tower warders, under orders
Dec. 31st, 2003 12:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
incandescensThey're (for some value of they) releasing a remastered set of Gilbert and Sullivan recordings from the 1930s, directed by Sir Malcolm Sargent (no, I know little about him, but apparently he was Big In His Time) at remarkably low prices. Guess who picked up copies of Pinafore, Patience, Yeomen of the Guard, and Pirates of Penzance today?
Was just listening to Yeomen of the Guard, and it's not bad, though there is a bit of background hiss, and it doesn't have quite the same drilled precision that you get in most G&S recordings these days. So -- not the only recording of a show you'd ever want (hasn't got the spoken dialogue, either) but definitely a nice thing to have, both in the sense of being a good performance and in the sense of being a historical one.
And, in reference to the below -- there is nothing new under the sun.
---
The Old Issue
[...]
All we have of freedom, all we use or know -—
This our fathers bought for us long and long ago.
Ancient Right unnoticed as the breath we draw -—
Leave to live by no man’s leave, underneath the Law.
Lance and torch and tumult, steel and grey-goose wing
Wrenched it, inch and ell and all, slowly from the King.
Till our fathers 'stablished, after bloody years,
How our King is one with us, first among his peers.
So they bought us freedom —- not at little cost
Wherefore must we watch the King, lest our gain be lost,
Over all things certain, this is sure indeed,
Suffer not the old King: for we know the breed.
Give no ear to bondsmen bidding us endure.
Whining "He is weak and far"; crying "Time shall cure.",
(Time himself is witness, till the battle joins,
Deeper strikes the rottenness in the people’s loins.)
Give no heed to bondsmen masking war with peace.
Suffer not the old King here or overseas.
They that beg us barter —- wait his yielding mood -—
Pledge the years we hold in trust -— pawn our brother's blood -—
Howso' great their clamour, whatsoe'er their claim,
Suffer not the old King under any name!
Here is naught unproven —- here is naught to learn.
It is written what shall fall if the King return.
He shall mark our goings, question whence we came,
Set his guards about us, as in Freedom's name.
He shall take a tribute, toll of all our ware;
He shall change our gold for arms —- arms we may not bear.
He shall break his judges if they cross his word;
He shall rule above the Law calling on the Lord.
He shall peep and mutter; and the night shall bring
Watchers 'neath our window, lest we mock the King -—
Hate and all division; hosts of hurrying spies;
Money poured in secret, carrion breeding flies.
Strangers of his counsel, hirelings of his pay,
These shall deal our Justice: sell -— deny -— delay.
We shall drink dishonour, we shall eat abuse
For the Land we look to —- for the Tongue we use.
We shall take our station, dirt beneath his feet,
While his hired captains jeer us in the street.
Cruel in the shadow, crafty in the sun,
Far beyond his borders shall his teachings run.
Sloven, sullen, savage, secret, uncontrolled,
Laying on a new land evil of the old -—
Long-forgotten bondage, dwarfing heart and brain -—
All our fathers died to loose he shall bind again.
Here is naught at venture, random nor untrue -—
Swings the wheel full-circle, brims the cup anew.
Here is naught unproven, here is nothing hid:
Step for step and word for word —- so the old Kings did!
Step by step, and word by word: who is ruled may read.
Suffer not the old Kings: for we know the breed -—
All the right they promise -— all the wrong they bring.
Stewards of the Judgment, suffer not this King!
-- Rudyard Kipling
Was just listening to Yeomen of the Guard, and it's not bad, though there is a bit of background hiss, and it doesn't have quite the same drilled precision that you get in most G&S recordings these days. So -- not the only recording of a show you'd ever want (hasn't got the spoken dialogue, either) but definitely a nice thing to have, both in the sense of being a good performance and in the sense of being a historical one.
And, in reference to the below -- there is nothing new under the sun.
---
The Old Issue
[...]
All we have of freedom, all we use or know -—
This our fathers bought for us long and long ago.
Ancient Right unnoticed as the breath we draw -—
Leave to live by no man’s leave, underneath the Law.
Lance and torch and tumult, steel and grey-goose wing
Wrenched it, inch and ell and all, slowly from the King.
Till our fathers 'stablished, after bloody years,
How our King is one with us, first among his peers.
So they bought us freedom —- not at little cost
Wherefore must we watch the King, lest our gain be lost,
Over all things certain, this is sure indeed,
Suffer not the old King: for we know the breed.
Give no ear to bondsmen bidding us endure.
Whining "He is weak and far"; crying "Time shall cure.",
(Time himself is witness, till the battle joins,
Deeper strikes the rottenness in the people’s loins.)
Give no heed to bondsmen masking war with peace.
Suffer not the old King here or overseas.
They that beg us barter —- wait his yielding mood -—
Pledge the years we hold in trust -— pawn our brother's blood -—
Howso' great their clamour, whatsoe'er their claim,
Suffer not the old King under any name!
Here is naught unproven —- here is naught to learn.
It is written what shall fall if the King return.
He shall mark our goings, question whence we came,
Set his guards about us, as in Freedom's name.
He shall take a tribute, toll of all our ware;
He shall change our gold for arms —- arms we may not bear.
He shall break his judges if they cross his word;
He shall rule above the Law calling on the Lord.
He shall peep and mutter; and the night shall bring
Watchers 'neath our window, lest we mock the King -—
Hate and all division; hosts of hurrying spies;
Money poured in secret, carrion breeding flies.
Strangers of his counsel, hirelings of his pay,
These shall deal our Justice: sell -— deny -— delay.
We shall drink dishonour, we shall eat abuse
For the Land we look to —- for the Tongue we use.
We shall take our station, dirt beneath his feet,
While his hired captains jeer us in the street.
Cruel in the shadow, crafty in the sun,
Far beyond his borders shall his teachings run.
Sloven, sullen, savage, secret, uncontrolled,
Laying on a new land evil of the old -—
Long-forgotten bondage, dwarfing heart and brain -—
All our fathers died to loose he shall bind again.
Here is naught at venture, random nor untrue -—
Swings the wheel full-circle, brims the cup anew.
Here is naught unproven, here is nothing hid:
Step for step and word for word —- so the old Kings did!
Step by step, and word by word: who is ruled may read.
Suffer not the old Kings: for we know the breed -—
All the right they promise -— all the wrong they bring.
Stewards of the Judgment, suffer not this King!
-- Rudyard Kipling
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-12-30 08:05 pm (UTC)(Of course, what I *really* want is a recording of the hometown theater group's production which originally enthralled me in the 80s, but. :) It's the future, I want to upload my memories!)
no subject
Date: 2003-12-31 03:27 am (UTC)