A Night at the Savoy
A Celebration of the Comic Operas
of Sir Arthur Sullivan
Catrine Kirkman (Soprano)
Kirsti Whitlocke (Mezzo-soprano)
Chris Cann (Tenor)
Philip W Errington (Bass-baritone)
Graham Rogers (Bass-baritone)
Piano: Paul Guinery
Stage direction: Bob Vaughan
Musical direction: Paul Guinery
Technical management: Steve Greenwood
Stage management: Bob Vaughan
Stage management assistance: Tony Bannister
Concert devised and produced by Graham Rogers
With special thanks to:
John Lill and all at the Louth Playgoers’ Riverhead Theatre
Tim Roe at Holy Trinity Church, Kensington
The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Joseph Malcomson
Concert Programme – Part One
Cox and Box
or
The Long Lost Brothers
Triumviretta in One Act
Music by Arthur Sullivan Libretto by FC Burnand
Adapted to the lyric stage from J Maddison Morton’s farce
“Box and Cox”
JAMES JOHN COX, a journeyman hatter Graham Rogers
JOHN JAMES BOX, a journeyman printer Chris Cann
SERJEANT BOUNCER, a lodging house keeper –
late of the Dampshire Yeomanry, with military
reminiscences Phil Errington
Musical numbers:~
Overture
Rataplan (Bouncer)
Stay, Bouncer, stay (Cox, Bouncer)
Lullaby – Hushed is the bacon (Box)
My master is punctual (Cox)
Who are you, sir? (Cox, Box, Bouncer)
Serenade – The buttercup (Cox, Box)
Not long ago (Cox, Box)
Sixes! (Cox, Box, Bouncer)
Finale: My hand upon it (Cox, Box, Bouncer)
INTERVAL – 20 MINUTES
Part Two
ENTR’ACTE – A medley concocted by Paul Guinery
Sunbeam! The priest keeps saying (The Rose of Persia)
When I was a lad (HMS Pinafore)
Only the night wind sighs alone (The Chieftain)
A laughing boy but yesterday (The Yeomen of the Guard)
Were I thy bride (The Yeomen of the Guard)
You understand? (Ruddigore)
Long years ago (Patience)
Now, Marco dear, you will be good (The Gondoliers)
Then one of us will be a queen (The Gondoliers)
If you give me your attention (Princess Ida)
‘Tis done, I am a bride (The Yeomen of the Guard)
My parents were of great gentility (The Chieftain)
When my father sent me (The Rose of Persia)
In a contemplative fashion (The Gondoliers)
Dance the Bolero (The Chieftain)
The woman of the wisest wit (Princess Ida)
WELCOME to the New London Opera Group’s third Spring Concert in Louth – it is lovely to be back. Tonight we transform the Riverhead Theatre into one of the world’s most famous theatres in its glorious Victorian heyday as we invite you to spend A Night at the Savoy.
The Savoy Theatre, situated off the Strand on the north bank of the River Thames in London, was built by the impresario Richard D’Oyly Carte and opened in 1881. Throughout the 1880s and 90s the Savoy staged the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company’s premiere productions of the finest English comic operas, including many of the now celebrated Gilbert and Sullivan operas.
This evening’s concert is a musical celebration of the comic operas of Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900), a quintessentially Victorian figure with an unparalleled gift for joyfully infectious music and foot-tapping tunes, and who embodies the spirit of the Savoy more than any other composer. The evening features songs and ensembles from Savoy operas spanning Sullivan’s entire career, including a complete performance of his first comic opera, the sparkling one-act farce Cox and Box. There is a rare chance to hear musical gems from some of Sullivan’s lesser known operas, alongside popular favourites from his famous collaborations with WS Gilbert.
