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The Worlds of Gilbert and Sullivan

A toast used when deceased loved ones are not able to celebrate with us springs to mind at this time: "To absent friends". In July 2007 we lost our very great MusicSmiles friend and photographer David Collins - irreplaceable in both roles. Our very sad loss in June 2007 was a very dear brother-in-law, Sqdn Ldr Syd Hudson; Syd, with his wife Lynn, was one of our earliest and strongest MusicSmiles supporters and we will miss him intensely. Everyone's greatest loss must surely be one's mother; Clara Ashton died in June 2006 at the age of 96. The loss of this dearly loved lady had a most profound affect on Scribe and the MusicSmiles team. Very recently we have said goodbye to John Webster (Jack), one of our most dearly loved MusicSmiles supporters and friends, he will be sorely missed. In recent times the team has also lost a dearly loved sister, Cynthia; also 'Singers' Malcolm, Eddie, and two very dear friends and Village Singers, Wendy and Bill. Suddenly and unexpectedly Village Singer Trevor has lost his wife Janet; and married Singers Kenneth and Georgina a loving mother. We have also seen the departure of two of our founder Singers and very best friends, Barbara, and a day later Stan; they will be very much missed. Also we remember Roy, music-loving ex-Mayor of Market-Town; together with a lovely friend Molly, and later her husband George from the East Midlands, and Beryl who was the well-liked secretary of Market Town College Music Department. We have suddenly lost a very dear Village friend, Gordon, who was a very holy man and a great G&S devotee; and John, wife of Village Singer Jean, another jovial village friend and inaugural Singers' supporter. December 2004 saw the loss of one of our earliest and oldest supporters - Pépé in France.  Also an American friend Sharon. August 2005 saw us lose another inaugural member and very dear friend of the Village Singers, Handel expert and Railways enthusiast, Reverend John Ford; he will be greatly missed. In our tribute and thanksgiving for their lives with us we would also like to include the Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret. 

This magnificent song composed by Arthur Sullivan was born out of similar loss. The sudden death of his brother Fred in the middle of playing the part of the Learned Judge in their new G&S show -  Trial by Jury, brought Arthur (and Trial by Jury) to an abrupt halt. He was devastated, which no doubt contributed to the pathos and beauty in the music, composed at his brother's bedside. It was based on a beautiful poem by Adelaide A Proctor.

We are reliably informed that the original manuscript is buried with Mrs Ronalds in Brompton Cemetery. She was Arthur's life-long friend who was a great exponent of the song. It was so popular that it was published in no fewer than five different keys. All these years later it is still popular, sung by soloists and choirs. This arrangement is in the key of F and you are very welcome to join in with Arthur and Adelaide, and sing along with our arrangement 'to absent friends' . . .

The Lost Chord

Seated one day at the organ,
I was weary and ill at ease,
And my fingers wandered idly
Over the noisy keys;
I know not what I was playing,
Or what I was dreaming then,
But I struck one chord of music,
Like the sound of a great Amen,
Like the sound of a great Amen.

It flooded the crimson twilight,
Like the close of an Angel's Psalm,
And it lay on my fever'd spirit,
With a touch of infinite calm,
It quieted pain and sorrow,
Like love overcoming strife;
It seemed the harmonious echo
From our discordant life,
It linked all perplexed meanings,
Into one perfect peace,
And trembled away into silence,
As if it were loath to cease;
I have sought but I seek it vainly,
That one lost chord divine,
Which came from the soul of the organ,
And entered into mine.

It may be that death's bright angel,
Will speak in that chord again;
It may be that only in Heav'n
I shall hear that grand Amen.
It may be that death's bright angel,
Will speak in that chord again;
It may be that only in Heav'n
I shall hear that grand Amen.

"Goodnight sweet princess, And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest"
(From Cynthia Ashton's service sheet. If you read Shakespeare's Hamlet from beginning to end, you will encounter this  quotation - with apologies to William for the slight amendment)

"No more tomorrows, but what yesterdays we had"
(A quote from Syd Hudson's service sheet)

Now what? Well, let's go back to the Home Page . . .

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