Welcome to the website of the

Sir Arthur Sullivan Society

The Society aims to promote and generate interest in the music of Sir Arthur Sullivan through recordings, publications, festivals and the Society's magazine. We hope you find everything you need to know about Sullivan and the Society on this website including:

Society membership
up to date news of forthcoming performances and other events
music available for free download or hire
the Society's Shop selling recordings and books

and much more ...

Sir Arthur Sullivan

Born in London in 1842, Arthur Sullivan trained at the Chapel Royal, the Royal Academy of Music and the Leipzig Conservatoire. His incidental music to Shakespeare’s The Tempest made him an overnight celebrity when it was performed at the Crystal Palace in 1862. He went on to compose in practically every musical genre: oratorio, cantata, symphony, concerto, ceremonial works, incidental music for the stage, piano and chamber works, songs, partsongs, hymns and anthems.

His celebrated collaboration with W. S. Gilbert produced fourteen operas, including H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado, between 1871 and 1896. There were also ten operas with other librettists. Incomparably the greatest British musician of the nineteenth century, Sullivan held honorary doctorates from both Oxford and Cambridge, was knighted in 1883 and died in London in 1900.

News

New Sullivan song disc

The Society’s second set of Sullivan’s songs has just been released by Chandos. The new 2-CD set is available to buy from the Society’s shop. Mary Bevan, Kitty Whately, Ben Johnson, Ashley Riches are accompanied by David Owen Norris. Along with the earlier Chandos album of Sullivan Songs (CHAN 10935(2) ) and recordings by students of the Royal Northern College of Music available here this completes Norris’ survey of all Sullivan’s songs.

Forthcoming Events

Scottish Opera

Scottish Opera presents:

The Gondoliers: Theatre Royal, Glasgow 16/21/23 Oct (also a shortened, dementia-friendly Access Performance 22 Oct); Festival Theatre, Edinburgh 28/29/30/31 Oct, 4/6 Nov (Access Performance 3 Nov); Eden Court theatre Inverness 10/11/13 Nov (Access Performance 12 Nov); Hackney Empire, London 30/31 Mar, 2 Apr 2022. Musical Director Derek Clark, Director Stuart Maunder. Richard Suart as the Duke.

Utopia Limited: Theatre Royal,

BFI Mike Leigh retrospective

As part of a complete retrospective of the films of Mike Leigh at BFI Southbank (aka the National Film Theatre), there will be two screenings of a double bill of Launder & Gilliat’s The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan and Mike Leigh’s Topsy-Turvy. The season runs from 18th October to 30th November, and the G&S programme will screen on Sunday 14th November and Sunday 28th November. Mike will be doing a post-screening Q&A on 14th.

Haddon Hall (complete without spoken dialogue) / Mr Jericho / Captain Billy

Arthur Sullivan: HADDON HALL (1892); libretto Sydney Grundy. Complete without spoken dialogue. First professional recording.

Ed Lyon (tenor) – John Manners; Henry Waddington (bass-baritone) – Sir George Vernon; Adrian Thompson (tenor) – Oswald; Ben McAteer (baritone) – Rupert Vernon; Donald Maxwell (baritone) – McCrankie; Sarah Tynan (soprano) – Dorothy Vernon; Fiona Kimm ( mezzo-soprano) – Lady Vernon; Angela Simkin (mezzo-soprano) – Dorcas; BBC Singers (chorus master Matthew Morley); BBC Concert Orchestra; John Andrews (conductor).

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