I did have the whole opera in my "favourites" but it was taken down for copyright reasons. But this was the very same that I grew up with on visits to nanny's house. She had a collection of BBC productions of Gilbert & Sullivan on VHS tape. They are of superb quality but I have tried in vain to obtain them on DVD. Apart from the colossally high standard of the singers I think the best thing about them is that they adhere in most respects to the original libretto. But go to the English National Opera and be appalled.
Point: I have a song to sing, O!
Elsie: Sing me your song, O!
Point: It is sung to the knell
Of a churchyard bell,
And a doleful dirge, ding dong, O!
It's a song of a popinjay, bravely born,
Who turned up his noble nose with scorn
At the humble merrymaid, peerly proud,
Who loved a lord, and who laughed aloud
At the moan of the merryman, moping mum,
Whose soul was sad, and whose glance was glum,
Who sipped no sup, and who craved no crumb,
As he sighed for the love of a ladye!
Both: Heighdy! heighdy!
Misery me, lackadaydee!
He sipped no sup, etc.
If I'd paid more attention to poetry at school I'd know the name of the poetic device used here...but I don't recall doing much poetry at school.
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