No 8 — November 1977 Edited by Michael Walters
THE SORCERER
The impending Centenary of the Sorcerer means that it may be appropriate to quote a few bits of trivia, which I found on scraps of paper recently while clearing up. They relate to the opening of the D'Oyly Carte's production in Manchester some years ago. A party of us travelled up from London to see it, and came back on the overnight train, talking most of the night as none of us felt the least bit like sleeping. We played among other things a few games of Consequences, the personages involved had to be either G & S characters or members of the Company. Two of these have survived and I quite them here (mainly so that I can now throw away the tatty bits of paper they were on!) and a bit of bad doggerel I wrote for the occasion.
RUDOLF met MAD MARGARET at Castle Moated. He said: "Take a pair of sparkling eyes." She said: "Bow thy head to destiny". The consequence was he was lost totally, & married a girl in the corps de ballet. And the world said "I can't think why".
MARK NELSON met Mrs. Partlett at The Tower of London. He said: "my child" She said "It will be your fault if I go to my family vault" The result was they went to a town called Titipu. And the world said "What jolly jolly jinks."
With heart and with voice let us welcome this meeting, To the show of our choice, with our hearts wildly beating Let us Journey in force. Welcome joy, adieu to sadness, as THE SORCERER greets the day, So those strains for too long silent, since the wartime stowed away. Irresistible incentive bids us journey to behold. We're your public most attentive, come thy music now unfold. Wild with adoration, mad with fascination, To indulge in exultation no occasion do we miss, Goaded to distraction by previous inaction, We find some satisfaction in apostrophe like this: SORCERER immortal, SORCERER divine, Open now thy portal, drug us with thy wine. Immortal, divine, for ever be mine.
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