Singers gearing up for double performance

This year, it’s ‘two for the price of one,’ as the choir will be partnering one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s best-loved one act operettas, ‘Trial By Jury’ with one of Sullivan’s least known - ‘The Zoo.’

'Trial by Jury' - perhaps Gilbert and Sullivan’s snappiest smash hit - tells of pretty Angelina, suing her cheating fiancé Edwin for ‘Breach of Promise of Marriage.’ It’s a comic war of dalliance and damages, cocking a snook at the great British legal system, with tunes so catchy you’ll be humming them all the way home.

Doubtless inspired by the Victorian popularity of London Zoo, which opened to the public in 1828, The Zoo (which was described as ‘A Musical Folly’) concerns two pairs of lovers, who meet at the animal attraction. Their rocky road to eventual happiness unwinds via disapproving fathers, muddled prescriptions and disguised aristocrats. Whilst the music was composed by Arthur Sullivan, the words were written not by his famous musical partner William Gilbert, but by a lesser known Victorian librettist, Benjamin Stephenson. After its initial run, the mini opera lapsed into obscurity. It wasn’t rediscovered until 1966, when opera enthusiast Terence Rees bought the score at a Sotheby's auction, sparking a revival of this forgotten delight.

The choir’s musical director Melanie Gilbert said: ‘These two musical gems are witty, lighthearted and full of sing-along moments. There’s no dull dialogue, they’re fast paced, funny and sure to please. G&S fans get a chance to hear some old favourite songs alongside rarely performed ones. And if you’re new to this style of music, these two ‘one act wonders’ are the perfect introduction.”

Matlock G&S Singers will be performing ‘The Zoo’ and ‘Trial By Jury’ at the Medway Centre, Bakewell, DE45 1DY, on Friday 16th June and on Saturday 17th June, at 7.30 pm. Tickets will be on sale in advance and will also be available at the door on performance nights, priced at £12.