FOREWORD

It must be rare, indeed, for anyone to be asked to provide a foreword to the songs written and sung by hisgrandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather. So I count it ‘a privilege and pleasure that Itreasure beyond measure’ to do so. The Grossmiths’ delightful songs were written when Britain was avital, flourishing nation and they reflect the merriment and vitality of their time. The humour and innocencethey contain are hard to find today.

Some years ago, during a Reception at the Palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh, Lord Wetherill, aformer Speaker of the House of Commons, who often used to have The Speaker's Eye played after oneof his formal dinners at Speaker's House in London, asked me what had happened to the Grossmiths andtheir music? Happily, I was able to reassure him that they live on as their music shows and because hisgrandson, George Turner, aged over 90, is still composing music for his local church and his great, greatgrand daughter, Judith Butler, is CEO of British Youth Opera.

Leon Berger and Selwyn Tillett are due not only our congratulations but also our thanks for their fine workin bringing the Grossmiths, possibly the lightest-hearted family in England’s history, back to life.

J C G George,KSG, Linlithgow Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary.

"GG" at the piano

signed cabinet photo(Peter Joslin Collection)

1. The Gay Photographer (1870) * [2.45](George Grossmith Snr & George Grossmith)

2. I am so Volatile (1871) [2.20](George Grossmith Snr & George Grossmith)Composed and also sung by Geo. Grossmith Jnr (of the Royal Polytechnic Institution)

3. The Muddle-Puddle Porter (1877) [2.20](George Grossmith)Sung with the greatest success by Lionel BroughIn the printed edition there are three extra verses written by James McCraw Jnr.

4. My Name is John Wellington Wells (1877) [2.30](WS Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan)

The Sorcerer - Opéra Comique, 17 November 1877 - 178 performancesListeners will note some ‘first run’ variants in the rhyme sequence.

5. A Juvenile Party - Humorous Musical Sketch (1879) [9.41](George Grossmith)Dedicated to Miss Florence GilbertSung also with great success by Mr Eric Lewis, etc etc.

6. Mistress & Maid (1881) [3.17](Frederic E. Weatherly & George Grossmith)

7. The Speaker's Eye (1882) * [3.21](Arthur Law & George Grossmith)JL Toole’s great song sung by him with immense success in the Musical FarceMr Guffin’s Elopement.

8. The Parrot & the Cat - A Humorous Scena (1882) * [3.49](Henry S Leigh & George Grossmith)

9. The Bay of Battersea - from A Little Yachting (1886) * [2.29](George Grossmith)Dedicated to my friend Heather Bigg

10. I Once Was as Meek as a New Born Lamb (1887) * [3.57](WS Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan)Ruddygore - Savoy Theatre 22 January 1887 - 288 performances

11. Away Remorse/ Henceforth All the Crimes (1887) [2.25](WS Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan) Ruddygore

12. The Very Much Up to Date Mama (1889) * [2.47](George Grossmith)from Modern Music & Morals

13. The Truth, or Something Near It (1889) * [2.11](George Grossmith)Humorous Song (à la Arthur Roberts) - from Modern Music & MoralsDedicated to my friend ‘Eustace Ponsonby’

14. Keep the Baby Warm, Mother (1889) * [4.07](George Grossmith)

15. Thou of My Thou (1889) [4.20](George Grossmith)A Fashionable Love Song - from Modern Music & Morals

16. I've Loved Another Girl Since Then (1893) * [3.37](George Grossmith)

17. Beautiful Bountiful Bertie (1894) * [3.16](George Grossmith III & Lionel Monckton)The Shop Girl - Gaiety Theatre 24 November 1894 - 546 performances

18. Johnnie at the Gaiety (1895) * [3.48](George Grossmith)Dedicated to ‘Beautiful Bountiful Bertie’ - from The Tide of Fashion

19. I was Born Upon a Sunday (1897) [3.56](FC Burnand, Rudolph Lehmann & Sir AC Mackenzie)His Majesty - Savoy Theatre, 20 February 1897 - 61 performances.

The voice of George Grossmith III

20. Bertie the Bounder (1909) [3.07](RC Tharp & C Clarke)Our Miss Gibbs Originally issued on Gramophone 02255 (1909)

21. Yip-I-addy-I-ay (1909) [4.04](Will. D. Cobb & John H. Flynn) new lyrics by George Grossmith III.Our Miss Gibbs Originally issued on Gramophone 02219 (1909)

The lyrics to the last two songs are given on pages 13 & 14

Total playing time 74:12

THE GROSSMITH LEGACYTHE SONGS OF GEORGE GROSSMITH &FAMILY

Leon Berger (baritone)& Selwyn Tillett (piano)

George Grossmith was born into a theatricalfamily in Islington, London, in 1847. Hisuncles, William Robert and Benjamin, wereboth child prodigies on the stage and hisfather – also called George (let’s call himGGI) - combined a career in courtroomjournalism with frequent forays into soloentertaining. Young George followed suitand began to divide his days between BowStreet Police Court and the entertainmentplatform, often singing his father’s amusingverses to his own music. Father and sonmade their debut as a double-act at theMasonic Hall, Birmingham, in 1873. TheGay Photographer [1], with mock banjo andwhistle accompaniment, is an early andunusually saucy example of their comicpartnership. George père delivered one-manreadings while fils sang and played thepiano.

