G&S Christmas News

CHRISTMAS NEWS

Dear Festival Friend We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded a grant of £120,000 as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF). What a fantastic boost this has been for us all at the Old Vicarage. We hope we never have to experience another twelve months quite as bleak and miserable as the past twelve but the news we received on 15 October certainly put a smile back on our faces! So, we send a huge “THANK YOU” to the Arts Council. It has been a long time coming, but it could never have arrived at a better moment in our history, and now we can go into 2021 with confidence we would never have believed possible a few months ago!

Our new streaming service gsopera.tv is proving to be a huge success, and we have a fantastic online Advent Calendar of outstanding entertainment for subscribers. Every day, starting on 1 December, there will be a live-streamed event at 7.00 pm. These will include our brand-new G&S singalongs, interviews with Festival favourites, and specially filmed concerts with performances from members of the National G&S Opera Company.

The full December schedule is enclosed, and you can also see our full programme of exclusive events at www.gsopera.tv.

You can also “try before you buy”. We have a free four-day trial of gsopera.tv so you can see just how fantastic it is, so make sure you are all signed up and ready to go by 1 December. If you need any help or have any questions, please email tv@gsfestivals.org.

We are looking forward to the Festival in 2021 and can’t wait to see all our friends again.

However, we will not be able to book your tickets or hold the priority draw until early Spring. Buxton Opera House and the Royal Hall will remain closed until at least the end of March, and their box offices will not be up and running and selling tickets in time. But do not worry! We will send out the Priority Draw forms well in advance, and there will be plenty of time to choose your seats.

You can see the programme on page 7.

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So as 2020 draws to a close, we wish you all a happy and safe Christmas and hope that 2021 will be a better and kinder year for us all.

We look forward to seeing you all as soon as we can.

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Arts Council England - Our Fantastic News!

We could not contain our delight on 15 October when we discovered that we had been successful with our bid for a grant from Arts Council England’s Culture Recovery Fund. What an exciting day it was!

We have been rejected – and crushed – on several occasions, and admit we were not holding out much hope. But, we received £120,000 from the fund and can now move into 2021 with confidence and the knowledge that our Festival is safe and secure for future.

The grant is wonderful. Not only has it given us financial security, but it also tells the world that the Festival is of national and international significance worth investment.

All in all, the Festival employs over a hundred individuals every year. Quite an achievement.

The grant also allows us to build a solid relationship with the Arts Council in the future. We firmly believe this is one of the most critical and vital aspects. Finally, we feel the door has opened to collaboration with ACE, and we look forward to exploring future projects with them.

Would you like to be part of our new Festival Development Committee?

The cancellation gave us time to look in detail to see how we can encourage more people to enjoy and take part in opera – as audience members, volunteers and performers. As a result, we have created the Festival Development Committee, whose purpose is to ensure our workforce and audiences better represent the diverse communities we serve. We aim to be inclusive to all, bringing opera to groups who traditionally do not have access to this art form.

We have ambitious plans and are looking for volunteers from all age groups.

Find out More If you are interested, email janet@gsfestivals.org or call 01422 323252.

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Two more reasons to raise a glass!

We are delighted to announce that at the recent meeting of the Board of Trustees of our charity, The Friends of the G&S Festival, Neil Smith was elected Chairman. He has a strong act to follow. His father, the late Ian Smith, held the position for fifteen years. Neil is a co-director of the G&S Festival and needs no introduction, and we know that everyone has been delighted to watch his recent online interviews with your Festival favourites.

When we established the Friends of the Festival in 2004, I don’t think any of us could have imagined just how much the Festival would grow and how important it would become to so many people.

Nor could I have imagined it without my ‘elder brother’ by my side.

It’s a great honour for me now to be stepping into my father’s shoes as its new Chairman and I hope in the coming year more and more will sign up to become Festival Friends and help us to secure the Festival for future generations of Gilbert and Sullivan enthusiasts.

And our other company news is the announcement of Oliver Smith as a director of Theatrical Adventures, our popular river cruise and travel company. Ian Smith recognised Oliver’s immense contribution to the company and was determined that he should take his share. Our river cruises and holidays might be on hold at the moment, but we are looking forward to getting up and running with them again just as soon as we can.

