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Merrie England (opera)
Encyclopedia
Merrie England is an English comic opera
in two acts by Edward German
to a libretto
by Basil Hood
. The patriotic story concerns love and rivalries at the court of Queen Elizabeth I
, who is portrayed as jealous of the affection of Sir Walter Raleigh for Bessie Throckmorton
. Its sunny depiction of England under "Good Queen Bess" has been criticized. The best-known songs from the opera are "O peaceful England", "The Yeomen of England" and "Dan Cupid hath a Garden".
It opened at the Savoy Theatre
in London on 2 April 1902, under the management of William Greet
, and ran for 120 performances, closing on 30 July 1902. The piece then toured while the Kitty Loftus Company played at the Savoy. The production reopened at the Savoy on 24 November 1902 for 56 additional performances, ending on 17 January 1903. It starred Henry Lytton
, Louie Pounds
, Rosina Brandram
, Robert Evett
and Walter Passmore
, among other regulars of the Savoy. A 78rpm recording of selections from the piece was made in 1931 on the Columbia label, with Clarence Raybould
conducting "Under the Supervision" of the composer.
The opera became popular and was often performed by amateur groups in the decades following its premiere. In Queen Elizabeth II
's coronation year, over five hundred amateur societies staged the piece. Despite its lively and accessible music and libretto, it has fallen into relative obscurity in recent decades, although anniversaries such as that of the Armada in 1988 have seen revivals. Individual songs from Merrie England have been recorded many times although a complete professional recording has not been made in the UK since the early 1960s.
, by Gilbert and Sullivan
).
The poem in Act one giving the A to Z of Romeo and Juliet
is a particularly fine example of Hood's writing, summarising the plot of Romeo and Juliet through use of the alphabet. The plot, a rustic, romanticised Tudor story, has been criticised for containing too many unimportant characters and historical inaccuracy. It concerns love and rivalries at the court of Queen Elizabeth I
, a monarch jealous of Sir Walter Raleigh's affection for Bessie Throckmorton
, revealed to her by the Earl of Essex
.
The music is an example of the style of English light opera made famous in the 1870s and 1880s by Gilbert and Sullivan. It features a prominent chorus and a range of principal numbers including ballad
s, patter song
s, duets and quintet
s. German had gained a lot of practical knowledge about style and orchestration from completing Arthur Sullivan
's score for The Emerald Isle
, and he put this into practice in Merrie England, which was his own first large-scale work for the stage.
German's engaging score, evoking the colourful Tudor period, combined pomp and ceremony with ballads and romantic arias. It includes the well known song for the Queen "O peaceful England" and the stirring "Yeomen of England", which became a favourite and was performed at Queen Elizabeth II
's Jubilee celebrations in 2002.
presented at Sadler's Wells in 1960.
The opera is set in Windsor Town
and makes frequent reference to mythology and folklore (Robin Hood
, King Neptune
, St. George and the Dragon and witchcraft
).
festival, the May Queen is crowned with "roses white and roses red ... the flowers of Merrie England". Her two guards are introduced - Long Tom and Big Ben - who are brothers identical in all but one thing. The "little difference between them" is that Big Ben (like the other men in Windsor) loves the May Queen, while Long Tom loves Jill (known as Jill-All-Alone). Jill is accused of being a witch by the jealous May Queen and is shunned by the townsfolk.
Bessie Throckmorton, one of Queen Elizabeth's Ladies in Waiting, and Sir Walter Raleigh are in love, but they must keep their love a secret as the Queen is also in love with Raleigh. Bessie tells of how she carelessly lost a love letter from Raleigh ("She lost the letter from her love"). She worries that the letter may have fallen into Queen Elizabeth's hands and thus reveal their secret love. The Earl of Essex (Raleigh's rival for the affection of the Queen) is handed the love letter (an acrostic
on the name Bessie) by Jill-All-Alone and plans to use it to dispose of Raleigh. Walter Wilkins, a travelling actor, appears and argues that any play can be vastly improved by the addition of song ("if it's played on a big brass band") and claims that "that's where [he] and Shakespeare disagree."
