Gilbert’s irony lingers on

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33352, 10 October 1973, Page 12

Gilbert’s irony lingers on

The D’Oyly Carte t Opera Company which ‘ arrived in Christchurch ( yesterday to begin a month’s tour of New ’ Zealand is not the huge j orchestra and chorus j that has performedj since the 1870 s in the • Savoy Theatre, London. . i It consists of six free- ! i lances who have banded together to tour, performing ( 30 of the most popular pieces < from the operas of W. S. Gil- i bert and Arthur Sullivan, i The copyright on the t Savoy operas, written by < Gilbert and Sullivan in the < theatre built by Richard i D’Oyley Carte, expired 10 i years ago, and others can now perform them. The big i Savoy cast used to tour, but i it was difficult to transport 1

the clothes and costumes of more than 70 persons? and in recent years the travelling company was formed. Three of the cast which will perform in the Town Hall on Tuesday have performed with the main company: Donald Adams (bass), John Cartier (baritone), and Thomas Round (tenor). The contralto is Helen Landis, and Anna Bernardin is the soprano. SECOND TOUR Clive Timms, the musical director and accompanist, said yesterday that he had never seen a performance by the main company. He was a conductor on the musical staff of the Sadlers Wells Opera Company, and this was his second tour with the travelling group. The company had played to full houses in Adelaide and at the Sydney Opera House, where tickets had

cost more than §l2 each. Mr Timms said that he had not been certain that Gilbert and Sullivan would still be popular in Australia. In the event, they had been called back for several encores. STILL POPULAR

Although the standard of performance of the main D’Oyley Carte company had dropped in recent years, Mr Timms said, Gilbert and Sullivan had remained surprisingly popular considering that the lyrics were written so long ago. "I think it is fair to say that the irony of Gilbert’s words is still applicable today,” he said.

Local orchestras and choruses will not be used in the performances. The six performers wore evening dress but, said Mr Timms, still managed to do the opera selections “in the old D’Oyley Carte style."