So it’s cheers to you too, Oliver! We can’t wait to get back on those boats, and we know our customers are just as impatient too!

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Step into a December like no other with our gsopera.tv advent calendar Our gsopera.tv advent calendar of festive fun and frivolity starts on December 1st and runs daily until Christmas Day. And it’s going to be a cracker! Every day we will open the door to see a new and exciting event from interviews with your Festival favourites, to G&S singalongs, concerts and carols.

We have been exceptionally busy filming some fantastic, exclusive concerts with our National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company stars, and we know you are going to love them. And we also have lots of Festival films from the last twenty-six years available to watch too.

Every day the event will stream live at 7 pm but if you are living in a different time zone, or can’t make it, never fear! You can log on later to watch.

So, make sure you are signed up and ready to go at gsopera.tv in time for December. And you can “try before you buy” with a free four-day trial, so you can be sure you are happy. If you want to cancel you can do so easily and at any time.

What is gsopera.tv

gsopera.tv is the home of Gilbert and Sullivan on the internet. It features the very best of 20 years of the National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, along with top amateur productions performed at the International G&S Festival, G&S films and fascinating G&S documentaries and interviews. Yes, there are plenty of websites where you can find out everything you want to know (and more!), but gsopera.tv is the only place where you can fully experience these fantastic Savoy operas.

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How much does it cost?

When setting up your free trial, you choose which plan you would like to take.

You can be billed on an : Annual Basis (£99.99 per anum) or on a Monthly Basis (£9.99 per month).

Each plan suits different people – the monthly plan is perfect if you are looking for more flexibility and the annual plan is the most cost-effective way to enjoy gsopera.tv.

At the moment you can watch gsopera.tv anywhere you have an internet connection. You do this through your internet browser. You can watch it on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, PC, up to date smart TVs and Fire Stick by visiting www.gsopera.tv and signing into your account.

Oh it’s too much APP-iness!

Yes, in the coming weeks we will be rolling out our very first apps! We are so excited and anticipate they will be ready by mid January. This will enable all our subscribers to download the gsopera.tv app onto their Apple iOS devices (iPhone and iPads) or their Android devices (smart phones and tablets) at no extra cost! They will also be able to download full productions, join live-streamed events and even watch offline and on the go!

Simply Email tv@gsfestivals.org if you have any queries or call 01422 323 252 01422 323 252 | Every purchase supports the work of the Gilbert & Sullivan Festival | 06

YOUR SPECIAL gsopera.tv ADVENT SCHEDULE Every day in December we will live stream a unique and special event for all our subscribers to gsopera.tv. And we have some crackers. To make sure you join in the festive fun, make sure you are all signed up before the 1st December. The live-streams will start at 7.00 pm (GMT) but don’t worry if you miss one or you are in a different time zone – you’ll be able to catch up later.

1 Dec LIVE with Donald Maxwell

Neil Smith chats with Donald Maxwell about his life in opera and his love of Gilbert & Sullivan

2 Dec Highlights of the Festival A film compilation of the best of the best from the past twenty-six years.

3 Dec An Evening of Gilbert &

Sullivan with Matt Siveter

An Evening of G&S with favourite G&S Opera Company principal Matt Siveter

4 Dec LIVE with Simon Butteriss

Simon chats about his love of Christmas since he was a choirboy at Westminster Abbey and his love of theatre.

5 Dec Together Again 1 (Film)

Performed in Buxton Opera House in 2000 with stars from the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company including John Reed, Thomas Round, Kenneth Sandford.

6 Dec Singalong with G&S

Shoulders back, deep breath and GO! Singalong to your G&S favourites. And the words are there for you too!

7 Dec An Evening of Music

with John Savournin

Festival favourite John Savournin brings us a wonderful concert of his favourite G&S and opera.

8 Dec LIVE with Richard Suart

Neil Smith chats with Richard Suart, an opera singer and author who has played Ko-Ko in Miller’s The Mikado in over 150 performances.

9 Dec Last Night of the G&S Proms Filmed in Buxton Opera House for the Festival’s 10th

birthday. Featuring the National Festival Orchestra,

Michael Rayner and Helen Beechinor.

10 Dec Robert Ray introduces

The Arcadians

Robert Ray from the G&S Society of Victoria, Australia talks about their production of The Arcadians and this film will then be available to watch.