Queen Elizabeth then enters with much ceremony. Long Tom pleads for the Queen's protection of Jill-All-Alone from the townsfolk's persecution. Asking her whether she believes she is a witch, she replies with the paradox that if she were a witch she must know more than the townfolk, therefore she can't be a witch as she would know (as the townsfolk seem to) that she is a witch if she were. She declares that love will pass the queen by. This insult angers the Queen, and she joins with the villagers in condemning Jill as a witch, locking her away in the Tower of London
for witchcraft. Essex hands the Queen Raleigh's love letter, which she initially mistakes to be meant for her. Raleigh gallantly admits that the letter is in fact meant for Bessie Throckmorton. The Queen is so incensed that she banishes Raleigh from Court and imprisons Bessie in Windsor Castle
.
Wilkins works at length on a stage version of the story of St. George and the Dragon, and the play is performed for the Queen and Essex. Unfortunately, they dislike the play.
Eventually the Queen is convinced to allow Raleigh and Bessie to love each other, choosing Essex instead for herself after seeing an apparition of Herne the Hunter, who, according to legend, appears only when a sovereign contemplates a crime. Everyone takes part in a reenactment of Robin Hood
's wedding to Maid Marian
. Everyone takes roles closely related to their part in the opera; for example, Raleigh becomes Robin to Bessie's Marian.
Comic opera
Comic opera denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending.Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a new operatic genre, opera buffa, emerged as an alternative to opera seria...
in two acts by Edward German
Edward German
Sir Edward German was an English musician and composer of Welsh descent, best remembered for his extensive output of incidental music for the stage and as a successor to Arthur Sullivan in the field of English comic opera.As a youth, German played the violin and led the town orchestra, also...
to a libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Basil Hood
Basil Hood
Basil Willett Charles Hood was a British librettist and lyricist, perhaps best known for writing the libretti of half a dozen Savoy Operas and for his English adaptations of operettas, including The Merry Widow. He embarked on a career in the British army, writing theatrical pieces in his spare...
. The patriotic story concerns love and rivalries at the court of Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, who is portrayed as jealous of the affection of Sir Walter Raleigh for Bessie Throckmorton
Elizabeth Raleigh
Elizabeth, Lady Raleigh , née Throckmorton, was Sir Walter Raleigh's wife, and a Lady of the Privy Chamber to Queen Elizabeth I of England. Their secret marriage precipitated a long period of royal disfavour for Raleigh....
. Its sunny depiction of England under "Good Queen Bess" has been criticized. The best-known songs from the opera are "O peaceful England", "The Yeomen of England" and "Dan Cupid hath a Garden".
It opened at the Savoy Theatre
Savoy Theatre
The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre located in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre opened on 10 October 1881 and was built by Richard D'Oyly Carte on the site of the old Savoy Palace as a showcase for the popular series of comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan,...
in London on 2 April 1902, under the management of William Greet
William Greet
William Greet was a British theatre manager from the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century. Originally a business manager for other theatre licensees in the 1880s, he branched out as an independent manager in the 1890s and was associated with various London theatres, principally the...
, and ran for 120 performances, closing on 30 July 1902. The piece then toured while the Kitty Loftus Company played at the Savoy. The production reopened at the Savoy on 24 November 1902 for 56 additional performances, ending on 17 January 1903. It starred Henry Lytton
Henry Lytton
Sir Henry Lytton was an English actor and singer who was the leading exponent of the comic patter-baritone roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas in the early part of the twentieth century...
, Louie Pounds
Louie Pounds
Louisa Emma Amelia "Louie" Pounds was an English singer and actress, known for her performances in musical comedies and in mezzo-soprano roles with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company....
, Rosina Brandram
Rosina Brandram
Rosina Brandram was an English opera singer and actress primarily known for creating many of the contralto roles in the Savoy operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company....
, Robert Evett
Robert Evett
Robert Evett was an English singer, actor, theatre manager and producer.-Acting career:In 1892 Evett joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company on tour in The Vicar of Bray, playing the Reverend Henry Sandford, the tenor lead. In 1893, Evett added the role of Oswald in Haddon Hall...
and Walter Passmore
Walter Passmore
Walter Henry Passmore was an English singer and actor best known as the first successor to George Grossmith in the comic baritone roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company....
