Patient words

Patience shows Gilbert's incredible love of words and their sounds, not withstanding his ability to invent his own at times.

The dragoons complain of the maidens fleering at them. This is not a word in common usage today but means 'to smirk or laugh in contempt or derision' or 'a taunting, scoffing, or derisive look or gibe'. It seems such a pity that it is not still used as we all do it. Conveniently, it rhymes with sneering and jeering.

'Gaily pipe Pandaean pleasure' refers to the god Pan who had his pipes.

A 'Daphnephoric bound' sounds a most wonderful thing: suggestive of some light jumping dance step. The Daphnephoria was a Greek festival involving branches and the usual scantily clad celebrants but there is no suggestion of a dance. A Daphnephoric ode was a song sung by young ladies. It is just a lovely-sounding word.

The Colonel's song highlights some of the great names of the Victorian era. The first performance was in 1881 and the list shows how topical it was:

The pluck of Lord Nelson on board of the Victory -
- No help needed here. The battle had happened in 1805.
Genius of Bismarck devising a plan -
- Bismark had only stopped being the German Chancellor nine years earlier.
The humour of Fielding (which sounds contradictory) -
- Presumably the 18th century Henry Fielding who wrote Tom Jones and not Helen who wrote Bridget Jones Diary.
Coolness of Paget about to trepan -
- A trepan is a surgical cut into the skull. James Paget was a surgeon who was still alive.
The science of Jullien, the eminent musico -
- Louis Antoine Jullien 1814 -60 a French born conductor who organized concerts and operatic performances at the Drury Lane Theatre in London
Wit of Macaulay, who wrote of Queen Anne -
- Thomas the historian and writer of the Lays of Ancient Rome rather than George Macaulay Trevelyan who actually did write a history of Queen Anne but who was only five when the opera was first performed.
The pathos of Paddy, as rendered by Boucicault -
- This does not refer to the French artist of the same name but to a poem by an Irishman who wrote of the wearing of the green: revolutionary stuff for this era to be hinting at Irish nationalism.
Style of the Bishop of Sodor and Man -
- This may refer to a Victorian scandal or may just be fun with the unusual name. Sodor is, you will remember, the fictional island where Thomas the Tank Engine would later live.
The dash of a D'Orsay, divested of quackery -
- This was probably the French dandy Alfred d'Orsay.
Narrative powers of Dickens and Thackeray -
- Dickens (d.1870), Thackeray (d.1863).
Victor Emmanuel - peak-haunting Peveril -
- Victor Emmanuel was presumably the King of Italy (d.1861); Walter Scott wrote Peveril of the Peak.
Thomas Aquinas, and Doctor Sacheverell -
- Thomas Aquinas was the 13th century religious writer; Doctor Sacheverill (a high-church preacher d1724).
Tupper and Tennyson - Daniel Defoe -
- Tupper was another writer who was alive at the time as was Tennyson, Daniel Defoe (d.1731).
Anthony Trollope and Mister Guizot!
- Anthony Trollope would die the following year. Mister Guizot was a French political activist.
If you want a receipt for this soldier-like paragon,
- The words receipt and recipe were interchangeable.
Get at the wealth of the Czar (if you can) -
The family pride of a Spaniard from Aragon -
Force of Mephisto pronouncing a ban -
- Any offers? Does this refer to Mephistopheles?
A smack of Lord Waterford, reckless and rollicky -
- Is this a reference to a fishing smack? Rollicky: as in having a rollicking time.
Swagger of Roderick, heading his clan -
- There seem to be two contenders: either a Scottish outlaw called Roderick Dhu or Roderick, the last Gothic king of Spain
The keen penetration of Paddington Pollaky -
- The real-life Hercule Poirot of his time.
Grace of an Odalisque on a divan -
- A female slave or concubine in the Turkish court.
The genius strategic of Caesar or Hannibal -
- Do you really need help on these two? Think Gallic Wars and then elephants.
Skill of Sir Garnet in thrashing a cannibal -
-Sir Garnet Wolseley was one of the great Victorian generals who did not actually attack any cannibals.
Flavour of Hamlet - the Stranger, a touch of him -
- Ahem .. think Shakespeare.
Little of Manfred (but not very much of him) -
- Might this refer to the poem by Byron?
Beadle of Burlington - Richardson's show -
- Burlington Arcade in London had a beadle who kept order; Richardson's was a popular travelling theatre. 
Mister Micawber and Madame Tussaud!
- Mister Micawber - a Dickens character - and as for Madame Tussaud's ...

Much later, the two aesthetics refer to themselves by some of the places they visit:
Grosvenor gallery - a recently created rival to the Royal Academy
Sewell and Cross - a famous silk mercer and upholsterers
Howell and James - a famous art pottery gallery

Patience line up

Much of the casting is now done and the line up is (so far) looking like this:

Colonel Calverley - Max Braga (ex Private Willis from Iolanthe)
Major Murgatroyd - Philip Feather (ex Lord Mountararat from Iolanthe)
Lieut the Duke of Dunstable - to follow
Reginald Bunthorne - Alan Russell (ex Lord Chancellor from Iolanthe)
Archibald Grosvenor - David (ex Samuel from Pirates)
The Lady Angela - Hilary Phoenix
The Lady Saphir - Anna Scutt (Iolanthe from Iolanthe)
The Lady Ella - to follow
The Lady Jane - Jenny Braga (new to the front row)
Patience - Sally-Ann Gretton 

Iolanthe - the real thing

The performance at Perranporth

What's the plot?