11 Dec CHRISTMAS CRACKER!

A special event to be revealed!

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12 Dec An Evening of Music with G&S Opera Company members Andy and Julie entertain.

Andrew Brown and Julie Power What a treat!

13 Dec Echoes of the Festival (film) A look back over 25 happy years at the International G&S

Festival – includes highlights, interviews and clips from our favourite shows.

14 Dec CHRISTMAS CRACKER!

A special event to be revealed!

15 Dec Henry’s Christmas Special It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! G&S Opera

Company member Henry Smith entertains with Christmas

carols and “golden oldies”.

16 Dec Princess Ida 2017

One of our all-time favourite G&S Opera Company productions directed by Cav. Vivien Coates.

17 Dec A G&S Christmas in Buxton A Christmas concert with Festival favourites.

18 Dec LIVE with Ian Bradley: Sacred Sullivan

Ian Bradley talks about Sullivan’s sacred music including hymns, carols and oratorios.

19 Dec Singalong with G&S

Shoulders back, deep breath and GO! Singalong to your G&S favourites. And the words are there for you too!

20 Dec Carols with Phoebe

Tonight Phoebe Smith, Masters student at the Royal Academy of Music sings her favourite carols. A delight.

Make sure you join in!

21 Dec LIVE with Richard We catch up with Richard, G&S Opera Company star, as Gauntlett he prepares for his 20th pantomime at Norwich Theatre Royal.

22 Dec Musical Lollipops with

Aidan and Juliet

Aidan and Juliet, from the G&S Opera Company and favourites on our Theatrical Adventures cruises entertain with G&S and festive songs.

23 Dec The Mikado, D’Oyly Carte We are thrilled to screen this full-scale production starring Opera Company (1960s) Donald Adams, John Reed, Kenneth Sandford and Valerie Masterson.

24 Dec Mincepies and Merriment

with Simon Butteriss

‘Tis the night before Christmas and Simon brings us a fabulous concert with songs and readings to round off 24 days of festive fun.

25 Dec CHRISTMAS CRACKER!

A special event to be revealed!

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We say goodbye to Judy Savournin The Festival team were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Judy Savournin, well-known Festival friend, volunteer and performer in Harrogate and Buxton for well over twenty years.

Judy, 69, was born and raised in Sheffield and quickly established herself as one of the area’s leading amateur performers. She auditioned for the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company and was accepted subject to taking a degree at the RNCM but, instead, met and married her husband John with whom she had two children John and Jo (both of whom are very well known to Festival visitors).

When the Festival first began, Judy and her family became regular attenders, performing in Festival Productions and, more recently, Bus Pass Opera. She was fully involved with the Festival Youth production, in particular, coaching the principals.

Her career included teaching at Montessori and Special Needs schools in the area and as a bereavement counsellor with St Luke’s Hospice. She also taught piano as well as running a youth theatre and primary school activities In recent years Judy could be found manning the Friends café in the Festival Club, selling programmes in the foyer or taking a role in one of the impromptu late-night Pot Luck performances. Of course, Judy will forever be known to many around the world as the G&S Keep Fit guru following the popular film she made in 2010.

Judy died at home on Wednesday, 21 October and is survived by husband John, her children John and Jo, step-daughter Roz and grandson Jenson and granddaughter Ellie.

Donations can be made in her memory to St Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield.

Go to www.memorygiving.com/ judithmariejosephinesavournin Our thoughts are with the family.

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Friends of the Gilbert & Sullivan Festival News We might not have had a Festival to contend with this year, but your Board of Trustees have been busy throughout the year. There is no question that this valued team have been an enormous support to us during the past few months and we say a huge “thank you” to them for their help in 2020.

The overriding topic in all meetings has been the Festival cancellation and the financial future of the Festival. The early days of the first lockdown were very challenging, and the fantastic messages of support we received from around the globe were inspiring and crucial to get us through those horrible months. So, thank you. Thank you to all our Festival Friends, who were just amazing. We are very fortunate to know you all.

Our most significant achievement was the launch of our new streaming service –

gsopera.tv and we are now beginning to see the fruits of our labours. We know this will be an essential financial support for the Festival in the future and we have been delighted to see our subscriptions rising throughout the year.

