[net.movies] Where is this piece of music found?

moriarty@uw-june (Jeff Meyer) (05/21/84)

There is a piece of music in "Chariots of Fire", which I believe comes from
a Gilbert & Sullivan play, but I'm not sure... can anyone identify it?  It
is a very short scene, but it is the school play, and apparently Abrahams is
the lead of the said play (dressed in Naval uniform, I believe).  The rest
of the cast is singing, and the refrain is "He is an Englishman".
 
No flames please, I'm terribly ignorant when it comes to G&S, but could
someone mail me a note and tell me if it is from a G&S play, and if so,
which one, or precisely what the song is from... I wish to get a recording
of it.  Thanks in Advance!
 
			"...and several butcher's aprons"
 
					Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer

UUCP:       {ihnp4,cornell,decvax,tektronix}!uw-beaver!uw-june!moriarty
ARPANET:    moriarty@washington

cbspt002@abnjh.UUCP (Marc E. Kenig ) (05/25/84)

<>

   The song, "He is an Englishman" is from perhaps the most famous G&S opera,
H.M.S. Pinafore.  It is sung originally in the first act finale by the bosun's
mate and is refrained in the second (and last) act finale.  The 'Chariots'
scene was taken from the refrain in the finale (originally written for mixed
chorus, tough for Caius college of the period!).
   Get a London recording, with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company(but not the
Sonic Series rendition!).

  M. Kenig  ["Share and Enjoy"]
  ATT-IS, S. Plainfield NJ
  Member: New York Gilbert & Sullivan Society, Sir Arthur Sullivan Society
          (London), The New York Stock Exchange.
    uucp: ....!abnjh!cbspt002

P.S.  The theatre scene when Harold sees/meets Sybil, is also a G&S/D'Oyly
      Carte production.  This time The Mikado.  This scene was highly
      anachronistic since (1) Assuming the action in 1922/23, the costumes
      used, albeit authentic D'Oyly Carte, were not designed until 1929,
      (2) I don't believe Sybil was a principal with the company until 
      1928/29 and she may never have been THE principal soprano, and (3)
      an oboe obligato, in the Three Little Maids song, as played in the movie
      had actually been lost; not written back into the musical scores until
      Sir Malcom Sargeant's time as music director, say 1930.

judy@ism780.UUCP (05/27/84)

#R:uw-june:-148200:ism780:18000006:000:121
ism780!judy    May 25 17:14:00 1984

I believe it is H.M.S. Pinafore (at least from your description, I am
not remembering the movie too well at the moment).