HMS PRVAFORE AND THE QUEEN'S NAVEE: IMAGES OF THE ROYAL NAVY iN VICTORIAN MUSIC AND MUSIC THEATRE Eric Lam B.A., U~versityof British Columbia, 1997 B.Ed, University of British Columbia, 1998 THESIS SUBMïïlW IN PARTIAL FULFIUMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of History 43 Eric Lam 2000 SIMON FRASERUNIVERSlTY October 2ûûû AU rights reserved, This work may not be repduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other meiîtls, wittiout permission of the author. The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence ailowing the exclusive permettant B la National Li'brary of Canada to Bibliothèque nationaie du Canada de reproduce, loan, distn'bute or seîî reproduire, prêter, distribuez ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette these sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film,de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownershrp of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui pmtège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts hmit Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be prinîed or othenivise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reprodwed without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. "A British Tar is a soiwing soul, As frec as a mountain bud, His energetic fist sliould be reaùy to resist A dictatorial word. His nose shoulci pant and lus lip should curl, His cheeks sliould flame and his brow should furl, His bosom shodd lieave and his heart shodd glow, Anù his fist be ever ready for a knock-rlown blow." -W.S. Gilbert, HM.hdon iii ABSTRACT The territorial and diplornatic aims of the British Empire duriag the eigbteenth and nineteenth centuries were often accomplished by the Royal Navy. Its superiority in size and strength to any 0thcomparable force was a major mer in the success of Great Britain as a global power. With such success, the Royal Navy entered into the realm of British myths. En songs, plays, poetry and otber types of literary aad musical fomis, the Royal Navy acquired a patticular image of Britisimess. This thesis examines the notion of the mid-Victorian Royal Navy as ao image. As an institution it consisteci of sailors, officers, administrators, sbips, ports, training facilities aad other physical landmarks. As an image, it dybelonged to the mind of the person imagining. The best evidence that we have for assessing this imagery are artistic expressions in the form of titerary anà musical works as weii as &en accounts. Gilbert and Sullivan's HMS Pinqfme 6ts into the mid-Victorian period and was the most highiy acclaimed naval related musical drama of its tirne. Its popularity cm be attriited in part to the high standing the Royal Navy enjo yed. HMS P inqiore 3 construction and interpretation thus provides a revealuig look into contemporary hagery. The conclusions reached in this thesis are basai upon a hadrange of primary sources hmvarious différent media and hmsecomlary sources that Uicluded a diverse range of disciplines: iiterary critiiism, musicology, and, above dl, history. The imagery of the Royal Navy hma bruad range of artistic media, with focus on HMS Pînc#ve, is analyzeà and contrasted with the =tuai state of the mvy. TIK creation of a dom image of tbe naval sailor adnavy as an expression of being British in this particular period, it is argued, was Wkeâ by these cuiturai works which were essentially divorceci hmreality. We leam tbt the ideas expresseci and the gulfbetween image and teality was a chasm that most Mers, composes and artists, Gilbert adSullivan included, ultimately refused to cross DEDICATION For my Parents and Family: Kho have always encouraged me in my academic and musical endeavours And fot Johnson M. Chung ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1 wouid like to acknowledge the people wb have genmusly aided me in the researching and writing of this thesis and those who have helped inspire its creation. 1 wouid like to thank my supervisor Dr. John Stubbs for overseeing my journey in writing this thesis and correcting my many mistakes and lapses. His suggestions and directions for areas unfamiliar to nie to expbre were of the utmost help. 1 would like to thank my secondary supervisor Dr. Ian Dyck for helping me realii that a branch of military history such as tbe navy could have a such an interesting and researchable cultural aspect as weli. 1 would like to thank Dr. James Winter for taking the tirne to read my work and for providing a balanced criticai voice. 1 wouid like to thank my piano and music tbeory teacher Ms. Kaethe Lange for showing me the greater world of music that was ùefore so small to me. That initial start has ftelled my desire to combine my interests in history and music. And hlly, 1 wouid Lüce to thank Kenny Ng for his constant admonitions for me to finish my thesis in a timely manner and Johnson M. Chung for his endearing and mercurial personality which brightened many a gIoomy day and kept my inspiration hmsagging. E. Lam Vancouver, Canada Oa0ber2ooo TABLE OF CONTENTS 0. Approval Page ........................................................................................ -.* Abstract ................................................................................................111 Dedication. ............................................................................................ .iv Aclsnowledgements ...............................................................................v Table of Contents ..................................................................................vi .. List of Tables .....................................................................................-..v~i List of Iiiustrations ................................................................................vu1 ..* Preface ..................................................................................................ix Introduction .......................................................................................... I Chapter One .......................................................................................14 Chapter Two ......................................................................................... 29 Chapter Three ......................................................................................SS Chapter Four .................................................................................105 Appendix One .......................................................................................116 Appendix Two ......................................................................................120 Appendk Three .................................................................................122 Bibliography .........................................................................................1 29 vü LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Naval Spending as a Percentage of the Total Budget............... 95 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS The British Fleet in the Dardenelles ......................................................85 HMS Eurydice ....................................................................................... 86 Il The Gating Gun, As Used in Our Navy".............................................. 87 Cutlass Drill ..........................................................................................89 PREFACE The fist time 1attended a performance of an operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan was in the spring of 1997. The work king perfonned by Vancouver Opera at the tirne was The Mikado and 1was absolutely enthralled by the smart lyrics and the tunefid music. Up to that point, 1 had always been an opera and classical music enthusiast, but for some reason the works of Gilbert and Sullivan had managed to elude my attention When 1 was given the opportunity to write a Master's thesis at Simon Fraser University, Gilbert and Sullivan were not immediately at the forehnt of rny mind. But eventuaily, as 1 racked my brain for idem to explore in a tesearchable area on the Victorian Royal Navy, the nautical tunes of HMS Pina@re entered my head. From there, came the inspiration for a work that tries to link the wondertùl operetta with the realities of the Victorian Royal Navy. What is king done here is not entirely novel. Previous authors have made links between Gilbert and Sullivan and the$ wider Victorian world. What 1 do attempt, however, is to focus intensely on one operetta and on one facet of that Victorian world: the Royal Navy. In the present day the tunes of Gilbert and Sullivan have become fossilized as a venerable British tradition or a vehicIe for expatriates to express their Britishness, but I ûy to remind those who read this thesis that, in theù day, Gilbert and Sullivan's humour was of a sort that was at once current, rekvant and Uisightfùl. E. Lam Vancouver, Canada ûctober 2000 Introduction: Untangling Gilbert and Sullivan and the Royal Navy C.S. Forester's set of Horaîio Hornblower novels, foliowing in the long tradition of hicnaval storyteiüng starting with Captain Frederick Marryat, have aIways been weU- received by the public. The plucky young midshipman, who rose up through the ranks and battled heroically with the French and Spaniards during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, has ken a source of inspiration for many youtffil readers. Thus it was of no surprise that, in 1999, the television network A&E pmduced an extravagant new series bas& on the books. Words Iie "honour," 'taiour" and "heroism" punctuated the previews for each