G&S Compilations: Miscellaneous

Gems from Gilbert & Sullivan

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Kenneth Alwyn, conductor
The Westminster Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Faris, conductor

Marble Arch MALS 1184, mono, 1 LP, 196-?

This disc has the overtures to Yeomen and Pinafore conducted by Kenneth Alwyn, evidently taken from the same source as his Verdi / Rossini / Sullivan overtures set. The remainder is vocal highlights taken from the World Record Club recordings of Mikado, Pirates and Gondoliers.

Gems from The Savoy

The Company of Savoyards

Fidelio ATL 4056, mono, 1 LP, 1963
Summit ATL 4056, mono, 1 LP, 1964

This disc contains excerpts from the so-called World Record Club recordings, which in all the re-issues omit the artists' names and give credit only to the anonymous "Company of Savoyards."

Best of Gilbert and Sullivan (1966)

Michael Sammes Singers; Conductor, John Gregory

Fontana SFL13000, stereo, 1 LP, 1966.
WING (Mercury) SRW-11015, stereo, 1 LP, 1966.
Music for Leisure 139, stereo, 1 LP, 1966 (A Fontana Special Recording, New Zealand).

Music for Leisure 139
Music for Leisure 139 (NZ)

This disc presents an eclectic mix of G&S selections, drawn from Michael Sammes's series of G&S opera highlights discs:

  • Iolanthe: Peers' Chorus and March
  • Iolanthe: "When all night long"
  • Pirates: "Poor wandering one"
  • Pirates: "When a felon's not engaged in his employment"
  • Yeomen: "Strange adventure"
  • Mikado: "The sun whose rays"
  • Mikado: "The flowers that bloom in the spring"
  • Gondoliers: "Take a pair of sparkling eyes"
  • Pinafore: "I'm called Litle Buttercup"
  • Pinafore: "When I was a lad"

Tim Devlin says that the New Zealand issue contains two additional tracks not listed above: "Is life a boon" and "Dance a cachucha."

Gilbert & Sullivan Greatest Hits

CBS Records 30060, stereo, 1 LP, 1975

The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan

CBS Records 61437, stereo, 1 LP, 1975

This compilation, issued under two different titles, wins J. Donald Smith's "nomination for strangest re-issue of all time." It comprises selections from three different sources:

The contents are as follows:

"I have a song to sing, O" (Green)
"When I went to the bar" (Green)
"If you're anxious for to shine" (Eddy)
"When a felon's not engaged" (Eddy)
"I am the monarch of the sea" (Eddy)
"The judge's song" (Green)
"The Nightmare Song" (Green)
"I am the very model" (Green)
"When I was a lad" (Green) 		"A Wand'ring minstrel" (Marx recording)
"As some day it may happen" (Marx)
"Three little maids" (Marx recording)
"The sun whose rays" (Marx recording)
"My object all sublime" (Eddy)
"Tit-Willow" (Green)
"There is beauty in the bellow of the blast" (Green)
"For he's gone and married Yum-Yum" (Marx)

Gilbert & Sullivan Overtures and Favorites

The Gilbert and Sullivan Festival Chorus and Orchestra, with Soloists conducted by Peter Murray

Pye NSPH 7, stereo, 1 LP, 1972 (overtures)
Pye NSPH 16, stereo, 1 LP, 1972 (favorites)
PRT Records WGAS 6750, stereo, 2 LP, 1975 (both)

These two records are excerpts from the Gilbert and Sullivan For All series. The overtures disc contains Yeomen, Gondoliers [abridged], Pirates, Iolanthe, Mikado [abridged], Ruddigore and Pinafore. The "favorites" disc contains various vocal highlights from the operas.

Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Sullivan Entertain

The Gilbert and Sullivan Festival Chorus and Orchestra, with Soloists conducted by Peter Murray

K-Tel Records NE 1052, stereo, 2 LP, 1979.

This two record set has contains highlights from the G&S For All recordings of four operas, with each side containing seven tracks from Pinafore, Gondoliers, Pirates and Yeomen respectively. According to Chris Webster, the cover "is a colourful drawing of a victorian drawing room with Mr Sullivan at the pianoforte and Mr Gilbert (presumably) entertaining vocally. The title is printed in the central mirror / picture frame over the mantlepiece."

