TDA24104 Cover 24/8/05 10:55 Page 1 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Cox and Box or the long-lost brothers by F. C. Burnand and Arthur Sullivan Cox 1 Dialogue - Cox and Bouncer [1.43] 2 Rataplan (Bouncer’s Song) - Bouncer [2.56] 3 Dialogue - Cox and Bouncer [1.33] and Box 4 Stay, Bouncer, Stay! (Duet) - Cox and Bouncer [7.04] 5 Dialogue - Box and Bouncer [5.43] or 6 A Lullaby - (Box’s Song) - Box [3.25] 7 My Master is Punctual (Song and Dance) - Cox [1.15] the long-lost 8 Dialogue - Cox and Box [3.01] brothers 9 Who are You, Sir? (Trio) - Cox, Box, Bouncer [4.49] by 10 Dialogue - Box, Cox, Bouncer [3.01] F. C. Burnand 11 The Buttercup, (Duet Serenade) Cox and Box [3.46] and 12 Dialogue - Box and Cox [2.19] Arthur Sullivan 13 Not Long Ago (Romance) Box and Cox [5.20] (original 1866 version) 14 Dialogue - Cox, Box, Bouncer [4.11] 15 Sixes (The Gambling Duet) Box and Cox [4.20] 16 Dialogue - Box, Cox, Bouncer [6.26] Leon Berger 17 My Hand Upon It (Finale) Box, Cox, Bouncer [1.50] Ian Kennedy TOTAL PLAYING TIME [62.42] Recorded at the Colt Clavier Collection, Bethersden August 1984 1984 © 1998 Donald Francke Printed & Made in the EU Cover design: Inglewood Graphics (a division of Divine Art). in association with Kenneth Barclay Typeset by Blake Printers Ltd., Unit 8F, Industrial Estate, Haltwhistle, Northumberland. © Divine Art Ltd., 8 The Beeches, East Harlsey, Northallerton, DL6 2DJ, UK. 24104 ADD The Sir Arthur Sullivan Society (piano) Composite him by lapsing into Rataplan. Cox leaves in disgust THE SIR ARTHUR SULLIVAN SOCIETY Cox and Box - just in time for Bouncer to rearrange the room for his or, the long-lost brothers other tenant, Box. Registered charity no. 274022 Triumviretta in one act Box returns from his nightshift at the newspaper offi ces, In the original full-length version of 1866 [5], dismisses Bouncer, and falls asleep singing a lullaby President: Sir Charles Mackerras Adapted to the lyric stage from J. Maddison Morton’s to his sizzling breakfast (Hush’d is the Bacon)[6]. While farce of BOX AND COX by Box is napping, Cox returns, extolling the virtues of his boss who has given him a day off. (My Master is The Sir Arthur Sullivan Society was founded in 1977 to encourage interest F. C. BURNAND Punctual)[7]. The lodgers [8] meet (Who are You, Sir?)[9] and call for Bouncer who once again tries to in all the music of Sullivan (1842-1900) - two dozen operas, a dozen large The music by defuse the situation with his Rataplans. He convinces ARTHUR SULLIVAN them [10] that their dual tenancy is a temporary scale choral works incidental music to fi ve Shakespeare plays, two ballets, arrangement and goes to prepare another room, * * * leaving Cox and Box to pass the time together (The a symphony, a cello concerto, overtures, anthems, hymns, chamber music Buttercup)[11]. They discover remarkable similarities DRAMATIS PERSONAE in their love-lives [12]. Box explains how he faked and nearly 100 songs. a suicide note in order to wriggle out of an unhappy James John Cox - a journeyman hatter - Leon Berger engagement and the threat of a breach of promise lawsuit (Not Long Ago)*. [13] The Society publishes authoritative booklets, libretti, cassettes and compact John James Box - a journeyman printer - Ian Kennedy It transpires [14] that their fi ancées were one and the discs. Members receive Magazines and Newsletters in alternate quarterly Serjeant Bouncer - a lodging house keeper same, a certain Penelope Ann. Since neither wishes (late of the Dampshire Yeomanry) to marry the hapless lady, they decide to gamble for mailings, as well as an annual Sullivan CD discography and Society Yearbook. with military reminiscences - Donald Francke their freedom. As both intend to cheat, they willingly At the pianoforte - Kenneth Barclay participate in dice and coin-tossing (The Gambling Duet Every year a residential weekend event is held featuring performances of - Sixes)[15]. The quarrel builds [16], and the two men Musical Adviser - David Mackie order Bouncer to produce duelling pistols. Instead he rarely heard music. leaves them with a letter from Penelope Ann’s solicitor informing them of her sudden demise; the prospect The Society has a unique library of performing material for a whole range of an inheritance changes their attitudes. However a second letter reverses their fortunes and resurrects SYNOPSIS of Sullivan’s works, much of it available from no other source. Advice and the lady, who arrives in person to deliver a third note informing them of her intended betrothal to a Mr. information are always available to anyone wishing to perform Sullivan’s Scene: A room in Bouncer’s lodging house. Knox! Thus let off the hook the pair are