An Afternoon Of Modified Rapture

It was good to see so many of our members and guests for An Afternoon of Modified Rapture when we were entertained by Richard Woodall and Rebecca Hughes accompanied by Russell Ablewhite who are all affiliated with Eastbourne Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

Many of us had seen Rebecca as Mad Margaret and The Fairy Queen so knew we would be in for a treat and were not disappointed The programme was a rich mixture of Gilbert and Sullivan pieces from The Gondoliers, HMS Pinafore, Iolanthe, The Pirates of Penzance, Patience and Ruddigore but also included other much loved songs. Russell’s impressive virtuosity on the piano gave great support to Richard and Rebecca who both sang wonderfully well and with superb diction. They both also sang with a lot of feeling and had a strong engagement with the audience. It was a joy to experience such a brilliant performance and our rapture required no modification.

First Half:

G & S:

The Gondoliers  -  For the merriest fellows are we

HMS Pinafore - Little Buttercup

HMS Pinafore - Things are seldom what they seem

Iolanthe - When all night long

Iolanthe - Oh foolish fay

Sullivan: The Lost Chord

Frank Loesser: Guys and Dolls - Adelaide’s Lament

Cole Porter: Kiss Me Kate - Where is the life that late I led

Kiss Me Kate  - Wunderbar

Boublil and Schönberg: Les Miserables - I dreamed a dream

Les Miserables  - Stars

Franz Lehar: The Merry Widow - Love unspoken

Second Half:

Lerner and Loewe: Gigi -  I remember it well

Kurt Weill: Lady in the Dark - My ship

Franz Lehar: Paganini - Girls were made to love and kiss

Noel Gay: Me and My Girl - Once you lose your heart

Ivor Novello: - And Mother came too

Malotte:  The Lord’s Prayer

G & S:

The Pirates of Penzance - A Policeman’s Lot

Ruddigore - Cheerily carols the lark

Ruddigore - When the night wind howls

Ruddigore - I once was a very abandoned person

Patience - Sad is that woman’s lot

Patience - So go to him and say to him

The Yeomen of the Guard - Rapture, rapture!

Ivor Novello: Perchance To Dream  - We’ll gather lilacs