Favourite Songs from Gilbert and Sullivan (1978)

The London Operetta Ensemble and Chorus
Arranged by L. Muller

Chris Webster provided the following review of this item:

This record is unbelivable. Despite a good studio sound, we have a band that that I think consists of three people swapping instruments every couple of songs (well surely they can't be specialists on any one instrument), a tenor that sounds in parts as though he has never seen the music before (and the same goes for the chorus), a patter baritone who can't get his words out, in addition to a couple of added sound effects (a door opening springs to mind). In "Private Buffoon'" (their title BTW), the singer stumbles very badly over one of his words. The front cover illustration (by Thelm Roscoe) is lovely though!

I must quote one part of the notes: 'Songs…are given a fresh and exciting treatment that will delight you and give you hours of pleasure." I think I saw an article in a G&S Journal that refers to this recording as being the shortest G&S record ever issued, and comments on how bad the band is.

Selections are as follows:

Side 1Side 2
  • "Wandering Minstrel"
  • "Soldiers of the Queen"
  • "Three Little Maids From School"
  • "Private Buffoon"
  • "Flowers that Bloom in Spring"
  • "We Sail the Ocean Blue"
  • "Tit Willow"
  • "Major General"
  • "March of the Peers"
  • "Little Buttercup"
Issue History
DateLabelFormatNumber
1978 Stereo Gold Award Stereo LP MER 435