, among other regulars of the Savoy. A 78rpm recording of selections from the piece was made in 1931 on the Columbia label, with Clarence Raybould
Clarence Raybould
Clarence Raybould was born in Birmingham on 28 June 1886, to Robert J Raybould , a printer compositor, and Elen A Raybould , and died in Bideford on 27 March 1972. He was an English conductor, pianist and composer who conducted works ranging from musical comedy and operetta, Gilbert and Sullivan...
conducting "Under the Supervision" of the composer.
The opera became popular and was often performed by amateur groups in the decades following its premiere. In Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
's coronation year, over five hundred amateur societies staged the piece. Despite its lively and accessible music and libretto, it has fallen into relative obscurity in recent decades, although anniversaries such as that of the Armada in 1988 have seen revivals. Individual songs from Merrie England have been recorded many times although a complete professional recording has not been made in the UK since the early 1960s.
Background
Basil Hood's libretto makes heavy use of wordplay for comic (and dramatic) effect. For example the homophones 'fore' and 'four' are used in a scene in the second act where it is explained that a dragon has "four legs, two of which are hind legs and two of which are fore legs" (compare this with the famous 'orphan'/'often' exchange in Act one of The Pirates of PenzanceThe Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences...
, by Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
).
The poem in Act one giving the A to Z of Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
is a particularly fine example of Hood's writing, summarising the plot of Romeo and Juliet through use of the alphabet. The plot, a rustic, romanticised Tudor story, has been criticised for containing too many unimportant characters and historical inaccuracy. It concerns love and rivalries at the court of Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, a monarch jealous of Sir Walter Raleigh's affection for Bessie Throckmorton
Elizabeth Raleigh
Elizabeth, Lady Raleigh , née Throckmorton, was Sir Walter Raleigh's wife, and a Lady of the Privy Chamber to Queen Elizabeth I of England. Their secret marriage precipitated a long period of royal disfavour for Raleigh....
, revealed to her by the Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
.
The music is an example of the style of English light opera made famous in the 1870s and 1880s by Gilbert and Sullivan. It features a prominent chorus and a range of principal numbers including ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s, patter song
Patter song
The patter song is characterized by a moderately fast to very fast tempo with a rapid succession of rhythmic patterns in which each syllable of text corresponds to one note...
s, duets and quintet
Quintet
A quintet is a group containing five members.It is commonly associated with musical groups, such as a string quintet, or a group of five singers, but can be applied to any situation where five similar or related objects are considered a single unit....
s. German had gained a lot of practical knowledge about style and orchestration from completing Arthur Sullivan
Arthur Sullivan
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO was an English composer of Irish and Italian ancestry. He is best known for his series of 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including such enduring works as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado...
's score for The Emerald Isle
The Emerald Isle
The Emerald Isle; or, The Caves of Carrig-Cleena, is a two-act comic opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and Edward German, and a libretto by Basil Hood. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 27 April 1901, closing on 9 November 1901 after a run of 205 performances...
, and he put this into practice in Merrie England, which was his own first large-scale work for the stage.