Notes on Cox and Box
Cox and Box was Sullivan’s first ever foray into the world of comic opera. Described as a “Triumviretta” in One Act, the piece is a setting of sometime Punch editor FC Burnand’s reworking of John Madison Morton’s farce Box and Cox, and was first performed at a private drawing room in May 1866. Telling the whimsical story of retired soldier Sergeant Bouncer and his two lodgers, Mr Cox and Mr Box, the opera is brim full of catchy tunes and youthful joie de vivre. The piece was originally conceived as a small-scale after-dinner entertainment with piano accompaniment, but following its success Sullivan expanded and orchestrated the score. It was not performed at the Savoy until much later, in an abridged version, as a curtain-raiser to The Chieftain in 1894; it subsequently became shortened even more when it entered the regular D’Oyly Carte repertory. Tonight’s performance restores most of the original music and dialogue.
Notes on the Musical Numbers
The Rose of Persia(1899) – music by Arthur Sullivan, words by
Basil Hood
Hassan, a philanthropist Cris Cann
Dancing Sunbeam, Hassan’s first wife Kirsti Whitlocke
Blush-of-Morning, his twenty-fifth wife Catrine Kirkman
Abdallah, a priest Graham Rogers
The Rose of Persia is Sullivan’s last completed opera. It had a modestly successful run at the Savoy of 220 performances, between November 1899 and June 1900. Hassan is an eccentric philanthropist. The devious priest Abdallah persuades Hassan to write a will leaving him his fortune as proof of Hassan’s sanity and devotion to Islam. In a capricious trio (Sunbeam! The priest keeps saying) Abdallah asks the eldest and youngest of Hassan’s 25 wives how they would react to their husband’s sudden death; they agree that time would heal their grief. Later on we hear Hassan recounting the story of his own not entirely ethical rise from rags to riches (When my father sent me).
HMS Pinafore (1878) – music by Arthur Sullivan, words by WS Gilbert
Sir Joseph Porter, KCB, First Lord of the Admiralty Graham Rogers
Originally produced at the Opera Comique, HMS Pinafore was first revived at the Savoy in 1887, directly following the original run of Ruddigore. It was Pinafore that had turned Gilbert and Sullivan into household names, causing a sensation in Victorian England. In his famous patter song (When I was a lad), Sir Joseph Porter regales the sailors of HMS Pinafore and an admiring crowd of his own sisters, cousins and aunts with the story of his meteoric rise from humble office boy to ruler of the Queen’s Navy – without ever having been to sea.
The Chieftain(1894) – music by Arthur Sullivan, words by FC Burnand
Rita, an English lady Catrine Kirkman
Sancho, 1st Lieutenant of the Ladrones Graham Rogers
José, 2nd Lieutenant of the Ladrones Phil Errington
Inez de Roxas, Chieftainess of the Ladrones Kirsti Whitlocke
Peter Adolphus Grigg, a British tourist Chris Cann
A reworking of Sullivan’s much earlier, post-Cox and Box collaboration with Burnand, The Contrabandista (1867), The Chieftain was not a success at the Savoy, largely because of Burnand’s poor libretto. The opera does contain some highly memorable music however, including the hauntingly beautiful song Rita sings on the mountainside at dusk as she watches the shepherds returning home with their flocks (Only the night wind sighs alone). Inez, wife of the Chieftain of a band of Spanish brigands, the Ladrones, explains how she was wooed and won by her money-grabbing husband (My parents were of great gentility). The real tour-de-force of the opera, and one of Sullivan’s most infectious tunes, is the ebullient Bolero which the brigands force the hapless British tourist Peter Grigg to dance on pain of being shot.
