No. 16b - Finale Act II (part 2 - Storm and Ensemble)

from "Haddon Hall"
Music by Arthur Sullivan
Words by Sydney Grundy
Sequenced by Colin Johnson

By Arthur Sullivan
Generated by NoteWorthy Composer

[Major Domo:] Silence all! Attend your host!
Silence all, and pledge the toast!
[Sir George:] 'Tis an honoured old tradition
Open house is Haddon Hall;
Welcome all who seek admission,
Gentle, simple, great and small.
Health and wealth to comrades present,
Welcome one and all the same!
[Chorus:] Health to peer and health to peasant!
Health to squire and health to dame!
[Sir George:] In days of old,
When hearts were bold,
And the prize of the brave the fair,
We danced and sang
Till the rafters rang
And laughter was everywhere!
Our lives were lives of stress and storm,
But through our veins the blood ran warm-
We only laughed the more!
We only laughed the more!
For mirth was mirth,
And worth was worth
In the grand old days of yore!
For mirth was mirth,
And worth was worth
In the grand old days of yore!
[Chorus:] To the grand old days,
To the grand old days,
The grand old days of yore!
The grand old days of yore!
[Sir George:] In time gone by,
A man would die
For his king and his country's sake;
Then eyes of blue
Spoke a Saxon true,
Who feared neither sword nor stake;
Then laughing love made glad the earth,
And men were not ashamed of mirth,
And loud the table's roar;
And loud the table's roar;
For breath was breath,
And death was death
In the grand old days of yore.
For breath was breath,
And death was death
In the grand old days of yore.
[Chorus:] To the grand old days,
To the grand old days,
The grand old days of yore!
The grand old days of yore!
[Sir George:] Ere life is old
And hearts grow cold,
And the autumn gathers grey,
With soul and voice
In your youth rejoice,
And merrily keep your May;
Again let love and manly mirth
And woman's beauty rule the earth
As beauty ruled before;
As beauty ruled before;
And once again
Let men be men
As they were in days of yore.
And woman's beauty rule the earth
As beauty ruled before;
And once again
Let men be men
As they were in days of yore.
[Chorus:] To the grand old days,
To the grand old days,
The grand old days of yore!
The grand old days of yore!
[Rupert:] Eloped, eloped! Betrayed, betrayed!
Abetted by this tricksy maid!
[McCrankie:] Ech, mon! ech mon! th' dochter's flown!
[Sir George:] Is this my house, sir, or thine own?
[Rupert:] Forgive my friend- let me express
My sorrow for his zeal's excess;
He has only just come
From the Isle of Rum,
And this is his native evening dress.
[Sir George:] But why has he come-
[Lady Vernon & Dorcas:] Yes, why has he come-
[Chorus:] Yes, why has he come from the Isle of Rum?
[Sir George:] And having come-
[Lady Vernon & Dorcas:] Yes, having come-
[Chorus:] Yes, having come from the Isle of Rum-
[Sir George:] Cannot thy Gaelic friend be dumb?
[All:] Although he has come From the Isle of Rum.
[McCrankie:] Eh, mon, eh, mon, ye dinna ken,
T' dochter's gane wi' evil men!
[Sir George:] What is this tale?
[Lady Vernon:] I fear me!
[Rupert:] This tale I will succinctly tell,
If you will only hear me.
[Chorus:] Oh! tell the tale to us as well;
A tearful tale, I fear me!
[Rupert:] We were sheltering all
Underneath a wall,
Very damp and most unhappy;
And to keep us warm
In the pelting storm-
[McCrankie:] We were hae'ing a wee drappie!
[Puritans:] They were having a wee drappie!
[Rupert:] We said so, friends!
[McCrankie:] We said, we a'
Were bidin' underneath a wa'-
[Rupert:] Very damp-
[Both:] An' maist unhappy!
[Puritans:] Oh yes, we were damp,
And we all had the cramp,
But we had no wee drappie!
[Ladies:] That's why you were unhappy?