German's engaging score, evoking the colourful Tudor period, combined pomp and ceremony with ballads and romantic arias. It includes the well known song for the Queen "O peaceful England" and the stirring "Yeomen of England", which became a favourite and was performed at Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
's Jubilee celebrations in 2002.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, (Conductor: Hamish MacCunn Hamish MacCunn thumb|right|Portrait of MacCunn, 1889, by [[John Pettie]]Hamish MacCunn , Scottish romantic composer, was born in Greenock, the son of a shipowner, and was educated at the Royal College of Music, where his teachers included Sir Hubert Parry and Sir Charles Villiers Stanford.MacCunn's first success... ) |
|---|---|---|
| Sir Walter Raleigh | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Robert Evett Robert Evett Robert Evett was an English singer, actor, theatre manager and producer.-Acting career:In 1892 Evett joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company on tour in The Vicar of Bray, playing the Reverend Henry Sandford, the tenor lead. In 1893, Evett added the role of Oswald in Haddon Hall... |
| The Earl of Essex | bass | Henry A. Lytton |
| Walter Wilkins, a player in Shakespeare William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"... 's Company |
baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Walter Passmore Walter Passmore Walter Henry Passmore was an English singer and actor best known as the first successor to George Grossmith in the comic baritone roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.... |
| Silas Simkins, another Player | baritone | Mark Kinghorne |
| Long Tom, Royal Forester | baritone | E. Torrence |
| Big Ben, Royal Forester | bass | R. Compton |
| The Queen's Fool | George Mudie, Jnr | |
| A butcher | bass | Powis Pinder |
| A baker | tenor | J. Boddy |
| A tinker | baritone | Rudolf Lewis |
| A tailor | tenor | Robert Rous |
| A lord | baritone | Charles Childerstone |
| A soldier | Lewis Campion | |
| First royal page | L. Emery | |
| Second royal page | Ela Q. May | |
| Bessie Throckmorton | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Agnes Fraser |
| "Jill-All-Alone" | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Louie Pounds Louie Pounds Louisa Emma Amelia "Louie" Pounds was an English singer and actress, known for her performances in musical comedies and in mezzo-soprano roles with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.... |
| Queen Elizabeth | contralto Contralto Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above... |
Rosina Brandram Rosina Brandram Rosina Brandram was an English opera singer and actress primarily known for creating many of the contralto roles in the Savoy operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.... |
| The May Queen | mezzo-soprano | Joan Keddie |
| Marjory | W. Hart Dyke | |
| Kate | contralto | Alice Coleman |
| Lady in waiting | Rose Rosslyn | |
| Chorus of lords, ladies, townsfolk, and soldiers | ||
Synopsis
Two versions of the plot exist: Hood's original from 1902 and a revised one by Dennis ArundellDennis Arundell
Dennis Drew Arundell was a British actor, librettist, opera scholar, translator, producer, director, conductor and composer of incidental music.-Selected filmography:...
presented at Sadler's Wells in 1960.
The opera is set in Windsor Town
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
and makes frequent reference to mythology and folklore (Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
, King Neptune
King Neptune
King Neptune may refer to:* King Neptune , a pig that was used to raise $19 million in war bonds during World War II* King Neptune, an officiator in a naval Line-crossing ceremony...
, St. George and the Dragon and witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
).
Act One
During the May DayMay Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
festival, the May Queen is crowned with "roses white and roses red ... the flowers of Merrie England". Her two guards are introduced - Long Tom and Big Ben - who are brothers identical in all but one thing. The "little difference between them" is that Big Ben (like the other men in Windsor) loves the May Queen, while Long Tom loves Jill (known as Jill-All-Alone). Jill is accused of being a witch by the jealous May Queen and is shunned by the townsfolk.
Bessie Throckmorton, one of Queen Elizabeth's Ladies in Waiting, and Sir Walter Raleigh are in love, but they must keep their love a secret as the Queen is also in love with Raleigh. Bessie tells of how she carelessly lost a love letter from Raleigh ("She lost the letter from her love"). She worries that the letter may have fallen into Queen Elizabeth's hands and thus reveal their secret love. The Earl of Essex (Raleigh's rival for the affection of the Queen) is handed the love letter (an acrostic
Acrostic
An acrostic is a poem or other form of writing in which the first letter, syllable or word of each line, paragraph or other recurring feature in the text spells out a word or a message. As a form of constrained writing, an acrostic can be used as a mnemonic device to aid memory retrieval. A famous...
on the name Bessie) by Jill-All-Alone and plans to use it to dispose of Raleigh. Walter Wilkins, a travelling actor, appears and argues that any play can be vastly improved by the addition of song ("if it's played on a big brass band") and claims that "that's where [he] and Shakespeare disagree."
