A SCHOOL in the Ribble Valley, renowned nationally and internationally in the world of music, looks set to build on that reputation with its latest musical.

Arabica - performed by a 175-strong choir from St Augustine's RC High School in Billington -premiered in London in May and received a standing ovation at Queen Elizabeth Hall.

The choir gave its second performance on Sunday before an audience of bishops from all over Europe who each have a special responsibility for South America.

Arabica is the fourth musical written by Peter Rose, the school's head of music, and Ann Conlon, a senior music teacher at SS Fisher-More RC High School in Colne, especially for the World Wildlife Fund.

It highlights the unfair impact of global trading systems in developing countries, telling the story of Arabica, the queen of coffee beans, Khaldi the goat herd whose goats first discovered the magic of coffee, and Lucia, who helps her mother at harvest-time on the coffee plantation.

Arabica has been two years in the making and, during that time, Mr Rose and Mrs Conlon spent nine days in Nicaragua researching the lives of the people who live and work on the plantations.

They met artist Daniel Hopewell who has dedicated his life to bringing art to the desperately poor children of the country.

Daniel translated the songs to the children who have, in turn, created murals which will be put on display when the musical is performed in Blackburn.

The first performance of Arabica took the London audience by storm and Sunday's special private presentation in school for the bishops was also a huge success.

The choir will now go on to the Palace Theatre in Manchester on June 23.

All proceeds from that event will be for the Catholic aid agency CAFOD and it is expected there will be a surprise celebrity narrator.

Blackburn King George's Hall will be the venue on June 29 where the performance will be recorded for cassette and compact disc.

In the past the Rose/Conlon musicals have attracted top TV and entertainment industry names who have been keen to back the WWF.

The duo's first production was Yanomamo in 1983. It involved David Bellamy and pop star Sting.

African Jigsaw in 1986 was given the support of actress Mary Miller and Ocean World in 1990 caught the attention of David Attenborough and Fiona Fullerton.

Mr Rose said: "Our visit to Nicaragua revealed so much about the plight of poor people in these third world countries and the huge difference that fair trade prices can bring to their families."

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