The Yeomen of the Guard

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Gilbert's illustration of "I have a song to sing, O!".

For the British military corps, see Yeomen of the Guard

The Yeomen of the Guard, or The Merryman and his Maid, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888, and ran for 423 performances. This was the eleventh collaboration of fourteen between Gilbert and Sullivan.

The opera is set in the Tower of London, during the 16th century, and is the darkest, and perhaps most emotionally engaging, of the Savoy Operas, ending with a broken-hearted main character and two very reluctant engagements, rather than the usual numerous marriages. The libretto does contain considerable humour, including a lot of pun-laden one-liners, and Gilbert's trademark satire and topsy-turvy plot complications. The dialogue, though in prose, is quasi-Shakespearian, or early modern English, in style.

Many consider the score to be Sullivan's finest, including an overture written in sonata form, rather than as a sequential pot-pourri of tunes from the opera, as in most of his other overtures. This was the first Savoy Opera to use Sullivan's larger orchestra, including a second bassoon and third trombone. Prior to Yeomen, Sullivan's standard pit orchestra had just one bassoon and two trombones. Most of Sullivan's subsequent operas, including those not composed with Gilbert as librettist, use this larger orchestra.

[edit] Background

When the previous Gilbert and Sullivan opera, Ruddigore, finished its run at the Savoy Theatre, no new Gilbert and Sullivan opera was ready, and for nearly a year the stage was devoted to revivals of such old favourites as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado. For several years leading up to the premiere of Yeomen, Sullivan had expressed the desire to leave his partnership with W. S. Gilbert in order to turn to writing serious opera and other serious works full time. Sullivan had recently been lauded for the successful oratorio The Golden Legend and would produce his grand opera, Ivanhoe, only 15 months after Yeomen. After an effort to interest his collaborator in a plot where the characters, by swallowing a magic pill, became who they were pretending to be (Sullivan had rejected this idea before), Gilbert made an effort to meet his collaborator half way. Gilbert claimed that the idea for the opera came to him while he was waiting for the train in Uxbridge and spotted an advertisement for the Tower Furnishing Company, illustrated with a Beefeater. He proposed a libretto set at the Tower of London, which Sullivan immediately accepted.

Although not a grand opera, Yeomen provided Sullivan with the opportunity to write his most ambitious score to date. The two set to work on the new opera, taking longer to prepare it than they had taken with many of their earlier works. Gilbert made every effort to accommodate his collaborator, even writing alternative lyrics to some songs. Sullivan had trouble setting one lyric in particular, "I have a song to sing-O!". He asked Gilbert if he had anything in mind when writing it. Gilbert hummed a couple of lines from a sea shanty, and Sullivan knew what to do.

The first act was rather long and contained an unusual number of sentimental pieces. As opening night approached, Gilbert became increasingly apprehensive. Would the audience accept this serious, sentimental tone from one of the duo's "comic" operas? Gilbert and Sullivan cut two songs from Act I and part of the Act I finale, partly to decrease the number of sentimental pieces near the beginning of the opera. Gilbert, always nervous himself on opening nights, came backstage before the performance on opening night to "have a word" with some of the actors, inadvertently conveying his worries to the cast and making them even more nervous. Jessie Bond, who was to open the show in a solo song alone on stage finally said to him, "For Heaven's sake, Mr. Gilbert, go away and leave me alone, or I shan't be able to sing a note!"[1]

The opera is different from the rest of the series in a number of respects. Its tone is somewhat darker and more serious in character. There is no satire of British institutions. Instead of the opera opening with a chorus, the curtain rises on a single figure seated at a spinning-wheel singing a touching ballad. The Daily Telegraph's review of Yeomen was very admiring of Sullivan's efforts:

The accompaniments...are delightful to hear, and especially does the treatment of the woodwind compel admiring attention. Schubert himself could hardly have handled those instruments more deftly, written for them more lovingly.... We place the songs and choruses in The Yeomen of the Guard before all his previous efforts of this particular kind. Thus the music follows the book to a higher plane, and we have a genuine English opera, forerunner of many others, let us hope, and possibly significant of an advance towards a national lyric stage. (Allen, p. 312).

The Times noted, "It should... be acknowledged that Mr. Gilbert has earnestly endeavoured to leave familiar grooves and rise to higher things."[2] Some reviewers, however, suggested that Gilbert took too much of his story from William Vincent Wallace's 1845 opera, Maritana, in which a street singer is married in secret to a gentleman.

