No. 13 - Finale Act I

from "The Mountebanks"
Words by W. S. Gilbert
Music by Alfred Cellier
Copyright © <Year> by <Name>
All Rights Reserved

By Alfred Cellier
Generated by NoteWorthy Composer

[Ladies:] Come, and take your places all,
The show is just beginning;
Don't you hear the trumpet's call,
And the drummer's dinning?
Come, and take your places all,
The show is just beginning;
Don't you hear the trumpet's call,
And the drummer's dinning?
Frolic, fun, and flummery,
Magic, mirth, and mummery,
(That's the showman's summary)
Set us all a-grinning!
Come, and take your places all,
The show is just beginning;
Don't you hear the trumpet's call,
And the drummer's dinning?
Frolic, fun, and flummery,
Magic, mirth, and mummery,
(That's the showman's summary)
Set us all a-grinning!
Frolic, fun, and flummery,
Magic, mirth, and mummery,
(That's the showman's summary)
Set us all a-grinning!
[Ultrice:] Allow me, madam,
if you have quite done with him.
[Alfredo:] Good morning, miss!
[Teresa:] Oh, some day I'll be one with him!
[Elvino:] Allow me. 'Twill assist your Grace
If on your noble brow I place
This hat and feather.
The Duchess, p'r'aps, will kindly deign
To wear these jewels and this train-
They go together.
[Ladies:] Your Graces, as you wend,
We humbly bow and bend.
You look, we're quite aware,
A most imposing pair!
[Elvino:] Your Graces, as you wend,
We humbly bow and bend.
You look, we're quite aware,
A most imposing pair!

[Men:] Attamen ex cunctis supra reliquisque notandum.
[Arrostino:] Omne quod exit in um
(hoec verba, I don't understand 'em).
[Men:] Esse genus neutriumsic invariabile nomen.
[Arrostino:] (Which is Greek to most of us here,
and perhaps Double-Dutch to the showmen.)
[Men:] And perhaps Double-Dutch to the showmen.
[Ladies:] Oh, you wicked,
Base- deceiving-
It's distressing!
It's degrading!
We are tricked
Through believing,
Never guessing
Masquerading!
Friars mocking!
Goodness gracious!
What a wrong, sir!
Why, how dare you?
It is shocking!
It's audacious!
Go along, sir!
I can't bear you!
[Tenors:] It is wicked- ha! ha! ha!
[Basses:] They are tricked- ha! ha! ha!
[Chorus:] This disguising
Is surprising,
Friars mocking,
It is shocking-
It is blameful-
It is shameful-
It is shameful-
Ha! ha! ha!
It is blameful-
It is shameful-
It is shameful-
Ha! ha! ha!
This disguising
Is surprising,
It is shameful-
Ha! ha! ha!
This disguising
Is surprising,
It is shameful-
Ha! ha! ha!
[Minestra:] Come and listen, pretty ladies-
Cross my hand with maravedis-
For to prophesy my trade is,
And my prophesies are sound.
Fear no trick or double dealing
I am clever at revealing,
Neither good nor ill concealing.
So, my pretties, gather round.
[Ladies:] Oh, you wicked,
Base- deceiving-
It's distressing!
It's degrading!
We are tricked
Through believing,
Never guessing
Masquerading!
Ladies mocking!
Goodness gracious!
What a wrong, sir!
Why, how dare you?
It is shocking!
It's audacious!
Go along, sir!
I can't bear you!
[Tenors:] It is wicked- ha! ha! ha!
[Basses:] They are tricked- ha! ha! ha!
[Chorus:] This disguising
Is surprising,
Friars mocking,
It is shocking-
It is blameful-
It is shameful-
It is shameful-
Ha! ha! ha!
It is blameful-
It is shameful-
It is shameful-
Ha! ha! ha!
This disguising
Is surprising,
It is shameful-
Ha! ha! ha!
This disguising
Is surprising,
It is shameful-
Ha! ha! ha!

[Pietro:] Now, all you pretty villagers
who haven't paid, stand you aside,
And listen to a tragic tale
of love, despair, and suicide.
The gentleman's a noble prince-
a marvel of ventriloquy-
Unhappily afflicted
with a mania for soliloquy.
The lady is a victim
of the God of Love tyrannical-
You see it in her gestures,
which are morbidly mechanical;
He's backed himself at heavy odds,
in proof of his ability
That he'll soliloquize her
into utter imbecility.
She wildly begs him to desist-
appeals to his humanity,
But all in vain- observe her eyes
a-goggling with insanity.
He perseveres, improving
the occasion opportunatic-
She sticks straws in her hair-
he's won his wager- she's a lunatic!
[Chorus:] Astonishing,
What science can contrive!
In everything
You'd think they were alive.
Her lovely face-
Her eloquent despair!
His princely grace,
His beautiful back hair.
[Teresa:] To thee I cling
To gain thy love I strive;
My heart you wring,
I shall not long survive!
[Ultrice:] From his embrace
Thyself directly tear,
Or I'll deface
Thy beautiful back hair!
From his embrace
Thyself directly tear,
Or I'll deface
Thy beautiful back hair!
[Alfredo:] Appreciation of such skill
Should not be shown by stealth.
In bumpers round (I'll pay the bill)
We'll drink the showman's health.
This wine-skin I devote to you,
We'll drink it till it's dry.
I'm sure that's what the Duke would do,
Were he as pleased as I!
[Chorus:] I'm sure that's what the Duke would do,
Were he as pleased as I!
[Pietro:] Beware! That wine is mine,
You must not drink it.
[Alfredo:] Forbear! I pay my way!
You may not think it!
[Pietro:] Take care!
The wine is poisoned, on my word rely,
And he who drinks in agony will die!
Commencing with a gentle pain
Scarce worth a question,
It grows apace, till you complain
Of indigestion.
Then follows an internal fire
That scorns emulsions,
Until, ere nightfall, you expire
In fierce convulsions!
[Alfredo:] Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! ha!
An idle tale we think it!
[Chorus:] Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! ha!
We saw you freely drink it!
[Alfredo:] It can't be worse than 'Vino's wine accurst-
If we're to die of it, be thou the first!
[Pietro:] I can't obey you!
[All:] Drink!
[Alfredo:] Come, why delay you?
[All:] Drink!
[Pietro:] I beg- I pray you!
[All:] Drink!
[Alfredo:] Quick, or I'll slay you!
[All:] Drink!
[Alfredo:] Oh, ye who are weary of life,
Don't trifle with pistol or knife-
This potion is far from amiss;
If you've ducats of gold in your purse,
Why, then, you may surely do worse
Than die of such poison as this!
Than die of such poison as this!
Why, then, you may surely do worse
Than die of such poison as this!
[Ensemble:] Be warned if you care for your life,
And the girl who will soon be your wife.
I'm sure there is something amiss;
That wine may be doctored and worse!
It may harbour some horrible curse!
Don't die of such poison as this!
If you've ducats of gold in your purse,
Why, then, you may surely do worse
If you've ducats of gold in your purse,
Why, then, you may surely do worse
Than die of such poison as this!

Karaoke version compiled by Colin Johnson

The Montebanks #13 - Act I Finale
Soft karaoke
Words
Teresa
Minestra
Ultrice
Alfredo
Arrostino
Pietro
Elvino
Sopranos
Tenors
Basses
Right Hand
Left Hand
Karaoke Track