reconciled and the prophecy of the alternative title of the play is music. [1] It is 8.00 a.m. and Cox, an apprentice hatter, borne out. The three sing a paean of praise to Knox prepares to depart for work. A chance remark to (My Hand Upon It) [17]. Bouncer prompts one of the landlord’s interminable For further information and membership details please contact the Membership Secretary, military anecdotes (Rataplan)[2]. Cox accuses *Note - the vocal score titles Not Long Ago as Three Bouncer [3] of stealing his provisions and demands an Years Ago - presumably uncorrected from an earlier 71 The Heights, Foxgrove Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 5BZ, UK. (020 8650 7979). explanation (Stay, Bouncer, Stay!)[4]. Bouncer distracts draft. [20] [1] TTDA24104DA24104 BookletBooklet 1 224/8/054/8/05 110:35:450:35:45 COX AND BOX: The 1866 Edition Illustration (18 May 1867) and at the Theatre Royal, Manchester (29 June 1867) during which time the duet This recording was made in a Victorian drawing-room Stay, Bouncer, Stay! and the Overture were added. In with the performers using real doors, windows, curtains due course, The Royal Gallery of Illustration was to and all the appropriate domestic props - much as it house a successful run of the piece, opening on 29 March would have been fi rst given at the informal presentation 1869 and continuing for nearly 290 performances. at Burnand’s house in 1866. In 1894, Sullivan authorised his own shortened version The well-known version of Cox and Box, used for many of Cox and Box to act as a curtain-raiser to his opera A full catalogue of all recordings on the years as a curtain-raiser for the shorter G&S operas, The Chieftan (also with Burnand) at the Savoy. It is this actually dates from 1921. Harry Norris and J. M. Gordon edition which formed the basis for the further truncation (then, respectively, Musical Director and Stage Director by Norris and Gordon 27 years later. Divine Art, Diversions, Athene and Pilgrim Star labels of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company) produced a 25- minute abbreviation - subsequently published as “The In the present recording, to achieve as musically is on our website at: Savoy Edition” - which remained in repertoire until complete a version as possible, we have taken the the late 1970s. The original 1866 version, over an hour liberty of including both the original compound-time long, and recorded here in full for the fi rst time, owes its version of the Bacon Lullaby (its fi rst ever commercial www.divine-art.com genesis to a rather curious gathering of compeers. recording) and Stay, Bouncer, Stay!, although the former was almost certainly rewritten before the latter was together with reviews, artist profi le and full track listings. The Moray Minstrels, a group of society luminaries of composed. Since the hours of 8 o’clock and 10 o’clock royalty, literature and music, met regularly for convivial are both crucial plot devices, we placed an unscripted Also available is the fi ne catalogue of Move Records (Australia) evenings of songs, music “and afterwards a light supper 9 o’clock between Box falling asleep and Cox’s return of oysters and refreshing drinks.” They took their name from work, for dramatic continuity. from Moray Lodge, the house of their host, Arthur J. Order on-line with our secure web store Lewis, in Kensington. When a companion piece was This recording was made in 1984 when all the required for Offenbach’s Les Deux Aveugles, who better participants were touring in Joseph Horowitz’ Or suited to the task than the rising 24 year old composer adaptation of Cox and Box for London Chamber Opera Arthur Sullivan, and the humourist F. C. Burnand? (formerly Intimate Opera). Horowitz’ edition restored Send an S.A.E. for full details of releases to: Burnand adapted a popular farce of 1847, Maddison a little of the cut music and dialogue, reinstated Mrs. Morton’s Box and Cox, to an all-male cast, reworked the Bouncer, but retained the Savoy Edition key signatures. The Divine Art Record Company dialogue (whilst retaining much of the original), inserted Our enthusiasm to perform a more authentic version lyrics for Sullivan to set, and inverted the title. coincided with that of various members of the Sir Arthur 8, The Beeches, East Harlsey, Northallerton, N. Yorks, DL6 2DJ. Sullivan Society, especially Selwyn Tillett, its Chairman, Cox and Box was first performed before a private Tel: 01609 882062 gathering at Burnand’s house on 23 May 1866, before who made it possible. Original plans for a commercial being unleashed on the Moray Lodge audience three release fell through until a limited cassette edition was e.mail: [email protected] days later.