Que moy
~WAIT! I WANT TO SEE THE CASUS BELIJ”
THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, OCTOBER:
Ward Capright by arrangement with the klanchemer Ovartion
William Hickey
THE WORLD OF GILBERT AND SULLIVAN
I have doobi, that at this very moment. If I stopped
London: stopped. by his, bust and their larynxes singing Gilbert ENTERED # strange said: 'Now, Sullivan. Look and Sutivan
world, tha piher, night. -after me!'.!! The world of Gilbert and Sullivan. It has always baffled me.
I thought that the D'Orly Carte company which I was meeting might be able to ex- plain the lasting magic of those two Victorians.
But I came out none the wiser. They don't know themselves.
I stood at a river window" at the Savoy Hotel and talked with Robert Gibson, a tall, handsome than who is director of productions.
"That's a status of Sulli: van," he said, pointing down to the gardens by the river. "I remember when I Wns going to my first audition with the D'Oyly Carte:
WON THE CHINA MAIL CUP IN
THIS IS THE ESSAY, THAT THE SINO-BRITISH CLUB'S 1954
LITERARY COMPETITION
Was The World Happier
In 1854 Than In 1954?
H
tion."
new
I looked across at Victoria writing and listened carefully. I Sladen, who is a guest singer could hear Gilbert and Sullivan scending in vast triumphal in the new production of choir to the heavens, "Princess Ida." I think she If I were a statisticinis I chula was as surprised as I was, no doubt calculate shint at this
The trouble is that to the singing Nonki
very moment. 999.80 zien wete people who sltig in Glibert, Mikado.” and Sullivan, to the people who go and see Gilbert and Sullivan - those Victorians are still alive.
Poo in The
Nebraska, toð
To think that in Nebraska they appreciate the music of Sullivan, decorated with the whimsical comments of Gilbert on, the life, maamers, and gov- xmment of Victorian England. A strange, fantastic business. It's as unbelievable as the British Empirel
Like the Greeks "What were you doing myway, having an audi tion?" asked Miss Sladen.
"Oh!" said Gibson, "it's a tradition with the D'Oyly they ought to call
When I come to think of it Carto that whatever post "The Palace of Musical Gold." you are going to have with the company, you must first a room called "Princess Ida."
WILA to hold the party
servo six months in the chorus."
That was typical Gilbert and Savan tradition
world cf its own de A light, closed world if ever there was an equivalent of the Greek religious pldyr, it is Gilbert and Sullivan. It's not an entertalh meht, It is a Hio in which the Initiates take part.
The best they
the Savoy
could do
In
France for sale HERE is to be a "French
Fortnight" in London dur ing the first two weeks of Octo- ver. Many shops will be show-
ng French products clothes, perfumes, Dottery cheeses, and wine.
Finc old brandies will be I could see that the whole brought out. But I doubt
any will be as fine business was beginning to get dare under Victoria, Sladen'a akla Milinguet, who at 83 is coming
I Gay? as old wouldn't be at all surprised over both for the publication of she entled up a "Bavoyard" her autobiography and to help that's the technical term for a the celebrations. member of the D'Oyty Carte Picasso, I learn, has refused to company.
allow his pottery to be on sale during the fortnight.
"Too commercial," he said.
Rubber armour.
"I'm not so sure I should give
know," mid
or,
That is just about the first voice 1 have heard, come out of France that sneered 21 com- merce.
The blind. turn, THE sentries at Buckingham
time.
Palace have 1 difficult
Their the world was hoppler a hundredj "until I am out of my way was carrying a toy gun on;
Chi That doesn't
I am told that, the other day a small boy morched up-and down with one of them. Tho
his shoulder.
APPINESS (the die- sume as the more physical the battlefield to fight, with real simple and stable for it is well)
and patriotism. They taken care of by its parents and "I wear armour in Princess Lionary tells us) is gratification
receive rage We
fred titer rifles and cannons, and nurse.