Gilbert and Sullivan

Conifer CLASS 7020, 1 CD, 1991

Stan DeOrsey provided this report:

Contents are selections from the New D'Oyly Carte and the New Sadler's Wells sets. The opening number is the Yeomen overture, predating the New D'Oyly Carte's complete Yeomen set. [It would be the same reading presented on Overtures by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. —ed.]

Remaining items are 3 selections from Mikado, 3 from Pirates, 3 from Ruddigore (not Ruddygore??), 4 from Pinafore, 2 from Iolanthe and 2 from Gondoliers. Patience of course was not issued in 91 either and so is excluded. The specific songs are the "standard" ones, no surprises, straight main line.

The Gilbert and Sullivan Collection

Boots DDD 605, 1 CD, 1992

This CD presents highlights from the New D'Oyly Carte and New Sadler's Wells recordings. Contents are as follows:

  1. Overture, The Mikado
  2. "A wand'ring minstrel"
  3. "Three little maids"
  4. "Behold the Lord High Executioner"
  5. "Climbing over rocky mountain"
  6. "Poor wand'ring one"
  7. "When a felon's not engaged"
  8. "Sighing, softly to the river"
  9. "If somebody there chanced to be"
  10. "I once was as meek as a new born lamb"
  1. "When the night wind howls"
  2. "My eyes are fully open"
  3. "We sail the ocean blue"
  4. "Fair moon to thee I sing"
  5. "Never mind the why and wherefore"
  6. "None shall part us from each other"
  7. "When all night long"
  8. "There was a time, forever gone"
  9. "Then one of us will be a queen"
  10. "Dance a Cachucha"
Koch 3-7203-2H1
Koch 3-7203-2H1

A Gilbert & Sullivan Gallery/
Gilbert & Sullivan Favourites

Koch 3-7203-2H1, 1 CD, 1993

This CD presents highlights from the New D'Oyly Carte and New Sadler's Wells recordings. It was published under two different titles, but the contents appear to be the same.


The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan

Showtime SHOW CD017, 1 CD, 1995

This cassette presents 12 items from the New D'Oyly Carte and New Sadler's Wells recordings.

Gilbert and Sullivan Highlights

CD Cover
Telarc CD-80431

Telarc CD-80431, 1 CD, 1995
Telarc [need number], 1 cassette, 1995

This CD presents highlights from the Mackerras/Telarc series of complete recordings.


The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan Arias & Duets

TER CDVIR 8325, 1 CD, 1995
Showstoppers M-2-0767, 1 CD, 199-?
Showstoppers M-4-0767, 1 cassette, 199-?
Excelsior Curtaincall EXCC-2-2267,1 CD, 1995
Excelsior Curtaincall EXCC-4-2267, 1 cassette, 1995

This compilation presents arias and duets from the New D'Oyly Carte, and New Sadler's Wells recordings, and from the English National Opera Mikado. Selections are as follows:

Side ASide B
  1. "Three little maids" (ENO Mikado)
  2. "When a felon's not engaged in his employment" (NDOC Pirates)
  3. "Poor wand'ring one" (NDOC Pirates)
  4. "Loudly let the trumpet bray" (NDOC Pirates)
  5. "Take a pair of sparkling eyes" (NDOC Gondoliers)
  6. "I have a song to sing, O" (NDOC Yeomen)
  1. "I know a youth" (NSWO Ruddigore)
  2. "I'm called Little Buttercup" (NSWO Pinafore)
  3. "On a tree by a river" (ENO Mikado)
  4. "If somebody there chanced to be" (NSWO Ruddigore)
  5. "A wand'ring minstrel, I" (ENO Mikado)
  6. "When the foeman bares his steel" (NDOC Pirates)

The Best of Gilbert and Sullivan

Sony Classical SMK89248, 1 CD, 2000

This CD includes various highlights performed by the New D'Oyly Carte Opera Company under John Owen Edwards. (There are far too many albums with the name "The Best of G&S.")