The Yeomen of the Guard(1888) – music by Arthur Sullivan, words by
WS Gilbert
Sergeant Meryll, of the Yeomen of the Guard Phil Errington
Phoebe Meryll, his daughter Kirsti Whitlocke
Wilfred Shadbolt, Head Jailor of the Tower Bob Vaughan
Elsie Maynard, a strolling singer Catrine Kirkman
Considered by many to be Sullivan’s finest operatic score, The Yeomen is more serious in character than his other collaborations with Gilbert. It originally ran for 423 performances at the Savoy. In a song cut soon after the opening night, Sergeant Meryll reflects on how swiftly time has flown since his now brave and daring son Leonard was a little boy robbing the Lieutenant’s orchard (A laughing boy but yesterday). The morose and morbid Head Jailor, Wilfred Shadbolt, is infatuated with the Sergeant’s capricious daughter, Phoebe. She is not interested in Shadbolt, but exploits his devotion to her to distract him while she steals his keys for her own ends (Were I thy bride). Elsie Maynard is a poor strolling singer who has agreed to marry a man she has never met, and who is shortly to be beheaded, in exchange for enough money to help her sick mother. In an impassioned aria (‘Tis done, I am a bride) she laments the tragic end soon to befall her unknown husband, leaving her a widow.
Ruddigore(1887) – music by Arthur Sullivan, words by WS Gilbert
Richard Dauntless, a man-o’-war’s-man Chris Can
Sir Despard Murgatroyd, a wicked baronet Phil Errington
Ruddigore is a parody of Victorian melodrama, a fun-filled tale laced with curses, witches, evil baronets and ghosts – and full of great tunes. In the lively duet You understand?, Dick Dauntless and Despard Murgatroyd gleefully hatch a plan to stitch up the unsuspecting Robin Oakapple, each for his own devious end. We won’t spoil the whole story for you now though – you’ll have to come and see our production of the show in June!
Patience (1881) – music by Arthur Sullivan, words by WS Gilbert
Patience, a dairy maid Catrine Kirkman
The Lady Angela Kirsti Whitlocke
Patience was the first opera to be staged at the newly opened Savoy Theatre, transferring there from the Opera Comique in October 1881. Sweetly innocent dairy maid Patience claims that she has never been in love, but reveals that she had a childhood playmate who she appears to have had more than just a friendly interest in. In a charming duet (Long years ago) she is probed on the matter by the extremely curious Angela.
The Gondoliers (1889) – music by Arthur Sullivan, words by WS Gilbert
Marco Palmieri Chris Cann
Giuseppe Palmieri, Venetian gondoliers Graham Rogers
Gianetta Catrine Kirkman
Tessa, Contadine Kirsti Whitlocke
The Gondoliers was Gilbert and Sullivan’s last great success, notching up a mammoth run of 554 performances; the Savoy was never again to enjoy such a successful new production. No sooner have Venetian gondoliers Marco and Guiseppe married local girls Gianetta and Tessa, than they have to bid their new spouses a tearful farewell (Now Marco dear you will be good). The gondoliers are being whisked off to the island of Barataria to claim the crown which, it has transpired, rightfully belongs to one of them. Sorry as they are to see their new husbands leave, the two girls nevertheless cannot contain their excitement at the prospect of becoming royalty (Then one of us will be a queen). The only problem is that no one is sure which of the two gondoliers is the rightful king. The situation becomes increasingly fraught and entangled until the gondoliers and their wives endeavor, not wholly successfully, to talk things through calmly and collectedly (In a contemplative fashion).
Princess Ida (1884) – music by Arthur Sullivan, words by WS Gilbert
King Gama Phil Errington
Lady Psyche, professor of Humanities Catrine Kirkman
Melissa, a girl graduate Kirsti Whitlocke
Hilarion, a prince Graham Rogers
Cyril, Hilarion’s friend Chris Cann
Florian, his other friend Phil Errington
Although not a huge hit at the Savoy (it ran for 246 performances), Princess Ida arguably contains some of Sullivan’s best music. The bitter and satirical King Gama introduces himself with a patter song detailing his efforts to aid humanity by correcting each social defect in his “erring fellow creatures” (If you give me your attention). With such a “disagreeable man” for a father, it is little wonder that Princess Ida has renounced mankind and founded a university for women to which no men are admitted. Hilarion, betrothed to Ida at the extremely early age of one, and his two friends, infiltrate the university but are soon discovered by Lady Psyche. In a sparkling quintet (The woman of the wisest wit) we discover that Psyche and her pupil Melissa are not insensible to the masculine charms of Hilarion and his friends, as they reflect that men may possibly not all be the vicious creatures that Ida has painted them.