As we reported to the Board of Trustees, finance and new business for the Festival has been crucial for our survival. Now that we have also received the fantastic grant from the Arts Council, we feel very confident that we can deliver an outstanding event in 2021 and secure the future of the Festival in the years to come.

The 2020 AGM was postponed due to exceptional circumstances and will take place in August 2021. You can see the 2019 Festival Accounts on the Charity Commissions website, or call 01422 323252 for a copy.

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We’ve got your Christmas all wrapped up!

Look no further. You can buy special friends and loved ones some fabulous G&S gifts for their Christmas stockings, and we can wrap them and deliver them directly.

So, if you are stuck at home or don’t want to brave the wind and rain, simply choose your gifts, and our busy Vicarage elves will get everything done for you. And remember, every purchase supports the work of the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival.

Christmas Cards Our brand-new Christmas cards are perfect for your friends and family, and you can be sure they will not be on sale anywhere else! Each pack includes six cards and six envelopes, and the cards measure. 150cm x 150 cm.

One pack costs £5.00 or buy any three for £12 (please indicate reference numbers on the order form).

1. G&S Christmas Tree Six cards of the same design with envelopes Message inside – “Season’s Greetings” Order Ref: GSC/TRE

2. G&S Wreath Six cards of the same design with envelopes Message inside – “Season’s Greetings” Order Ref: GSC/WRT

3. Gilbert & Sullivan Cards Six cards – two of each design with envelopes Message inside – “Merry Christmas” Order Ref: GSC/MXS

5.Christmas Jumpers For the first time, we have designed a unique Christmas jumper with that great quote from The Gondoliers – “Life’s a pudding full of plums”. Perfect for cosying up by a crackling fire on a cold winter’s night as you watch our Festive offering on gsopera.tv. Available in red or green.

SIZES: S,M,L,XL,XXL £19.99 or 2 for £36 Order Ref: SWS/PLUM

4.Wrapping Paper Designed exclusively for Musical Collectables - each pack includes 2 sheets of folded wrapping paper one red / one green.

Size 50 x 70 cm £2.99 or £5 for 2 packs Order Ref: GS/WRP

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Merry Christmas

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Merry Christmas

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The Great Gilbert & Sullivan Bookshop 1.Gilbert & Sullivan’s Christmas Book compiled by John van der Kiste This delightful anthology makes a perfect gift.

It includes a selection of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Christmas creations along with writing from their associates and contemporaries.

Order Ref: BK/JVDK £9.99

2. NEW: The Secret Life of the Savoy written by Olivia Williams Published September 2020 Following the history of the iconic Savoy Hotel through three generations of the D’Oyly Carte family, The Secret Life of the Savoy revives an extraordinary cultural legacy. A beautiful book and a cracking gift.

Order Ref: BK/SLS £18.00

3. NEW: Mikado Memories SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR written by Richard Suart “The audience should feel as they come out of this show that they have overeaten an enormous cream meringue.” Johnathan Miller in 1986.

Thirty-three years later, the Miller Mikado is still selling out the Coliseum. In his new book, Richard Suart, who has played Ko-Ko for over 150 performances, celebrates Miller’s iconic production.

Order Ref: BK/MIK £15.00 4. They’d none of ‘em be missed written by Richard Suart and A S H Smith Re-live the celebrities and scandals of the last thirty years with this wonderful collection of re-workings of the Little List song from The Mikado. A source of innocent merriment indeed!

Order Ref: RS/LST £13.00

5. NEW: D’Oyly Carte Inside Out SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR written by Roberta Morrell Here is Roberta’s sequel to the widely acclaimed D’Oyly Carte: the Inside Story (see below). This time, she explores the external pressures on the company, already having to deal with the demands of being on the road for forty-eight weeks every year, performing eight shows a week. It’s a great read.

Order Ref: RM/DCIO £14.99 (or buy together with D’Oyly Carte: The Inside Story for £27)

6. D’Oyly Carte: The Inside Story SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR written by Roberta Morrell Roberta looks at the life of the historic D’Oyly Carte Opera Company between 1950 and its sad demise in 1982. Hilarious anecdotes mingle with serious fact. Mix in a little intrigue over the ownership of the Savoy Hotel and you have an entertaining account of a unique theatrical institution.