But it was the publication of I am so Volatile[2] that established father and son as acommercial success. Other leadingentertainers began to perform the song - the

sheet music bears the legend: ‘sungapplausefully by Mr Howard Paul in hispopular entertainments’. Mr & Mrs HowardPaul, performers and concert partypromoters, boosted George’s career byincluding him in their seaside touring showsand George began to reach wideraudiences, who delighted in his eccentricbrand of whimsicality based, sometimes, onthe flimsiest of everyday events. A late trainand a monotonous station announcer gaverise to ‘not only the drollest but the mostinnocent song of the season’, The Muddle-Puddle Porter [3].

George and composer Arthur Sullivan had amutual friend in the tenor Arthur Cecil, whohad appeared as Bouncer in the first publicperformance of Sullivan’s one-act operettaCox & Box (Divine Art 2-4104) in 1867. Tenyears on, Sullivan wrote his first full-lengthopera with WS Gilbert for Richard D’OylyCarte’s new opera company, but had yet tofind a comic lead. Legend has it - a legendpromoted by George himself in hisautobiography A Society Clown - that Cecilsuggested him for the part and Sullivanreplied affirmatively, ‘The very man!’ Georgehad met both Gilbert and Sullivan severaltimes on the entertainment circuit. IndeedSullivan had on more than one occasionheard him perform at parties, (continuing the

musical festivities in his rooms late into thenight). And as far back as 1868 Gilbert hadreviewed ‘GG’ in a show, Society, at theRoyal Gallery of Illustration: 'Mr. Grossmithhas comic powers of no mean order'. LatterlyGilbert had directed him as the Judge in anamateur performance of Trial by Jury. In1877 Sullivan’s offer, written from theBeefsteak Club, changed George’s lifeforever.

"Dear Mr Grossmith, - Are you inclined to goon the stage for a time? There is a part in thenew piece I am doing with Gilbert which Ithink you would play admirably. I can’t find agood man for it. Let me have a line, or cometo 9, Albert Mansions to-morrow after 4, orThursday before 2.30."

George describes the meeting. Thecomposer ‘struck the D (fourth line in trebleclef, if you please), and said, ‘Sing it out asloud as you can.’ I did. Sullivan looked up,with a most humorous expression on hisface – even his eye-glass seemed to smile –and he simply said, ‘Beautiful!’ Sullivan sangthrough the proposed patter song and askedGeorge if he could do the same ‘Yes,’George replied, ‘I can do that.’ ‘Very well,’said Sullivan, ‘if you can do that, you can dothe rest.’ George duly went to read somedialogue for Gilbert who seemed pleased,but George had his personal doubts:

"I saw that the part would suit me excellently,but I said to Mr Gilbert, ‘For the part of aMagician I should have thought you require a

fine man with a fine voice.’ I can still see MrGilbert’s humorous expression as he replied,‘No, that is just what we don’t want.’"

The offer from Gilbert & Sullivan to play intheir full-length opera The Sorcerer on aprofessional basis gave George pause forthought. It would, among other things,interfere with his increasing concert work.However, encouraged by Mrs Howard Paul(who was herself booked to play LadySangazure) George, just before his 30th

birthday, assumed the first of the so-called‘patter’ roles with which he has become soclosely associated. The family sorcerer whoannounces his arrival with My Name is JohnWellington Wells [4] was born.

George’s twelve-year stint as principalcomedian in the G&S operas in no wayinterfered with his previous career as a soloentertainer. Weekly he gave six eveningshows for Mr Carte, then matinees, andentertainments before and after a show andsometimes in the interval as well, late nightsoirées, Sunday benefits – all of his ownmaterial – an exhausting schedule for anyperformer. Providing a companion piece forthe well-known Children’s Pinafore Georgedevised A Juvenile Party [5] taking all theparts himself. Dedicating it to Gilbert’syounger sister, Florence, George teasinglydrops in references to family and friends inthe list of the party guests – including his sonLawrence Randall Grossmith.

George’s services were in demand as bothlyricist and composer, working, at times, withsome distinguished collaborators. FredericE. Weatherly was the author of scores ofVictorian and Edwardian ‘standards’ such as‘The Holy City’, ‘Danny Boy’ and ‘Roses ofPicardy’, and himself the lyricist of a Savoyopera – the first version of Messager’sMirette (1894). He penned the verses forMistress & Maid [6]. JL Toole, the lowcomedian for whom Gilbert & Sullivan wrotethe name part in their first collaboration,Thespis, became firm friends with Georgeand was particularly influential inpopularizing his song The Speaker's Eye [7]with words by humorist Arthur Law. Henry S.Leigh completes our trilogy of lyricists withwhom George collaborated in the early1880s with the ‘Humorous Scena’ TheParrot & the Cat [8].

