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.