Yeomen concerns the "Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, the Tower of London", popularly known as the "Beefeaters". These are guardians of the Tower of London (and the crown jewels) who are selected for this position as a reward for long and meritorious service to the crown. Today, they act as tour guides at the Tower of London. The Yeomen Warders are often incorrectly referred to as Yeomen of the Guard, which is actually a distinct corps of royal bodyguards. Gilbert shared this confusion (or didn't care to be precise in the matter) by naming the opera The Yeomen of the Guard. However, Gilbert and Sullivan were careful to replicate the historical Tower as closely as possible in the opera's in settings, costumes and music. For instance, during the Act I finale, the bell of St. Peter's tolls for the coming execution as was the custom at the time.

Another point of interest regarding Yeomen is that the character of the Lieutenant of the Tower, Sir Richard Cholmondeley, is the only character in all of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas that is based overtly on an historical figure. Cholmondeley was the Lieutenant of the Tower from 1513 to 1520, during the reign of Henry VIII. Cholmondeley lost some favour with the City of London authorities during the Evil May Day riots of 1517, when he ordered the firing of some of the Tower's artillery at the city during rioting by gangs of young Londoners, who attacked foreigners, especially the wealthy foreign merchants and bankers of Lombard Street, London and who took control of London for several days. Nevertheless, Cholmondeley continued serving at the Tower for three more years until ill-health forced him to resign. He was responsible for the rebuilding of the chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, the parish church of the Tower of London, where there is a prominent tomb in his memory.

A monument in Sullivan's memory was erected in the Victoria Embankment Gardens (London) and is inscribed with a lyric from Yeomen: "Is life a boon? If so, it must befall that Death, whene'er he call, must call too soon". In 1962, 1964, 1966, and 1978, the opera was staged in the moat of the Tower of London.

[edit] Roles

• Sir Richard Cholmondeley [pronounced Chum'lee], Lieutenant of the Tower (baritone)
• Colonel Fairfax, under sentence of death (tenor)
• Sergeant Meryll of the Yeomen of the Guard (bass-baritone)
• Leonard Meryll, his son (tenor)
• Jack Point, a strolling jester (comic baritone)
• Wilfred Shadbolt, Head Jailer and Assistant Tormentor (bass-baritone or baritone)
• The Headsman (silent)
• First Yeoman (tenor)
• Second Yeoman (baritone)
• Third Yeoman (tenor) – see "Cut music"
• Fourth Yeoman (bass) – see "Cut music"
• First Citizen (speaking/chorus)
• Second Citizen (speaking/chorus)
• Elsie Maynard, a strolling singer (soprano)
• Phœbe Meryll, Sergeant Meryll's daughter (mezzo-soprano)
• Dame Carruthers, Housekeeper to the Tower (contralto)
• Kate, her niece (soprano)

• Chorus of Yeomen Warders, gentlemen, citizens, etc.

[edit] Synopsis

The 15th century Tower in a manuscript of poems by Charles, Duke of Orléans (1391-1465) commemorating his imprisonment there (British Library)

[edit] Act I

Phoebe Meryll sits at the spinning wheel, sighing about the pain of love. Wilfred Shadbolt, the head jailer and assistant torturer at the Tower of London enters, and Phoebe mocks him, disgusted by his profession. Wilfred, who is in love with Phoebe, has noticed her interest in one of the prisoners at the Tower, Colonel Fairfax. He gleefully conveys the news that Fairfax is to be beheaded, for the crime of sorcery, that very day. Phoebe replies that Fairfax is merely a scientist and alchemist (and a handsome one at that) and leaves Wilfred to suffer from his love for her. The citizens and Yeomen arrive, singing of the latter's bravery and valiant deeds. Dame Carruthers, the housekeeper of the Tower, dismisses protestations by Phoebe of Fairfax's innocence and, vexed by Phoebe's criticism of the Tower, sings its praises. After everyone leaves, Phoebe is joined by her father, Sergeant Meryll, who reports that her brother Leonard has been appointed a Yeoman for his valour in battle. Leonard is on his way from Windsor, where the court sits, and may bring with him a reprieve for the Colonel. Leonard Meryll enters bearing a despatch for the Lieutenant of the Tower but no reprieve. Sergeant Meryll is eager to save Fairfax, for the Colonel served with him in battle and twice saved Sergeant Meryll's life. He hatches a plan: Leonard will hide away and Fairfax, sprung from his cell, will assume Leonard's guise. Phoebe is charged with getting the key to Fairfax's cell from her lovesick jailor, Wilfred.

