Yeomen of the Guard - I Have a Song to Sing, O!

Jack Point (David Rayner) and Elsie Maynard (Alison Vincent) entertain the crowd in Southampton Operatic Society's 2002 production of The Yeomen of the Guard set in the 1920s.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• sos
• sotonopera
• southampton
• G&S
• gilbert
• sullivan
• yeomen
• guard

[leoseries]

Jabberwock. This is how it should be sung in this scene! Jack and Elsie are clownish entertainers who sing the song to amuse the crowd. It only becomes tragic in the final scene when Jack is heartbroken at the loss of Elsie. He then sings it with the true pathos it deserves.

Such a contrast is essential.

[grimalover]

I say keep Gilbert and sullivan as it was written with the proper costumes.

[rg56765y]

You try making twenty Beefeater costumes.

[bujurpb]

@dmnemaine Why are 2 to 5 irrelevant? A local operatic society recently put on a very traditional version of Patience with superb costumes and attracted 44 people to the Saturday night performance, perhaps people don't like them as period pieces after all... Southampton try to save on costumes where possible - it means that we don't make big losses and can perform other shows. Your comment about leaving it to people who can afford it was just plain rude!

[dmnemaine]

@bujurpb,

The only really valid reason you listed was #1. #2-5 are irrelevant. People like G&S just fine as the period pieces they are meant to be. And as far as #1 goes, if you can't afford at least some semblance of authentic costumes, do a concert version and let those who can afford to do a full mounting do it.

[bujurpb]

@dmnemaine

There are plenty of valid reasons for updating G&S...

1. Cost of costumes

2. Relevance to today's audience - some of the works were aimed specifically at Victorian audiences.

3. Attracting an audience - many people have seen the trad versions do often that they won't come out unless it offers something different

4. As long as the update works - they are fun to perform

5. It annoys people who confuse G&S with Shakespeare...

[dmnemaine]

It makes no sense to set this opera in anything but 16th Century England. There are too many references in the libretto to that time period to ignore it. Why do directors/artistic directors think they have to somehow improve or "update" classic works of art? They're classic for a reason. "Yeomen" works perfectly well in its proper setting. Changing it is needless and distracting.

[londonbangkok]

@scotjack i agree , excellent version. This song make me cry almost even when it is happy at the beginning. Where do those legs of Elsie stop? Lovely looking lady!

[scotjack]

Very well done indeed.

[shelley497]

its rubbish 

[EIDOSeidos]

This Savoy opera has an extra dimension that the others don't have. When Elsie leaves Jack at the end, there should not be a dry eye in the house. This scene 'puts the rabbit in the hat' for that final scene. W.S. Gilbert understood woman's heart very well IMHO: of course Jack could never compete with Fairfax. A brilliantly engineered little opera, musically and psychologically.