The Yeomen of the Guard by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sulliv an

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ACT II

No. 13: CHORUS & SOLO (Dame Carruthers)

"Night Has Spread Her Pall Once More"

MIDI File [28KB, 3' 41"] Sequenced by Colin Johnson

SCENE. — The same. Moonlight. Two days have elapsed. Women and Yeomen of the Guard discovered.

Women.

Night has spread her pall once more,
And the pris'ner still is free:
Open is his dungeon door,
Useless his dungeon key.
He has shaken off his yoke —
How, no mortal man can tell!
Shame on loutish jailor-folk —
Shame on sleepy sentinel!

Enter Dame Carruthers and Kate.

Click on picture to enlarge — Ann Drummond-Grant as Dame Carruthers, 1950s

Dame Carruthers.

Warders are ye?
Whom do ye ward?
Warders are ye?
Whom do ye ward?
Bolt, bar, and key,
Shackle and cord,
Fetter and chain,
Dungeon of stone,
All are in vain —
Prisoner's flown!
Spite of ye all, he is free — he is free!
Whom do ye ward?
Pretty warders are ye!

Women.

Pretty warders are ye!
Whom do ye ward?
Spite of ye all, he is free — he is free!
Whom do ye ward?
Pretty warders are ye!

Yeomen.

Up and down, and in and out,
Here and there, and round about;
Ev'ry chamber, ev'ry house,
Ev'ry chink that holds a mouse,
Ev'ry crevice in the keep,
Where a beetle black could creep,
Ev'ry outlet, ev'ry drain,
Have we searched, but all in vain, all in vain.

Sopranos 1 & 2.	Tenors.	Basses.
Warders are ye? Whom do ye ward?
	Every house, every chink, every drain,	Every house, every chink, every drain,
Warders are ye? Whom do ye ward?
	Every chamber, every outlet Have we searched but all in vain!	Every chamber, every outlet Have we searched but all in vain!
Night has spread her pall	Warders are we.
once more	Whom do we ward?
And the prisoner still is free:	Whom do we ward?
		Warders are we. Whom do we ward?
Open is his		Whom do we ward?
dungeon door,	Warders are we.	Whom do we ward?
Useless his dungeon key!	Spite of us all he is free, he is free!	Spite of us all he is free, he is free!
	Pretty warders are we, he is free!
Open is his		Spite of us all he is free, he is free!
dungeon door,	Spite of us all he is free, he is free!	Spite of us all he is free, he is free!
	Pretty warders are we,	Pretty warders are we,
He is free! He is free!	He is free! He is free!	He is free! He is free!
Pretty warders are ye!
He is free! He is free!	He is free! He is free!	He is free! He is free!
Pretty warders are ye!	Pretty warders are we!	Pretty warders are we!

Exeunt all.

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