The plot of Iolanthe is well put by Mary Holtby*:

When your mother's a fay someone's certain to say, on observing her looks and agility:
'Your assertion that this is your Ma we dismiss; such a statement has no credibility';
When your filial embrace is pronounced a disgrace by the girl you're expecting to marry you,
And she flirts with the peers, and together their jeers are combining to mock you and harry you;
You may feel some relief from your fury and grief when the Queen of the Fairies enlightens them;
And, a Member 'elected', at last you're respected - nay more, your omnipotence frightens them -
You've regained your lost bride, and the fairies decide they will after those nobly-born gentry go,
While the Queen of them all is in amorous thrall to the private she's spotted on sentry-go ...
But you haven't won through for though Phyllis loves you,
The Lord Chancellor's scored - he will marry his ward,
And is deaf if not dumb to the pleas of your mum
Till she's forced to unveil the astonishing tale
That the husband she had is this Lord - he's your Dad!
So he can't marry Phyl but your mother is still
As a mere mortal's wife under threat of her life
Till the Queen mends the flaw in this Fairyland law
And makes weddings that were disallowed, de rigeur,
So the peers will explore terra nova
And with wings on their backs make immediate tracks for the Chamber Above -
And this triumph of love is the sign that the opera's over.

* In How to be Tremendously Tuned in to Opera

A final rehearsal

Marriage with deceased wife's sister

'He shall prick that annual blister: marriage with deceased wife's sister' sings the Queen of the Fairies in Iolanthe.

This was indeed a blister. The Marriage Act of 1835 specifically prohibited such marriages but there seems to have been constant pressure to revise this. A Bill was introduced in 1842, but defeated.

Quite coincidentally, I came across the attached recently in a newspaper of 1859 which shows that another attempt was made then. The thought of the lay peers interpreting the Bible and basing the law of the land on the Old Testament is, to me, pretty scary.

It was not until 1907 that an Act was passed allowing a man to marry the sister of their deceased wife. I wonder how many rushed out to do so.

Eek! - First performance delayed

The sudden illness of Strephon means that the first performance of this year's production, Iolanthe, has been delayed until 20 June at Perranwell. Just enough time to source another half fairy to take the leading role and to shuffle the peers.

May copious quantities of fairy dust restore 'old' Strephon to full health.

Can you resist Iolanthe?

It's downhill all the way to our first performance on 23 May at Falmouth Methodist Church (7:30 since you ask). Fresh from last year's rollicking Pirates, come and meet:

• Hilary Pheonix as the Queen of the Fairies. Not a lady to be trifled with


• Anna Scutt as Iolanthe, the fairies' favourite companion


• Penny Platts as the adorable Phyllis with whom everyone is naturally in love


• Sally-Ann Gretton (Kate or was it Edith?) as Celia


• Carolyn Hendra as Leila


• Geoff Pope as the half fairy (from the waist down) Strephon


• Alan Russell (formerly the Pirate King) as the lovelorn Lord Chancellor who has nightmares about riding bicycles across Salisbury Plain


• Tony Davy as the Earl of Mountararat


• Philip Feather (formerly Ralph Rackstraw) as the Earl Tolloller who sadly lacks any brain


• Max Braga as Private Willis of the Grenadier Guards, one of the finest examples of manhood

If you come in, you're sure to win ...


For a full list of venues, see the Programme page.

Early starts

Check the Programme page: we will be starting early (and finishing late) on the 9th and 15th of May.

Farewell Pirates ...

The Kenwin Barton Gilbert and Sullivan Singers have recently finished a very successful season of performances of the famous ‘Pirates of Penzance’.

With only a keyboard and an enthusiastic company of singers plus a few token accessories such as hats, flags and piratical implements, audiences all over Cornwall have been transported to the pirates’ lair as well as a ruined Cornish chapel by moonlight where the Major General faces his fears.
As always we, the G&S singers have managed to infect our audiences with the love and enthusiasm that we have for the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan. Over and over again the reaction has been – you so obviously enjoy yourselves and we have been drawn in. Church and village halls have rung to the laughter and applause. After a nominal charge to cover our expenses, we have enabled ten different organisations to raise money for their own funds, ranging from church roof to Cancer Research.

Along with our love for the humour and wit of Gilbert’s words which are as relevant today as they were when penned a hundred years ago, goes our appreciation of Sullivan’s memorable musicality. We love watching members of the audience tapping their feet to the well-known tunes and quietly mouthing the words along with the soloists.

At each venue we extend an invitation – do come and join us! We always welcome new members to our group and consider ourselves to be a warm, friendly and easily accessible crowd. We meet on a Wednesday evening from 7 to 9pm at Truro Prep School to rehearse during the winter and spring, ready to perform from May to October, with breaks for school holidays and half terms.
We have now left the pirates behind and are off to fairyland with another masterpiece – Iolanthe. This time we have fairies and members of parliament – such fun!

So what or who are we looking for? Anyone who enjoys singing and is prepared to give their time and energies to produce a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s wonderful work which will thoroughly entertain audiences however big or small, anywhere in Cornwall. We would particularly welcome men, young ones and those who are young at heart!

If you are reading this and thinking, yes, that could be for me! Get in touch with us – Please!

Carolyn Hendra 07834 585239 (mob) or Val Banks 01208 78648

A Rollicking Band of Pirates?

By the miracles of the new science of photography, we have been able to track down and record the faces of the famous Pirates of Penzance following a daring end-of-season raid on Mawnan Smith. Residents trembled in their seats as the Pirates sang their deadly songs and, with cat-like tread, stole their way into the village at night, spreading mayhem and frightening the General's daughters.

But evil was called to account when the members of the Local Constabulary, setting their unhappy lot aside and muttering tantantaras under their breath, bravely stood up to the vicious pirates. Mawnan Smith could once more sleep in peace.