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 release – L’île Enchantée

Dutton Epoch have released the Society’s new recording of Sullivan’s L’île Enchantée which includes world premiere recordings of two movements from the ballet. The CD also includes world premiere recordings of the Procession March, Herman Finck’s arrangement of Day Dreams and a new orchestration of The Sapphire Necklace overture by Robin Gordon-Powell. The BBC Concert Orchestra is conducted John Andrews. The CD is now available from the Society’s shop.

Forthcoming Events

Opera Anywhere

Opera Anywhere presents The Pirates of Penzance at the Amphitheatre, Upper Oddington, GL56 0XW on 21 August at 7pm. Tickets £25, £15 under 18, £60 family. Fully staged with 10-piece orchestra. Sing in the chorus: rehearsal 5pm-6pm, bring your own vocal score or hire for £5. www.ticketsource.co.uk

Grimeborn Opera Festival

Emily Hunter Oulton presents H.M.S. Pinafore as part of the Grimeborn Opera Festival 2022. 23/24/26/27 August at 7.30. Studio 1, Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street London E8 3DL. Tickets 020-7503-1646; https://www.arcolatheatre.com/whats-on/h-m-s-pinafore/.

Director Emma Jude Harris sails this radical rethink of Gilbert and Sullivan’s beloved H.M.S. Pinafore to Grimeborn. Set aboard a British warship and originally intended to gently satirise the rigid British class system,

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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