Order Ref: RM/DCIS £14.99 (or buy together with D’Oyly Carte: Inside Out for £27)

7. COOKERY A LA CARTE written by David Steadman and Melvyn Tarran A cookbook like no other, Cookery a la Carte is a fun and jam-packed collection, bursting with ingredients, stories and images. With over 100 unique recipes from members of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, biographies of the stars, anecdotes and many rare never-seen-before photographs, this is a must-have for Gilbert & Sullivan fans and foodies alike! The perfect Christmas gift.

Order Ref: CAC/BK £25.00

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D’Oyly Carte: Inside Out is the sequel to Roberta Morrell’s widely-acclaimed book, ‘D’Oyly Carte: The Inside Story’, in which she detailed the working life of the iconic D’Oyly Carte Opera Company from 1950 to the company’s much-lamented demise in 1982.

This time, using more humorous and informative anecdotes from her former colleagues, Roberta explores the external pressures on artistes and back-stage personnel already having to deal with the demands of being on the road for forty-eight weeks of every year at home and abroad.

Over-zealous attention from adoring fans; problems dealing with the management; scathing treatment from theatre critics and the sacrifice of family life, all having to be survived to bring the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan to devoted D’Oyly Carte audiences. Larger-than-life characters leap out of every page, entertaining the reader with their exploits on and off the stage. That the historic company has gone forever seems unthinkable - but has it?

Matador

NON-FICTION

£14.99

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ARNOLD ROTH Morell_FC(3).indd 1

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8. The Magic of Gilbert & Sullivan – Their Life & Times This unique book includes nineteen fascinating presentations from the 2018 Festival “The Magic of G&S” Conference.

The book is in five sections and is an excellent read for enthusiasts who want to delve a little deeper in the works of Gilbert & Sullivan.

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The National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company We’ve missed a whole year of our glorious G&S productions and visits to the theatre so here is your opportunity to sit back, relax and revisit some of your favourite shows from those good old days! We have a vast catalogue of DVDs from the last twenty-six years of the Festival, and if you want a production that is not on the list, please call 01422 323252. More DVDs are available online at www.gsfestivals.org. Blu-Ray is available at an additional cost of £5 for a single DVD purchase or Box Set (£15) And don’t forget, you can subscribe to gsopera.tv too and see all our films in one place. See pages 5 - 8 for more information.

BOX SETS - SAVE £20!

Our box sets are excellent value for money and our most popular are listed below. The DVDs are also available singly (£19.99 each) and you can order by phone - 01422 323252 or online at www.gsfestivals.org BOX SET 1 The National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company 2019 Season Our acclaimed National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company pulled out all the stops in 2019 winning numerous five-star reviews in the national press.

Includes: The Pirates of Penzance The Mikado The Yeomen of the Guard The Gondoliers Order Ref: BOX/19 £59.99

BOX SET 2 The National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company 2018 Season The Pirates of Penzance Iolanthe Ruddigore The Sorcerer and Trial by Jury Order Ref: BOX/18 £59.99

BOX SET 3 The National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company 2017 Season The Pirates of Penzance The Mikado The Gondoliers The Yeomen of the Guard Order Ref: BOX/18 £59.99

THE BIG BOX SET save over £80!

Here is an exceptional gift for a very special person.

Or why not just treat yourself? The BIG BOX SET includes productions from the early years of the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company and covers the entire G&S canon.

All DVDs filmed in Buxton Opera House.

The set includes: The Pirates of Penzance and Cox & Box (2001) The Mikado (2001) Princess Ida (2009) The Sorcerer (2005) HMS Pinafore & Trial by Jury (2009) Patience (2008) Utopia Limited (2011) The Grand Duke (2012) The Gondoliers (2012) Ruddigore (2004) The Yeomen of the Guard (2011) Iolanthe (2008) Order Ref: BBS/01 £150.00

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THE BIG BOX SET

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Gilbert & Sullivan DVDs 1. G&S Festival the Historic Collection

4. The Gilbert & Sullivan for All Collection

We’ve unearthed some gems to include in this four box set from the archives.

Blu-Ray is not available.

Disc 1 – The Echoes of our Festival - A look back over 25 happy years at the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival – includes highlights, interviews and segments from our favourite shows.