Then reaches the Ida'," she..sold-the opera is a "the inward feeling from the pleasures and com-
charged with their iances and whining school-boy" stage. Life tkit, on the emancipation, of of elevated satisfac- Forts of existence.
swords. They killed and were is more compilcated. Then the vomen and Ida trods dh army People often think Economically, the 1854 killed, but hardly ever was there child reaches its youth when it of Amazonis.
child, harmed. has to face more complexity. Do "Sill, it's rubber armour." of it in terms of the Past, world was in a state of un- a woman or
weaker "Ah! the good old days," an rest. The means of produc- th Asia, the whiter countries we not agree that childhood is paid James Wide, who has Golden Age ΟΙ our life? The designed new costules pile new elderly person may say, with tion were being revolution- Powers. But the battles were world, too, is getting complicated scenery for the production. a misty eye, and heave a ised by
Yes. inventions. Paught on limited battlefields. as it advances in years. sigh. The Past always seems Manufacturers were compet Husbands and, sons who went off indeed, in this respect, at length, you
to war est
lives. thell to be better and happler ing for cheaper and faster families at home grieved for irg agɔ than now. than the Present. But, is methods of production as them far away. But, except for
We often, say that are is a Gibson, "I'll put in a new that person's ejaculation a well as for better markets, the bluck they sometimes had to
lowered mere expression of senti- they often
the wear, civilians hardly ever felt a happy thing it we have mene. Here is a lin-opener."
The laughter that greeted that mentality; or has it, some wages of the workers in
some ethical principle to remark was the Iqughter of truth in it? And does that order to lower the prices of
But in the world schoolchildren mocking a schooled Various coun-
1954, ethical principles are master. They almost looked over , truth hold good in a wider their goods.
thadows without their masters, their shoulders to see whether Rense? Let us look at the tries fought in order to pro-
But in 1954, when no declared Before, there was Patriot heard them,
Glibert and Sullivan hud over world in 1854 and compare il cure markets for their own
Now, there is
is mislea Chauvinism. with the world in 1964. industry. Africa became a
Note, praple worship Manish, Bridret D'Oyly Caffe, the grand- Before, people believed in. God. But they were safe. Not even Which of the two is the
Communists reject the gleal daughter of the man who mude happier?
Principle of Cause which proves a fortune out of the operas, was
existence of God.
there to hear these heresies. Communists walk civilian, Battles
in the
But there was stuit a danger
In 1854, social conflict
was rampant. It was a time
lation" was in full progress
who wrote it
that there was wor on.
thing to live for, if we have
maintain.
war is being fought, the common people feel the burden and fear of political unrest more then cver. Nowadays, people fear war because. it.. has become And this is
calamity from which to me is sate-soldier or when the "Industrial Revo. the young man are no longer confined to "the of Church goers in crder to gain in this laughter. Even the walls Front" Even the home land the favour of those few who of the Savoy Hotel--where the suffors from constant raids and really
Materialism and party was field-Have cars when bellerat bombardment.
With
atomic riches como in this world. Gilbert and Sullivan are men weapons as they are, a city may But сол "the
of tioned, be completely pulverised in, a Unrightcoumess" give matter of seconds. It is natural A hundred years ago, for people to hate war and to suffered hardships and tolerated feel constant anxiety. War itself durs, bochure they had ECTIC horrible enough, but the firm belief, some Faith, or some knowledge of its future, inevit- Ideal. Through difficulties they able arrival, and the long and sought happiness, and found it. fearful waiting for it make it Life is more pleasurable now
in Europe and America; and when China was begin- nfig to feel the Influence of the European Industrial Revolution together with the menacing presence of the gluttonous countries around her. Society was divided into two new and different categories -the Capital- lats who got richer and richer. stronger and stronger, and the Pro letariat who got poorer and poorer, weaker and weaker. By 1954, social reforms. have brought much com fort and security to the working class so that their Hving conditions are cer- tainly not so miserable as they were a hundred years ago.
But oven today, in sothe parts of the world;
ard
workers
leading
WALTER NG
the author, 21, is
.
19
a
It is worse. murderzus sabre hanging with a they get anly a breath of the fragile Thread
I over us, threaten- dust stirred in its wake. and kill us ni hny ing to full
The actual plercing moment.
of the steel into our bodies lasts
Only 1
a few
records, but the
Comic Finance?