Fairfax enters under guard by an escort of Yeomen. Sir Richard Cholmondeley, the Lieutenant of the Tower, sees him and greets him sadly, as they are old friends. Fairfax bears his impending execution bravely and philosophically, prompting tears from Phoebe and even Sergeant Meryll. Fairfax asks a boon of the Lieutenant: the charge of sorcery was the doing of his wicked cousin Sir Clarence Poltwhistle, a Secretary of State, who will inherit his estate if he dies unmarried. He therefore wishes to be married by his confessor to any available woman, it matters not whom, who will receive a hundred crowns for her hour of matrimony. The Lieutenant agrees and leaves.

Jack Point, a jester, and Elsie Maynard, a young singer, are pursued by a rowdy crowd that demands merriment and threatens the two strolling players. Elsie, objecting to a man's rude attentions, boxes his ears, which gives Point a moment to quieten and amuse the crowd. The two entertainers offer to perform the song of The Merryman and his Maid: it tells of a lovelorn merryman who is jilted by a maiden in favour of an arrogant lord, but the latter rejects her, and returns on her knees to the merryman to beg for his love, and all ends happily. The song over, the crowd grows unruly again, and violence is averted only by the Lieutenant's arrival. Point and Elsie introduce themselves and explain that Elsie's mother Bridget is very ill and they seek money to buy medicine for her. The Lieutenant offers Elsie a chance to earn a hundred crowns (a very substantial sum) by marrying a condemned gentleman immediately. Point, who intends to marry Elsie someday, is assured that the groom will be beheaded directly after the ceremony. Elsie consents and is blindfolded and led off by Wilfred for the secret ceremony. The Lieutenant tells Point that he has a vacancy for a jester, and Point tells him of his skills and tries out some jokes. The Lieutenant leads Point off to discuss the employment further.

Wilfred leads Elsie back from her anonymous meeting with the priest and the prisoner and leaves her to reflect on her impending widowhood. Meanwhile, Wilfred wonders what they were up to in Fairfax's cell. Phoebe arrives and seductively distracts him as she steals his keys, which she gives surreptitiously to her father, who goes to free Fairfax from his cell. She keeps Wilfred busy until her father returns the keys, which she returns to Wilfred's belt, and leaves the confused and hopeful jailor to his fantasies of marrying her. Meryll disguises Fairfax as his son Leonard.

The Yeomen come to greet "Leonard", who insists that the tales of his bravery are exaggerated. He flounders when Phoebe greets him, not having been introduced to her, but Wilfred helpfully identifies her, telling Fairfax (with a strong dose of wishful thinking) that he, Wilfred, is betrothed to Phoebe. He commends her to the care of her "brother" until the marriage. The headsman enters, and all is ready for the execution. Wilfred, Fairfax (still disguised as Leonard) and two Yeomen go to fetch Fairfax. The Yeomen return and Fairfax announces his own disappearance. The Lieutenant blames the jailor, Wilfred, and declares his life forfeit instead. Wilfred protests his innocence and all wonder – not all honestly – how the prisoner could have escaped. Elsie is distraught, as is Point. The former faints in Fairfax's arms as all rush off to hunt for Fairfax.

[edit] Act II

Two days have passed, and the Yeomen continue searching in vain for the escaped prisoner. Dame Carruthers enters with her niece Kate and berates the Yeomen for letting Fairfax escape. Jack Point (now employed by the Lieutenant), sits brushing up on his jests and bitterly reflecting on his profession, when Wilfred comes by. Point taunts the failed jailor, and Wilfred says he'd rather be a jester. This gives Point an idea. He reveals the secret wedding and agrees to teach the oaf the art of jesting if Wilfred will publicly swear that Wilfred shot Fairfax dead as he swam across the river to escape. Wilfred agrees to swear to this lie.

Meanwhile Fairfax, still disguised as Leonard Meryll, laments his hurried marriage to a bride he cannot identify, for her face was concealed by the blindfold. Sergeant Meryll says that Elsie, the girl who fainted at the execution, and who has been placed in Meryll's charge, has recovered, but that her illness gave Dame Carruthers an excuse to take up quarters in his house while she nursed the girl. He has spurned the old woman's obvious overtures for years. Carruthers then happens by, together with her niece Kate, and notes that the latter heard Elsie talking in her sleep about her secret wedding. The other three leave Fairfax alone, pleased to find that his mystery wife is the fair Elsie. He decides to test her loyalty by pretending to woo his own wife, still disguised as Leonard. She rejects "Leonard's" overtures, as a married woman should, and he is about to reveal himself to her.