[Puritans:] That's why we were unhappy.
[McCrankie:] I was bidin' there
Wi' nae breeks tae wear-
An' a kilt's a wee bit draughty!
[Rupert:] When one of the boys
He heard a noise-
[McCrankie:] An' we listened cool an' crafty.
[Simeon:] Please, I was the boy Who heard the noi-
[Chorus:] And you listened cool and crafty.
[Rupert:] To voices speaking-
[McCrankie:] Footsteeps creaking-
[Both:] Then a silence deep and dead.
[Puritans:] Need we mention
Our attention
Was bestowed on what they said?
[Chorus:] And what did the voices say?
Tell us, we pray!
[Rupert (whispering):] Hush! step lightly!
[McCrankie (whispering):] Haud me tightly!
[Both (whispering):] Lightly let your footsteps fall-
Lightly, lightly, lightly fall!
Now step lightly!
Hold me tightly!
[Rupert:] Lightly, lightly, lightly fall!
Forward I rushed, this saucy vixen grasping!
[McCrankie:] Forrit I fell,
an' crackt a Scottish croon!
[Puritans:] Backward we flew,
Until we pulled up, gasping.
[McCrankie:] I rose agen,
but some ane knockt me doon!
[Rupert:] A sound of hoofs against the gravel ringing-
[McCrankie:] The cluds disperse,
that had obscured the moon-
[Rupert:] We see a maiden to a horseman clinging!
[McCrankie:] We were too late-
[Puritans:] Or else we were too soon.
[Ensemble:] Too late, they were too late!
Or else we were too soon.
Too late! too late! too late! Too late! too late!
[Sir George:] What means this tale?
Why interrupt our sport,
This intrigue of the kitchen to report?
[Dorcas:] It means that tomorrow
Thy daughter and pride
Will be, to thy sorrow,
Her true lover's bride.
[Sir George:] My daughter!
[Chorus:] Thy daughter!
[Sir George:] My daughter!
[Chorus:] Thy daughter! Thy daughter!
[Rupert:] My cousin and bride!
[Dorcas:] Away to the water
They gallantly ride!
[Sir George:] To horse- to horse-
the fugitives pursue!
[Men:] To horse- to horse-
the fugitives pursue!
[Puritans:] To horse- to horse- but after you!
[Sir George:] Fleet though the lightning's flash
Vanish from view,
Surely the thunder's crash
Follows anew.
I will, whatever hap,
Press through the holt,
Swift as the thunder-clap
After the bolt!
[All:] Fleet though the lightning's flash
Vanish from view,
[Sir George:] To horse!
[All:] Surely the thunder's crash
Follows anew.
To horse! To horse!
[Sir George:] Spare neither steed nor spur!
[Ensemble:] To horse! To horse!
We will bring up the rear!
To horse! To horse! The fugitives pursue!
The fugitives pursue! The fugitives!
To horse! To horse! To horse!
The fugitives pursue!
To horse! The fugitives pursue!
[Lady Vernon:] In vain they will blunder
Through halt and through brake;
Never yet did the thunder
The lightening o'ertake!
[Three Girls:] Farewell, our gracious hostess,
Of children both bereft;
But love, obedience, troops of friends
Unto thee still are left.
Not ours to break grief's sacred seal
And on thy woe to dwell,
But ours to bend a humble knee
And bid thee fond farewell.
Farewell! Farewell!
[Chorus:] Time, the Avenger,
Time, the Controller,
Time, that unravels the tangle of life,
Guard thee from danger,
Prove thy consoler,
And make thee again happy mother and wife!
Brief is all life;
Its storm and strife
Time stills;
And through this dream
The nameless scheme
Fulfils
Until one day
Through space is hurled
A vacant world,
Through space is hurled
A vacant world,
Silent and grey.
Until one day
Through space is hurled,
A vacant world,
Through space is hurled
A vacant world,
Silent and grey.
silent, silent and grey.

Karaoke version compiled by Colin Johnson

No16b - Storm
Soft karaoke
Words
Dorcas
Lady Vernon
Rupert
McCrankie
Sir George
Sopranos
Contraltos
Tenors
Basses
Puritans
Right Hand
Left Hand
Karaoke Track