For out of his profits from, the operas, Bridget's grandfather built first the Savby Theatre and then the Savoy Hotel, which has grown into the group comprising Claridges and the Berkeley as
And when you come to think of it what a comle opera Gilber! and Sullivan would have created out of the financial struggle
menacing thought of no escape Freedom of thought and a free last year between, Mr. Harold and the terrifying walt for death way of life are essential to Samuel; Sir Charles Clare, and to come make the situation all happiness. The modern world, Mr Hugh Wollner for the the more agonising. With siel however, is so standardised and control of the group, a threat to imminent all the individual expression is so con-
cun the 1954 World, or happier than the 1854 can it be happy one at
We have studied the well, the cronomie and the political nзpçet of the world in 1884;
*
Rousseau (and many
and in
"What is the secret of this fined that, all
often, suteers
and of Gilbert individuality is rundeated. Ira Sullivan?" I asked Peter Fratt. person 18 not given full opper-who takes the principal comic tunity to develop. ari individual rolcs. he is but d
e la
Just wöndörfül
There
the combaht
of prischer social "I don't know,” he said. "I tyranny. A man without freedom suppose that they were a pair a student teacher 1954. After various may not, in fact, a man. Amusements were together.
is a man without happiness- is of geniuses. So long as they propositions and historical re at the Northcote
ferences, wo coina 10 the for our Joisure hours are very "Are they just as enthusiastic conclusion that the Training School
world is much standardised, also. We f gous ever in the United States?" definitely not happier in 1954 to a cinema, we listen to the I went than it was in 1954. But was radio, or, in some places, we "Yes" He said, and turned to
Was switch on the television, when bisnurketiva It the other way round?
wife,
Joyce wretched life, labouring for place where the industrial world happier in 1854 than we want entertainment, But Wright, for confirmation. a new, small group of wolves gathered. In Asia
In 19547
these require; na thought ́and Joyce la niso in the company. people who are definitely where the Industrial Revolu.
little mazioni
Imagination, Are they These "Savoyard even Infer- Anti-Capitalist, and yet not tion came late, products
likely to ensure us look at the kind?: 10% marry."
of amuse Pro-Labour. It is a life made chicily by hand
ment people had in 1854. They more miserable than any suffered from the Inrush of
other told stories (often of their own that Karl Marx and Engels better and cheaper foreign the world might have been a poetry
grent philosophers) argued that invention) sang ballads, read wrote, 20 fanatically and machine-made articles. But happice one, fads it remained ment, or danced folk-dances or Botad Aamud his wife
plated musical instr frenetically agafrist, a hun- the world of today is equally more primitivo
Through the Awes
ballroom dred years ago. However, in a stage of economic in- If Ife were simpler thero
Would we may argue that this stability, Rivalry for that be few of the hervous and music, they hot was Kot good wee with Old Motherr
quality. The Books they read physical
Riley at strain that.
the Choled Those misery exista only in parta kets is as keen as ever. It
might be
When I went for make toward Adantis conte easily achieved that deleve happiness.
were Indhed, the
attle general, the world's social people are no longer making satisfaction of a high moral and Roubeau's
my contract, the fou conditions aro mubh im- war to secure markets, but Intellectual order. Bour
(a) éketain' ainolant de
you know proved. Admitting this argu- they still make bitter accusa- ment, we have proved that lone against each other. life is more comfortable, Competition andriva idro.......... pleasurable today; again, we may argue,“ lend But we have also proved that eventually to the improves the world lẻ, not Huppler, ment of material cond alice, pleasure, is quite dif- But, do they make ferent from happiness, pier? In what wa This brings us back to the happier than 1954-
of, the globe and, that, in is true that at the moment "mSatifaction RS were of Elburary value.”
Simplicity and
are olor factors in
it i evident that bippinem.· ́` As the world." "war was' Barbier· In 185
simbito civilinech, life - gefä
complex and uncerta
wp feel confused
We know from our
exptriondo (that
thing about thewo Sullivan rolos
Placo
A crowd collected and was sooh
roaring with laughter, The guardsman's face twitch- with his attempts to preserve on impassive appearance.
Finally, just at the turn where no one could see him, he broke down and let out one huge guffaw. But his face was had completed His turn. a rigid mask by the time he
Bounder
you have to watch that mhn," I was told. "He's the sort of chap who follows you, into a revolving door and comes out first? ----
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