Just then, a shot is heard from the wharf and everyone enters. Wilfred, with the jester's corroboration, declares that he struggled with someone creeping about, discovered it was Colonel Fairfax, who dove into the river, and seizing an arquebus, Wilfred shot him dead. The Lieutenant orders the Yeomen to search for the body, and Wilfred is celebrated as a hero. Elsie, Fairfax, Phoebe and Point are left alone, and Point asks Elsie, as she is now free, to marry him. Fairfax, still disguised as "Leonard", tells Point that he doesn't know how to woo (it is not to be done in the manner of a jester!), and he undertakes to instruct Point in this art, following this up with a most effective demonstration on Elsie. Point, slow to see that Fairfax is wooing the girl for himself (and that Elsie has fallen for the heroic "Leonard"), finally protests. Fairfax tells Point that he has shown him how to woo and that he should apply the teachings "elsewhere". Phoebe, seeing her adored Fairfax pledged to another, bursts into tears, while Point, shocked by the turn of events, wishes he was dead.

Wilfred sees Phoebe weeping and she, rendered incautious by anger and hurt, and by her scorn for the jailor, inadvertently reveals that "Leonard" is in fact Fairfax. Realizing the game is up, she desperately buys Wilfred's silence by agreeing to marry him (after a long engagement). The real Leonard then returns and announces that Fairfax's reprieve has finally arrived. Sergeant Meryll enters, followed surreptitiously by Dame Carruthers. Phoebe tells him of her folly and goes with Wilfred, whereupon Dame Carruthers reveals herself to Meryll and threatens to expose the three schemers who had freed Fairfax illegally. He resignedly buys her silence with his offer of marriage.

Elsie arrives joyfully for her wedding to the man she still knows as "Leonard", but the Lieutenant arrives and announces that her husband Fairfax lives. Fairfax arrives dressed for the wedding, but Elsie, distraught over the loss of "Leonard", does not turn to see his face. He teases his wife, keeping up the pretence for another minute. Elsie begs for his mercy, to free her to go to her love, "Leonard", but he says that his heart is like a "massive rock" and claims her as his bride. Finally Elsie turns to see his face, and finally recognises him as her adored one. All once again erupt into joy, except the broken-hearted Jack Point. Tearfully, he reprises the song that he had earlier sung with Elsie, The Merryman and his Maid, with wrenching sorrow. Elsie "drops a tear" for Point, but turns back to her love. As the chorus turns away to celebrate the marriage of Fairfax and Elsie, Point falls insensible at their feet.

[edit] Musical numbers

• Overture

[edit] Act I

• "When maiden loves, she sits and sighs" (Phœbe)
• "When jealous torments rack my soul" (Wilfred) – see "Cut music"
• "Tower warders, under orders" (Crowd and Yeomen, solo Second Yeoman)
• "When our gallant Norman foes" (Dame Carruthers and Yeomen)
• "A laughing boy but yesterday" (Meryll); – see "Cut music"
• "Alas! I waver to and fro" (Phœbe, Leonard and Meryll)
• "Is life a boon?" (Fairfax)
• "Here's a man of jollity" (Chorus)
• "I have a song to sing, O!" (or, "The Merryman and his Maid") (Point, Elsie, and chorus)
• "How say you, maiden, will you wed?" (Lieutenant, Elsie, Point)
• "I've jibe and joke" (Point)
• "'Tis done! I am a bride!" (Elsie)
• "Were I thy bride" (Phœbe)
• Finale Act I (Ensemble)
  • "Oh, Sergeant Meryll, is it true?"
  • "To thy fraternal care, thy sister I commend"
  • "The pris'ner comes to meet his doom"
  • "M'lord, m'lord.... As escort for the prisoner"
  • "All frenzied, frenzied with despair they rave"

[edit] Act II

• "Night has spread her pall once more" (People, Dame Carruthers, Yeomen)
• "Oh! a private buffoon is a light-hearted loon" (Point)
• "Hereupon we're both agreed" (Point and Wilfred)
• "Free from his fetters grim" (Fairfax)
• "Strange adventure" (Kate, Dame Carruthers, Fairfax, Meryll)
• "Hark! What was that, sir?" ... "Like a ghost his vigil keeping" (Meryll, Fairfax, Lieutenant, Wilfred, Point, Ensemble)
• "A man who would woo a fair maid" (Fairfax, Elsie, Phœbe)
• "When a wooer goes a-wooing" (Elsie, Fairfax, Phœbe, Point)
• "Rapture, rapture" (Dame Carruthers, Sergeant Meryll)
• Finale Act II (Ensemble)
  • "Comes the pretty young bride"
  • "Oh, day of terror!"
  • "Leonard, my loved one, come to me"
  • "I have a song to sing, O!"