Queen Elizabeth then enters with much ceremony. Long Tom pleads for the Queen's protection of Jill-All-Alone from the townsfolk's persecution. Asking her whether she believes she is a witch, she replies with the paradox that if she were a witch she must know more than the townfolk, therefore she can't be a witch as she would know (as the townsfolk seem to) that she is a witch if she were. She declares that love will pass the queen by. This insult angers the Queen, and she joins with the villagers in condemning Jill as a witch, locking her away in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
for witchcraft. Essex hands the Queen Raleigh's love letter, which she initially mistakes to be meant for her. Raleigh gallantly admits that the letter is in fact meant for Bessie Throckmorton. The Queen is so incensed that she banishes Raleigh from Court and imprisons Bessie in Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
.
Act Two
Jill has managed to escape with Bessie using a secret passage out of the tower. The Queen asks an apothecary (her jester in disguise) to concoct a poison which she will administer to Bessie.Wilkins works at length on a stage version of the story of St. George and the Dragon, and the play is performed for the Queen and Essex. Unfortunately, they dislike the play.
Eventually the Queen is convinced to allow Raleigh and Bessie to love each other, choosing Essex instead for herself after seeing an apparition of Herne the Hunter, who, according to legend, appears only when a sovereign contemplates a crime. Everyone takes part in a reenactment of Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
's wedding to Maid Marian
Maid Marian
Maid Marian is the wife of the legendary English outlaw Robin Hood. Stemming from another, older tradition, she became associated with Robin Hood only in the 16th century.-History:The earliest medieval Robin Hood stories gave him no female companion...
. Everyone takes roles closely related to their part in the opera; for example, Raleigh becomes Robin to Bessie's Marian.
Act I
- 1. "Sing A Down, A Down, A Down" (Chorus with May Queen and Butcher)
- 2. "We Are Two Proper Men" (Long Tom and Big Ben with Chorus)
- 3. "Oh! Where The Deer Do Lie" (Jill with Chorus)
- 4. "I Do Counsel That Your Playtime" (Wilkins with Chorus)
- 5. "That Every Jack Should Have A Jill" (Raleigh with Chorus)
- 6. "Love Is Meant To Make Us Glad" (May Queen, Kate, Raleigh, Wilkins, and Long Tom)
- 7. "She Had A Letter From Her Love" (Bessie)
- 8. "When True Love Hath Found A Man" (Raleigh and Bessie)
- 9. "When A Man Is A Lover" (Wilkins, Simkins, and Essex)
- 10. "Who Were The Yeomen Of England, The Yeomen of England" (Essex with Chorus)
- 11. Entrance Of Queen Elizabeth/"God Save Elizabeth" (Chorus)
- 12. "O Peaceful England" (Elizabeth with Chorus)
- 13. "King Neptune Sat On His Lonely Throne" (Wilkins with Chorus)
- 14. Finale (Ensemble)
Act II
- 15. "The Month o' May Has Come Today" (Chorus with Jill)
- 16. "In England, Merrie England" (Bessie, Jill, Big Ben, Long Tom)
- 17. "The Sun in the Heaven Is High" (Simkins, the Tailor, and the Butcher with Chorus)
- 18. "The Big Brass Band" (Wilkins and Simkins with Chorus)
- 19. "It Is the Merry Month of May" (Jill and Raleigh)
- 20. "The Queen o' May Is Crowned Today" (Chorus)
- 20a. Rustic Dance
- 21. "Dan Cupid Hath a Garden" (Raleigh)
- 22. "Two Merry Men a-Drinking" (Ensemble)
- 22a. Exit of Chorus
- 23. "O Who Shall Say That Love Is Cruel?" (Bessie)
- 24. "When Cupid First This Old World Trod" (Essex with Bessie, Jill, and Raleigh)
- 25. "Perhaps You Don't Imagine" (Wilkins)
- 26. Masque of St. George and the Dragon (Egyptian Dance)
- 27. "Oh! Here's a To-Do to Die To-day" (Chorus with Wilkins as King)
- 28. Finale (Ensemble)
External links
- Merrie England at The Edward German Discography
- Merrie England at the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive
- Libretto
- Opening night review of the opera
- Review of a recording of the opera Raymond Walker, retrieved on 24 July 2006
- Profile of the opera with photographs of the Sadler's Wells production
- Programme from the original production
- Photos from a 1911 production