Disc 2 – Cox & Box and Trial by Jury - Featuring principals From The Original D’Oyly Carte Opera Company including Kenneth Sandford, Mary Sansom, Michael Raynor and Gareth Jones.

Disc 3 – The Sorcerer – 1996 – Featuring principals from The Original D’Oyly Carte Company including Kenneth Sandford, Peggy Ann Jones and Patricia Leonard.

Disc 4 – Ruddigore – 1996 – Featuring principals from The Original D’Oyly Carte Company including Kenneth Sandford, John Ayldon, and Julia Goss.

Order Ref: HIS/001 £59.99

Produced in the late 1970s, this range of films star Valerie Masterson, Donald Adams and Thomas Round.

The Collection features eight operas in an abridged form (approximately 45 minutes each) including an introduction by Thomas Round.

Disc 1 – HMS Pinafore and The Gondoliers Disc 2 – The Mikado and Trial by Jury Disc 3 – The Yeomen of the Guard and The Pirates of Penzance Disc 4 – Iolanthe and Ruddigore Order Ref: GFS/01 £45.00

2. The Yeomen of the Guard – 1994 We delved into our archive to bring you this gem!

Join former members of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company for this delightful, semi-staged production of The Yeomen of the Guard. Filmed in Buxton Opera House.

Blu-Ray is not available.

Order Ref: YOG/94 £19.99

3. The Mikado, D’Oyly Carte Opera Company

5. The Story of Gilbert & Sullivan This all-time favourite from the 1950s is simply perfect for watching during the holiday season.

Starring Robert Morley and Peter Finch with appearances from Thomas Round and Martin Green, this makes the ideal Christmas gift.

Order Ref: DVD/STG £19.99

6. The Pirates of the Pirates of Penzance This entertaining DVD stars Spike Milligan and Ian Wallace and tells the tale of Gilbert & Sullivan’s attempt to thwart American impresarios from “pirating” The Pirates of Penzance before it could be performed in England and thus enjoy copyright protection. This zany film was made in 1980 and also features John Reed and Cynthia Morey.

Order Ref: DVD/POP £9.99

This 1960s production performed by the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company includes those G&S greats Donald Adams, John Reed, Kenneth Sandford, Valerie Masterson, Philip Potter and Christene Palmer.

Blu-Ray is not available Order Ref: DOC/MIK £19.99

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We are hoping against hope that life will be back to “normal” by 31 July 2021 when we open the 27th International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in Buxton Opera House. We are, of course, thinking of lots of different ways we can get everything to work if life isn’t exactly where we want it to be at that time.

Theatres will not open until early Spring, so we are going to delay our Priority draws accordingly. The delay will not have any impact on your tickets. You will have the same opportunities for the seats you want just as you would when we hold the draws in November through to February.

We are also looking to postpone our National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company tour until 2022 and concentrate our efforts next year on Buxton, Harrogate and Malvern. Our Festival will be in three of the UK’s most famous spa towns. What a treat!

Your Festival Programme

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Buxton Opera House // 31 July - 7 August Matinee (2.30pm)

Evening (7.30pm)

Company

31-Jul The Mikado 01-Aug Pirates of Penzance 02-Aug 03-Aug 04-Aug HMS Pinafore 05-Aug 06-Aug 07-Aug Ruddigore

The Mikado Pirates of Penzance Patience The Gondoliers Pirates of Penzance Patience HMS Pinafore Iolanthe

NGSOC NGSOC NGSOC Trent Opera NGSOC NGSOC NGSOC Charles Court Opera

Royal Hall Harrogate // 8 August - 22 August 08-Aug The Mikado 09-Aug 10-Aug 11-Aug Iolanthe 12-Aug 13-Aug 14-Aug Patience 15-Aug Pirates of Penzance 16-Aug 17-Aug 18-Aug Patience 19-Aug 20-Aug 21-Aug HMS Pinafore 22-Aug The Mikado

HMS Pinafore Iolanthe The Gondoliers Ruddigore Pirates of Penzance Yeomen of the Guard The Mikado HMS Pinafore Ruddigore The Mikado Pirates of Penzance Grand Duke Princess Ida Patience Pirates of Penzance