[edit] Cut music

Like most of the Savoy Operas, Yeomen went through significant cuts and alterations during rehearsal, and there were further changes after the authors' deaths that have become traditional. Yeomen is unusual, however, in the amount of cut music that survives, has been recorded, and is available for performance.

Two songs were cut from Yeomen during rehearsals or early in the first run. Wilfred's solo about his unrequited love for Phoebe, "When jealous torments rack my soul", was cut in rehearsal. It was intended to be sung before #2. Sergeant Meryll's nostalgic solo about his son's childhood, "A laughing boy but yesterday", was cut after the first night. This was also in the first Act, right before Leonard's entrance. One or both of these songs has been used in some modern performances by both amateur and professional companies.

Before opening night, the third and fourth yeomen's couplets in the Act I finale – in which they remind "Leonard" of his brave deeds – were cut, though they remained in the vocal score until around the 1920s. The third yeoman had also joined Fairfax when he tells the Lieutenant that the prisoner has escaped. When the solo couplets were cut, the third yeoman was deleted from this passage as well, leaving it a trio for Fairfax and two other yeomen.

Fairfax's first solo, "Is life a boon?", is the second version of that song. Gilbert thought that Sullivan's first setting (in 6/8 time) was too similar to many of the other tenor ballads in the Savoy Operas and urged the composer to rewrite it. Sullivan complied, but also saved the first version, leaving an unusual example of two separate settings of the same lyric.

The Act II duet for Sergeant Meryll and Dame Carruthers, "Rapture, rapture", was often cut in 20th-century D'Oyly Carte Opera Company performances, apparently because it was thought to detract from the serious tone of the work. However, D'Oyly Carte eventually restored the duet, and in modern productions it is usually performed. As originally written, the duet ended with transitional music leading directly into the Act II finale. Those measures do not appear in vocal scores, and modern performances usually delete them, bringing the duet to a full close so that the opening bars of the finale are not covered by applause.

At some point, before 1920 or so, the "Oh day of terror" section had the parts for Kate and Phoebe significantly reduced. In the original conception, these characters echoed Elsie, with an "Oh, Leonard" solo for Kate, and cries to "Come thou to her side, and claim her as thy loving bride" sung along with Elsie. The modern version leaves Elsie singing her line by herself, puts Kate with the chorus, gives Phoebe a mixture of Dame Carruthers' part and her old one, and changes Phoebe and Dame Carruthers' lyrics.

There was one other cut made after Gilbert's death: Separate lyrics for Elsie and Point, not found elsewhere, were cut during the "All frenzied, frenzied with despair they rave" section of the Act I finale.

The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive's Yeomen page includes lyrics, vocal scores and MIDI files of the two cut solos. The 1993 New D'Oyly Carte recording includes all the cut music and both versions of "Is life a boon?".

[edit] Original cast

The original principal cast was as follows:

• Sir Richard Cholmondeley, Lieutenant of the Tower - Wallace Brownlow
• Colonel Fairfax, under sentence of death - Courtice Pounds
• Sergeant Meryll of the Yeomen of the Guard - Richard Temple
• Leonard Meryll, his son - W. R. Shirley
• Jack Point, a strolling jester - George Grossmith
• Wilfred Shadbolt, Head Jailer and Assistant Tormentor - W. H. Denny
• The Headsman - Mr. H. Richards
• First Yeoman - Mr. Wilbraham
• Second Yeoman - Mr. Medcalf
• Third Yeoman - Mr. Merton
• Fourth Yeoman - Mr. Rudolf Lewis
• First Citizen - Mr. Redmond
• Second Citizen - Mr. Boyd
• Elsie Maynard, a strolling singer - Geraldine Ulmar
• Phoebe Meryll, Sergeant Meryll's daughter - Jessie Bond
• Dame Carruthers, Housekeeper to the Tower - Rosina Brandram
• Kate, her niece - Rose Hervey

[edit] Cultural impact

The musical group Peter, Paul and Mary included the song, "I have a song to sing, O!" on one of their children's albums, Peter, Paul and Mommy (1969).

[edit] References

• Ainger, Michael (2002). Gilbert and Sullivan, a Dual Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 
• Allen, Reginald (1975). The First Night Gilbert and Sullivan. London: Chappell & Co. Ltd. 
• Baily, Leslie (1966). The Gilbert and Sullivan Book, new ed., London: Spring Books. 

[edit] External links

• The Yeomen of the Guard at The Gilbert & Sullivan Archive
• The Yeomen of the Guard at The Gilbert & Sullivan Discography
• Gilbert & Sullivan song parodies, including some from Yeomen
• Discussion of Yeomen
• Information about the background of Yeomen