Oh Joy! Oh Rapture! The Enduring Phenomenon of Gilbert and Sullivan

Often viewed as safe material for amateur performers and pre-adolescentschool children, the fourteen operas on which William S. Gilbert and Arthur S.Sullivan collaborated between 1871 and 1896 are frequently seen as quaint, camp,anachronistic period pieces. Yet, like the policemen in The Pirates of Penzance,Gilbert and Sullivan have refused to exit stage left into oblivion. Their workscontinue to be hugely popular throughout the English-speaking world and areenjoying a new renaissance on the European Continent. The Savoy Operas are moreoften and more widely performed and recorded than ever before in their historyand are staged every year by thousands of performing groups, both amateur andprofessional. Why have these quintessentially Victorian works not just survivedbut thrived into the twenty-first century?In Oh Joy! Oh Rapture! expert and enthusiast Ian Bradley explores the world ofGilbert and Sullivan over the last four and a half decades, looking at the waythis "phenomenon" is passed from generation to generation. Taking as hisstarting point the expiry of copyright on the opera libretti at the end of 1961and using fascinating hitherto unpublished archive material, Bradley reveals theextraordinary story of the last years of the old D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, theguardian of Savoy tradition for over a hundred years, and the troubled historyof its successor. He explores the rich vein of parodies, spoofs, and spin-offsof the songs, as well as their influence on twentieth century lyricists andcomposers. He analyzes professional productions across the world, looks at theunique place of GandS in schools, colleges, and universities, and lovinglyexplores the culture of amateur performance. He also uncovers the largely maleworld of the obsessive fans, those collecting memorabilia, the myriad magazines,journals, websites, and festivals devoted to GandS, and the arcane interests ofsome of the faithful "inner brotherhood."Regularly quoted in television soap operas, films, and political speeches,Gilbert and Sullivan permeates British and North American mainstream culture.Bradley provides the first significant and in-depth analysis of this persistentand fascinating phenomenon. The book will appeal not only to dedicated Gilbertand Sullivan fans, but also to those interested in cultural history, performingarts and the enduring legacy of Victorian values. Looking to the future, Bradleyfinds strong grounds for predicting that the works of these two great Victoriangeniuses will continue to provide both innocent amusement and divine emollientfor many years to come.

Ian Bradley is Reader in Practical Theology and Church History in the School of Divinity at St. Andrews University.