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Merrie England [1959-03-14]

Subject:
Edward German: Merrie England
Classification:
Sub-classification:
Sub-folder:
Location:
Year:
1959
Date:
March 14th, 1959
Text content:

Guildford Corporation Concerts
Director of Music: J. CROSSLEY CLITHEROE

SATURDAY, l4th MARCH, 1959, at 7 p.m.

TECHNICAL COLLEGE, GUILDFORD

PHILHARMONIC CHOIR
GUILDFORD

MUNICIPAL ORCHESTRA
Leader: TATE

GILDER

*

“MERRIE ENGLAND”
A Concert version of Edward German’s Light Opera

ANTONINA CHILD - Soprano

- JEAN ALLISTER - - Contralto
ALFRED HALLETT - - - Tenor

BRYAN DRAKE - - - Baritone

Conductor: CROSSLEY CLITHEROE
*
PROGRAMME

-

-

PRICE SIXPENCE

PROGRAMME
PART ONE
INTRODUCTION

OPENING LRORUD o - o lihie e SdeinaAot “‘Sing adown, adown”’
Song (Jill) axp CHORUS ......NSyt ““Oh where the deer do lie”’
QuiNTET (Bessie, Jill, Raleigh, Essex, Long Tom)

“Love is meant to make us glad”’

Bairap {(Bessiey ... ““She had a letter from her love”
SonG (Essex) AND CHORUS ............... ““The Yeomen of England’’

DueT (Bessie and Raleigh) ........................ ““Come to Arcadie”
MagCH AND CHORUB /55 i3 5 i sy i e “Long live Elizabeth”’
Sonc (Elizabeth) wiTH CHORUS ............ ““O Peaceful England’’
FINALE .o vy sveansi vt SRseptcs saih 45 “It is a tale of Robin Hood”
PrincipALSs AND CHORUS

INTERVAL

PART TWO

INTRODUCTION AND CHORUS .........coueninen. ““The Month o’ May”’
“‘Cat, Cat, where have you been?’’
Sono-AJdly ...S
QuarTET (Bessie, Jill, Raleigh, Essex)

“In England, Merrie England”

QUARTET AND MALE CHORUS ... ‘“The Sun in the Heaven is high”’
Duer (Jill and Raleigh) ......AT_““It is the merry month of May”’
RusTic DANCE AND JIG

s uass ““The English Rose”
SONG (RAIBIRY - v tomv iy s Bangsvins
Duer (Essex and Raleigh) AND CHORUS
“Two merry men a-drinking’’

.0il “Who shall say”’
i niis,
WALTZ SONG (Besste) .......0.
SonG (Essex) with Trio (Bessie, [ill, Raleigh)

“When Cupid first”’

MINELR .. vR

e LA Taer Be oo S

‘“‘Robin Hood’s Wedding”’

PrinciraLS AND CHORUS

THE ARGUMENT
THE ARGUMENT, as developed in the Opera (omitting the principal
humorous characters and incidents) is that Sir Walter Raleigh
is in love with Bessie Throckmorton, one of Queen Elizabeth’s
Maids of Honour.

He writes an acrostic to her, which, being lost,

is found by Jill-all-alone, a dweller in the woods, who is suspected
of being a witch;

she gives it to the Earl of Essex, who, con-

sidering Sir Walter Raleigh to be his rival for the hand of Queen
Elizabeth, uses it against him by handing it to the Queen.

She

reads the praises of a certain Bessie, and taking the compliment

to herself, is not displeased thereby ; when, however, she discovers

that the acrostic was intended for her maid (Bessie Throckmorton)
she orders Raleigh to be banished and Bessie to be imprisoned.
Jill, who has further incensed the Queen by some mocking words,
is ordered to be burnt as a witch.

Essex, when he discovers that Raleigh is not his rival, attempts
to repair the mischief he has wrought by the following device:—
He arranges that one of the foresters shall impersonate Herne

the Hunter and appear in an apparition to the Queen while she
is seated in the forest beneath Herne’s Oak. According to tradition
the

appearance

of the

weird

monarch contemplates a crime.

huntsman

occurs

only

when

the

The device succeeds, the Queen

relents, and both the lovers and Jill are pardoned.

CHARACTERS

Bessie THrRockMORTON (Maid of Honour to the Queen) ... Soprano

JiLL-ALL-ALoNE (a supposed Witch)
QUEEN ELIZABETH

Sik WALTER TNLmat

s

o

T o

THE BARL OF-BSSEX
| .o fieviov
svigavinyST
Cuorus ofF Lorps, Lapies,

...............o..... Contralto

v

1o sl sl sov i aiv v Tenor
e

s T

A

A Baritone

TOWNSFOLK, ETC.

METHODIST CHURCH HALL

Saturday, llth April .

.

.

.

.

.

.7.30 p.m.

E. P L
presents

A GRAMOPHONE RECITAL
of

New Classical Record Releases
In association with the Guildford Concertgoers’ Society

METHODIST CHURCH HALL

Saturday, 2nd May .

.

.

.

.

.

.

7.30 p.m.

BY POPULAR REQUEST

A Return Visit of

The Occasional Wind Players
Music by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Ibert and Jean Francaix
In association with the Guildford Concertgoers’ Society

TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Saturday, 9th May

.

7 p.m.

.

VERDI’'S

REQUIEM

MUNICIPAL ORCHESTRA
FESTIVAL CHOIR
ELIZABETH FRETWELL (Soprano)
MONICA SINCLAIR (Contralto)

GUILDFORD

RONALD DOWD (Tenor)
MICHAEL LANGDON (Bass)

THEATRE

WEEK BEGINNING MARCH léth

EPITAPH FOR GEORGE DILLON
By JOHN OSBORNE and ANTHONY CREIGHTON

WEEK BEGINNING MARCH 23rd

THE PASSING OF THE THIRD FLOOR BACK
BY JEROME K. JEROME

(The theatre will be closed on Good Friday)