The Company
Chris Cann hails from Devon and has lived in London since 1992. He has performed in all the extant Gilbert and Sullivan operas. He appeared here at the Riverhead in last summer’s production of The Pirates of Penzance as Major-General Stanley. Other principal roles include the Learned Judge (Trial by Jury), Lady Jane (!) (Patience), the Lord Chancellor, Lord Mountararat, Strephon and Private Willis (Iolanthe), Cyril (Princess Ida), Pooh-Bah (The Mikado), Dick Dauntless and Sir Despard Murgatroyd (Ruddigore), the Duke of Plaza-Toro and Don Alhambra del Bolero (The Gondoliers), King Paramount (Utopia Limited) and Ludwig (The Grand Duke). Chris has also created roles in the world premieres of Cold Comfort Farm (Earl P Neck) and Cinderella (Jetsam Seaweed) by Alaric Barrie. Other roles range from Count Florestein in Balfe’s The Bohemian Girl to Professor Higgins (Pygmalion). Chris has directed productions for the University of London Opera Group, newLOG and the Centenary Opera Company, based in Greenwich. His productions include The Sorcerer, HMS Pinafore, Iolanthe, Princess Ida, The Mikado and Ruddigore, which he will direct a new production of in Louth this summer. He directed, and performed in, newLOG’s previous two spring concerts of Gilbert and Sullivan and Viennese operetta.
Philip W Errington first appeared with newLOG in Louth last summer as the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance and is delighted to be back. He has also performed with the University of London Opera Group, Minotaur Music Theatre, Imperial Opera, Grosvenor Light Opera Company, the Philharmonia Chorus, Imperial College Operatic Society and (for one night only) the D'Oyly Carte! Gilbert and Sullivan roles include Usher, Council (Trial by Jury), Dr Daly (The Sorcerer), Dick Deadeye (HMS Pinafore), Grosvenor, Colonel Calverley (Patience), Strephon (Iolanthe), King Gama (Princess Ida), Ko-Ko (The Mikado), Robin Oakapple (Ruddigore), Jack Point (The Yeomen), the Duke of Plaza-Toro (The Gondoliers) and Ludwig (The Grand Duke). By day he is a deputy director in the department of printed books and manuscripts at Sotheby's in London.
Paul Guinery studied the piano at the Royal College of Music in London and was made an Associate (ARCM) in 1975, having gained experience there as a pianist and coach in the Opera School. He then took a degree in Modern Languages at Oxford before joining the BBC. For several years he was a staff announcer and newsreader for the BBC World Service at Bush House before moving to Broadcasting House to become a staff announcer for BBC Radio 3. He has presented many programmes over the years including the chamber music series Concert Hall, the long-running request programme Your Concert Choice, the Sunday morning series Sacred and Profane, and the choral music series Choirworks. Now a freelance, he still introduces orchestral concerts on the air, working closely with the BBC Symphony Orchestra on tour and at home, including the BBC Proms. Paul has had wide experience as a piano accompanist and takes part in a music festival every year in Cornwall. He has played for every newLOG production here at the Riverhead including two concerts, The Mikado and last year’s The Pirates of Penzance.