NGSOC Peak Opera Trent Opera Charles Court Opera Brussels Light Opera Company Forbear! Theatre NGSOC NGSOC Abbots Langley G&S Society Ploverleigh Savoy Players NGSOC SavoyNet Performing Group Buss Pass Opera NGSOC NGSOC

Malvern Theatre // 7 September - 11 September 7-Sept 8-Sept HMS Pinafore 9-Sept 10-Sept 11-Sept Pirates of Penzance

The Mikado HMS Pinafore Patience Pirates of Penzance The Mikado

NGSOC NGSOC NGSOC NGSOC NGSOC

WWW.GSFESTIVALS.ORG 01422 323 252 | Join the Friends today see page 21 | 20

Join The G&S Family Our members are the heart of the Festival family and enjoy priority tickets, discounts and a range of benefits throughout the year. And there is no doubt that the “Friends” are crucial to our work in the future. In particular, our subscriptions support our Youth Productions, UNIFest and Bus Pass Opera, but they also help us to employ our fantastic singers, musicians and creative teams.

So, to those of you who are already members, we say thank you! And if you have not signed up yet, we look forward to welcoming you soon.

Membership also makes an exceptional gift for a special friend or loved one.

If you would like to purchase any of the membership options as a Christmas or birthday gift, please call 01422 323252. We will send a membership pack with a special message directly to the recipient or to you to pass along.

You can join (or renew your current membership) on the enclosed form or online at www. gsfestivals.org or by phone – 01422 323252.

The categories of membership are:

Festival Friend

Festival Partner

Single: £35 Joint: £50 - Priority Draw for Festival tickets in Buxton Opera House and the Royal Hall - Discounts on Festival tickets and special offers throughout the year - Free Member only activities during the Festival - Regular newsletters - Acknowledgement of support in the Festival programme

Single: £350 Joint: £550 - All the benefits of a Benefactor plus - Free ticket to the Festival Youth Production - Two complimentary tickets to the show of your choice in the Savoy Theatre Harrogate - Personal booking service for seats in Buxton Opera House and/or The Royal Hall

Benefactor Single: £100 Joint: £150 - All the benefits of a Festival Friend plus Special Priority Draw for tickets - Invitation to weekly reception at the Festival in Harrogate - Free Festival Souvenir Programme - Pass for the Festival Club in Buxton and/or Harrogate - Festival “goody bag” in Harrogate

Life Member Single: £1,000 Joint: £1,500 - All the benefits of a Benefactor

Patron Minimum annual donation of £1,000 - All the benefits of a Festival Partner - Two tickets for the Festival Lunch in Harrogate - Opportunities to attend dress rehearsals and meet members of the NGSOC

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FESTIVE FUN Singing G &S in the s hower is g until you g reat fu et soap in your mouth n Then it be . comes a so ap opera.

Why do pirates listen to opera music?

Because they love the high Cs.

in the G&S Why couldn’t the pony sing Festival?

Well, he was a little horse d

artet fin string qu e h t ’t n ld Why cou poser? their com dn. ay He was H

into a bar.

Middle C, E flat and G walk e don’t “Sorry,” the barman said. “W serve minors.”

Why did th e pianist k head again eep banging his st He was pla the keys? ying by ea r.

e a bandstand? ak m u yo o d ow H r chairs.

Take away thei this es about k jo y n a so m There are composer. zt. you a Lis e k a m ld I cou What do you ge piano do t when you dro pa wn a mi ne shaft ?

A flat m inor.

What do you get w h en yo piano on an army u drop a base?

A flat m ajor.

What kind of music are balloons afraid of?

Pop Music the ake from t s r e b b o the r What did op? music sh The lute!

What’s the difference be tween a conductor and God? God doesn’t think he’s a conductor.

01422 323 252 | From the G&S Festival Team, we wish you a very Merry Christmas! | 22

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come true! So, sign up today for some musical magic and join the Festive fun” ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and on the TV There was nothing to watch and nothing to see The Radio Times lay abandoned in pique It’s good entertainment and music I seek I rummaged around on the channels all night I was sweaty and grumpy, a real tragic sight When what to my wondering eyes did appear But an email to bring me some much-needed cheer It told me of riches and wonders galore Gilbert & Sullivan and oh so much more I smiled, and I chortled, my Christmas is saved This was the music and joy that I craved So sign up today, and all will be right Entertainment for all and for all a good night

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