MS Mus. 1550

MS Mus. 1550. Terence Rees Collection: Manuscripts of, and papers relating to, comic operas by A. Sullivan and E. German; circa 1886-1953.

ff. 215. 407 x 275mm.

1. ff. 1-37. A. Sullivan and E. German: ‘Concert Version of The Emerald Isle’; 1930. E. German’s autograph. Material used in the preparation of the 1931 Chappell publication. (a) ff. 1-15. ‘No. 20 Ensemble (with solo, Rosie)’. Full score. A revised version of MS Mus. 1549, ff. 64-83; - (b) ff. 16-34. ‘No. 21 Finale’. Full score. A revised version of Finale, No. 28, MS Mus. 1549, ff. 153-159; - (c) ff. 25v-26r. Song, ‘When Alfred’s friends.’ French horn parts. The song is in MS Mus. 1548, ff. 111-119; - (d) ff. 27-37. Draft of a publisher’s note, printed synopsis, contents list and other notes.

2. ff. 38-60. E. German: Excerpts from ‘The two poets’ (later revised as ‘The rival poets’); circa 1886. Autograph score with autograph cuts and alterations.

3. ff. 61-63. E. German: Two music excerpts; beginning of the 20th cent. Autograph. Together with a leaf which reads ‘Merrie England for the B.B.C.’; the music however apparently unrelated to anything in ‘Merrie England’. (a) ‘Introductory bars to No. 1, Hornpipe’; - (b) ‘Dance’. Piano reduction. Pencil sketches on verso.

4. ff. 64-89. Photographs and illustrations of ‘Merrie England’, or, ‘Elizabeth of England’; [1945]. Photographs by Russell Sedgewick, Ltd. and pictures, cut from an illustrated paper, of the 1945 Prince’s Theatre, London, production. Annotations on the photographs refer to ‘Elizabeth of England’, the title given to a new play using German’s original music which was commissioned in 1945 from Edward Knoblock (see B. Rees: Musical peacemaker: the life and work of Sir Edward German, 1986, pp. 291-293). However, it appears from J. P. Wearing’s The London stage 1940-1949 (1991) that the new play was produced with the same title as the opera.

5. ff. 90-177. A photograph of the first production of E. German’s ‘Merrie England’ and sixteen programmes from various later productions; 1902-1953.

6. ff. 178-206. E. German: ‘A princess of Kensington.’ Songs; circa 1902. Autograph. (a) ff. 178-185. ‘If anyone insults my Nell.’ Another version of MS Mus. 1552, ff. 177r-183; - (b) ff. 186-195. ‘When first I came among these men.’ This and the next two numbers are not in the autograph full score MS Mus. 1552-1553; - (c) ff. 196-202. ‘Now here is a song of Britain’; - (d) ff. 203-206. ‘The proper study of mankind’

7. ff. 207-215. Illustrations and a review of the first production of ‘A princess of Kensington’; 1903. Postcards and cuttings from illustrated papers. On the verso of f. 212 is a review of the opera from the Graphic, Jan 31 1903.

includes:

• ff. 1-37. Sir Edward German, formerly Jones; composer: 'The Emerald Isle', numbers from the concert version by Sir Edward German: 1930: Autogr.
• ff. 38-60 Sir Edward German, formerly Jones; composer: Excerpts from 'The two poets', comic opera by Sir Edward German: 1886: Autogr.
• f. 74. Anita Jeans, actress: Photograph: 1945.
• f. 76. Dennis Noble, actor: Photograph: 1945.
• ff. 76, 87-88. Linda Gray, actress: Photographs: 1945.
• ff. 81, 87 Heddle Nash, singer: Photograph: 1945.
• ff. 178-206 Sir Edward German, formerly Jones; composer: Captain Basil Hood, dramatist: Songs from the comic opera 'A princess of Kensington' by Sir Edward German, words by Capt. Basil Hood: circa 1902: Autogr.