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Upstairs / Downstairs – July 4, 1988 | Royal George Theatre, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Upstairs / Downstairs – July 4, 1988 | Royal George Theatre, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
The English musical scene from about 1900 to 1930, comparing and contrasting art music with popular music
date: July 4, 1988
Three talented and versatile singers presented three decades of English songs, from music-hall hits, drawing-room ballads and folksongs through to the triumph of American popular music in the 1930s. The atmosphere of entertainment “upstairs” and “downstairs” was contrasted with the aid of extracts from newpapers, diaries and memoirs of the period. Relevant performers were highlighted, including Dames Clara Butt and Nellie Melba, Marie Lloyd and Gertrude Lawrence. The programme was first performed in March 1986 and was revived in 1988, now for the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake and later for the Three Centuries Festival in Elora.
| Song | Artist | Composer | Poet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just a song at twilight | Collins, Martha, soprano; Stubbs, Janet, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Molloy, James | Bingham, Graham Clifton |
| Let’s all go down the Strand | Collins, Martha, soprano; Stubbs, Janet, mezzo; Neff, Daniel, baritone; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Castling, Harry / Murphy, C.W. | anon. |
| In Haven: Capri, Op.37/2 (Sea Pictures) | Stubbs, Janet, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Elgar, Sir Edward | Elgar, C.Alice |
| How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank | Stubbs, Janet, mezzo; Neff, Daniel, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Lehmann, Liza | Shakespeare, William |
| A fairy went a-marketing | Stubbs, Janet, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Goodhart, Arthur M. | Fyleman, Rose |
| Goodbye! | Collins, Martha, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Tosti, Sir Paolo | Whyte-Melville, George John |
| The Banks of Allan Water | Collins, Martha, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Scottish folksong | anon. |
| Isobel | Neff, Daniel, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Bridge, Frank | Goddard-Fenwick, Digby |
| Josh-u-ah | Collins, Martha, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Arthurs, George / Lee, Bert | Arthurs, George / Lee, Bert |
| Waiting at the Church! | Stubbs, Janet, mezzo; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Leigh, Fred / Pether, Henry E. | Leigh, Fred / Pether, Henry E. |
| In summer time on Bredon (A Shropshire Lad) | Neff, Daniel, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Somervell, Sir Arthur | Housman, Alfred Edward |
| The street sounds to the soldiers’ tread (A Shropshire Lad) | Neff, Daniel, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Somervell, Sir Arthur | Housman, Alfred Edward |
| Keep the home fires burning | Collins, Martha, soprano; Stubbs, Janet, mezzo; Neff, Daniel, baritone; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Novello, Ivor | Ford, Lena Guilbert |
| A Hymn for Aviators | Collins, Martha, soprano; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Parry, Sir Charles Hubert Hastings | Hamilton, Mary |
| Marching song of the Royal Flying Corps | Collins, Martha, soprano; Stubbs, Janet, mezzo; Neff, Daniel, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, bass | Converse, Charles | anon. |
| With rue my heart is laden (Bredon Hill and other songs) | Neff, Daniel, baritone; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Butterworth, George | Housman, Alfred Edward |
| I do like to be beside the seaside | Collins, Martha, soprano; Stubbs, Janet, mezzo; Neff, Daniel, baritone; Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Glover-Kind, John A. | Glover-Kind, John A. |
| Tango-Pasodoble (Façade) | Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Walton, Sir William, arr. Lambert, Constant | n/a |
| And her mother came too (A to Z) | Neff, Daniel, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Novello, Ivor | Titheradge, Dion |
| Willow, willow | Collins, Martha, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | English folksong, arr. Grainger, Percy | anon. |
| The British Waterside (or The Jolly Sailor) | Stubbs, Janet, mezzo; Neff, Daniel, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Nottinghamshire folksong, arr. Grainger, Percy | anon. |
| Faeroe Island Dance-Folksong (Let’s dance gay in green meadow) | Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Faeroe Island folksong, arr. Grainger, Percy | n/a |
| The real American folk-song | Neff, Daniel, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Gershwin, George | Gershwin, Ira |
| Some day I’ll find you (Private Lives) | Collins, Martha, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Coward, Sir Noël | Coward, Sir Noël |
| The Tale of the Oyster | Stubbs, Janet, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Porter, Cole | Porter, Cole |
| Let’s do it (Paris) | Collins, Martha, soprano; Stubbs, Janet, mezzo; Neff, Daniel, baritone; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Porter, Cole | Porter, Cole |
| Let’s do it (Paris) (reprise) – ENCORE | Collins, Martha, soprano; Stubbs, Janet, mezzo; Neff, Daniel, baritone; Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Porter, Cole | Porter, Cole |