Catrine Kirkman graduated with a Masters degree in music from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, and continues to be taught by Jessica Cash. Recent operatic roles include the Kitchen Boy and Nymph in Dvorak’s Rusalka at Iford, Juliet in a new production of Britten's The Little Sweep for the 2004 Britten Festival in Aldeburgh, Laurette in the first performance in English of Bizet’s Doctor Miracle, First Bridesmaid in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro at the Savoy Theatre, London, and the world première of Owen Bourne's "pub opera" The Salisbury Songs. Last summer she performed with Opera Holland Park in productions of Verdi’s Macbeth and Bellini’s La Sonnambula. A specialist in early music, recent engagements include recitals at the Oxford Lieder Festival and Cirencester Early Music Festival, Handel’s L’Allegro at the Snape Proms with the Britten-Pears Young Artists, and performances of Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Bremen, Germany, and at the Globe Theatre in London. Catrine has also sung the lead in many of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, including Josephine (HMS Pinafore), Mabel (The Pirates of Penzance), Yum-Yum (The Mikado) and Rose Maybud (Ruddigore). This is Catrine’s third visit to the Riverhead Theatre, having performed in newLOG’s previous two spring concerts including last year’s Viennese Soirée. Forthcoming engagements include a run of Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore with Grange Park Opera.
Graham Rogers took a degree in music at the University of York, where he also became hooked by the magic of Gilbert and Sullivan. He has performed with many choirs and performing groups around the country including several years with the BBC Symphony Chorus, a regular highlight of which were annual appearances at the Last Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. This is Graham’s sixth appearance at the Riverhead in Louth, having previously played Strephon in Iolanthe (2003) and the eponymous Mikado of Japan (2004), as well as appearing in two newLOG concerts here including last year’s Viennese Soirée. Other Gilbert and Sullivan roles Graham has played include the Usher and Counsel for the Plaintiff (Trial by Jury), Dick Deadeye (HMS Pinafore), Sergeant of Police (The Pirates of Penzance), Private Willis (Iolanthe), Florian (Princess Ida), Ko-Ko (The Mikado), Robin Oakapple (Ruddigore), Giuseppe (The Gondoliers), Ludwig and the Prince of Monte Carlo (The Grand Duke). Most recently Graham played the roles of Dave the Shepherd and Merlin the Wise Man in newLOG’s Christmas production of Rutland Boughton’s nativity opera Bethlehem at Holy Trinity Church, Kensington. By day a scheduler for BBC Radio 3, Graham is also a Music Director of newLOG, and conducted last year’s performances of The Pirates of Penzance. This summer he will again be found in the orchestra pit, waving his arms around to the wonderful music of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore.
Bob Vaughan is delighted to be back in Louth making his directorial debut with newLOG following his appearances on stage at the Riverhead in the choruses of Iolanthe, The Mikado and last year’s The Pirates of Penzance. Productions that Bob has directed for newLOG’s predecessor, the University of London Opera Group, include Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Sorcerer, HMS Pinafore, Iolanthe, The Mikado, Ruddygore, Utopia Ltd., and The Grand Duke, a centenary production of The Mountebanks (libretto by WS Gilbert, music by Alfred Cellier), Offenbach’s La Belle Helene and Orpheus in the Underworld, and Gilbert’s play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. In real life Bob is a radar systems engineer, and for relaxation vanishes into the Chiltern Hills where he is a volunteer Station Master on the award winning Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway.
Kirsti Whitlocke completed her tertiary qualifications in 1999 with distinction for her Graduate Diploma of Opera at Sydney Conservatorium of Music. A versatile performer, she has played Olga in Lehar’s The Merry Widow with the Queensland Philharmonic, Orlovsky in a concert version of Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, and the roles of Hebe, (HMS Pinafore), Fleta (Iolanthe) and Pitti-Sing (The Mikado) with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company at the Savoy Theatre in London. Kirsti played the role of Giacinta in the Australian première of Mozart’s La Finta Semplice with Opera Australia in 1996 and the role of Penelope in Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d’Ulisse. Kirsti was a touring principal with Opera Queensland in the Australian opera The Serpent. As a concert artist Kirsti has appeared with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, and in recital for the Bach, Mozart and Schubert Societies of Australia. Kirsti was recently awarded the Queen Elizabeth Silver Jubilee Trust Grant for Young Australians, allowing her to study mezzo repertory with specialists in the United Kingdom. This is Kirsti’s second visit to Louth, having previously played Phyllis in the 2003 production of Iolanthe.
We hope you enjoy the show, and look forward to seeing you again soon.