prowess for nearly 10 years. Playing their songs on specially-made instruments the band are due to release their third CD, a follow-up to their much-acclaimed sophomore album Elephonic Rhapsodies, later this year. Established in 1993 with the objective of protecting the rapidly depleting Asian elephant population and preserving local traditions for future generations, the centre quickly became one of Thailand’s most respected sanctuaries. As the centre began to expand Lair and Soldier hit upon the idea for an elephant orchestra as a fun and unusual way to build the profile of the sanctuary and raise awareness of the elephant’s plight. Having enjoyed success at an international level Lair and Soldier are hoping this song for Horton will continue their good work, Lair says:‘We are really excited to be a part of this project for Horton Hears a Who! The story is a fantastic and positive one and we have really enjoyed being involved in this. The elephants love to play the instruments and anything that helps to highlight their cause is a step in the right direction,’Based on the beloved children’s book by Dr Seuss Horton Hears a Who! tells the tale of an imaginative and fun-loving elephant Horton (Jim Carrey, The Grinch who Stole Christmas, Bruce Almighty), who on hearing a cry of help coming from a speck of dust, discovers it is home to a miniscule city called Who-ville, which is governed by the neurotic mayor voiced by Steve Carrell (The 40 Year Old Virgin, The American Office).Realizing that Who-ville is in grave danger Horton sets out on an exhilarating adventure through the Jungle of Nool to protect his new-found friends and save the day. Facing ridicule and obstacles along the way from his jungle neighbors, Horton is nonetheless determined to prove that ‘a person’s a person no matter how small’. Also featuring the voices of Jaime Pressly (My Name is Earl) and Isla Fischer (Wedding Crashers) this ‘who-mongous’ film is out now on DVD and Blu-ray and is set to be the biggest family film of the year.