Friday Night is Gilbert and Sullivan Night

Ken Bruce introduces a selection of greatest hits from the pens of Sir William Schwenk Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan.

Their writing partnership, though often stormy, spanned more than 25 years and spawned 14 operettas - the Savoy Operas. Today the operas are still in performance around the world with endless G&S societies and both amateur and professional productions. Famous fans over the years have included Kaiser Wilhelm II, former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson(who had taken part in a school production of HMS Pinafore when a boy) and Queen Victoria who commanded a performance of The Gondoliers by the D'Oyly Carte company at Windsor Castle in 1891.

In this special Friday Night is Music Night we feature Gilbert and Sullivan's greatest hits including songs from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, Iolanthe, Patience, The Gondoliers, Ruddigore and The Yeomen of the Guard. But there will also be one unknown song. A World Premiere of Lady Sangazure's song - In Days Gone By - from The Sorcerer. Written in 1877 the song was cut from the first production and has never been performed since. The song has been reconstructed by the eminent G&S scholar Dr David Russell Hulme. Richard Balcombe conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra and London Voices with guest soloists Victoria Joyce, Sylvia Clarke, Heather Shipp, Oliver White, Bruce Graham and Simon Butteriss.

The concert was first broadcast in February 2014. Show less