In 1886, during the run of The Mikado,George wrote a sketch called A LittleYachting; it is dedicated to his friend, theartist Heather Bigg. George always ensuredthat his dressing room at the Savoy bore aframed pen-and-ink drawing by Biggdepicting himself (GG) and fellow comedianCorney Grain playing a piano duet. Thesketch concludes with The Bay of Battersea[9] in which, after a series of nauticaldisasters, the crew display their landlubberlycredentials; the Captain clearly joins theunlikely club of over-polite mariners whowould never ‘use a big big D’.

One curiosity, recorded here for the firsttime, is the full-length version of the duet IOnce Was as Meek as a New Born Lamb[10] from Gilbert & Sullivan’s Ruddygore; itwas shortened soon after its firstperformance in 1887. The first two verseswith their introduction (a homage to Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre) will be familiar frommodern productions. The reinstated versesinvolve a sub-plot, whereby the servant, OldAdam, changes his name to Gideon Crawleto reflect his newly acquired wicked status.Research into reconstructing these missingverses led to a revealing insight into thevoice of Grossmith himself, of which norecordings exist. In an interview publishedshortly after Sullivan’s death, he said:

"Of course, I haven’t any voice to speak of,but I have a great register, and Sullivan usedto amuse himself by making me sing bass inone number of an opera and tenor inanother. In Ruddygore, Sir Arthur hadengaged a man to play the servant, mymenial, so to speak, who had an enormousbass voice, and who had to go down to thelower E flat. Singularly enough, he could godown to G, and then he dropped out entirely,and I did the E below. Generally theaudience roared with laughter, and itabsolutely brought down the house".We have endeavoured to produce the sameeffect …

After the first few performances ofRuddygore in late January 1887 George hadto withdraw from the part of Robin Oakapple

owing to illness. His part was temporarilytaken by the understudy Henry Lytton. Ahostile press reception caused Gilbert andSullivan not only to sanitize the title but tomake considerable changes to the text andthe music. Robin’s recitative AwayRemorse! survived but his patter song ‘Forthirty-five years I’ve been sober and wary’was rewritten as Henceforth All the Crimes[11]. The song has been omitted in allsubsequent professional revivals.

In August 1889 George bade his farewell tothe Savoy operas in the role of Jack Point,the jester-for-all-occasions. He wrote: ‘I havea faint recollection of shedding an extra realtear during the last performance of “JackPoint” (a favourite character of mine) as Isang “I have a song to sing, oh!” ….’ He hadrecently written his first book ofreminiscences A Society Clown - after whichour first CD (Divine Art 2-4105) was named;a fitting description for a professionalcomedian whose brand of tastefulirreverence delighted both royalty andworking class audiences. George threwhimself into touring and writing, and thefollowing 18 months were especiallyenergetic. The Very Much Up to DateMama [12] gave him the chance to employone of his many character voices. Severalentertainers enjoyed success with TheTruth, or Something Near It [13] – makingit their own with ad-libbed catchphrasestagging each verse. George oftencomplained how the presence of babies inthe audience is the bane of a performer:

’They will join in the entertainment’. Notsurprisingly he got his own back in a coupleof songs; ‘The Baby on the Shore’ appearson our first disc; here we present its cousinKeep the Baby Warm, Mother [14]. Aparody of a popular contemporary ballad‘The Garden of Sleep’ provides the basis forThou of My Thou [15]. George supplies hisown introduction, as you will hear. To add tothe mock seriousness, the stage directionduring the playout reads Singer looksvacantly at audience till the end.

The last decade of the century was George’smost prolific period both in writing andperforming. It is here represented by thesong I've Loved Another Girl Since Then[16]. The ’90s also saw the rise of anotherGeorge Grossmith, his son (GGIII) born in1874. The youngster made his professionaldebut in 1892 in Haste to the Wedding(words by Gilbert, music by George), twosongs from which are on our previousrecording. His rise as a major star at theGaiety Theatre, under manager GeorgeEdwardes, was matched only by his ownsuccess as a librettist and lyricist. GGIIImade his name playing “silly ass” roles andhad his first real hit in The Shop Girl (LionelMonckton, 1894) with the song BeautifulBountiful Bertie [17]. GGII dedicated asong to his son’s successful stage characterwith Johnnie at the Gaiety (1895) [18].

When George left the Savoy in August 1889he intended only a 6 to 8 month break, butoffers of solo recitals crowded in. Over the

next fifteen years he achieved at least tentours, including five visits across the Atlanticwhere he became the toast of Canada andAmerica – the New York Evening Telegraphcalled him: “A sarcastic philosopherendowed with a keen sense of humour; anoriginal with rare powers of mimicry.” Whilein the States, Mark Twain became aparticular friend. Writing in 1910 Georgeestimated he had given almost 3,000 recitalssince leaving the Savoy. In fact it was to befive years before he trod the stage in acostume other than his tailcoat, appearing in1894 in His Excellency by Gilbert andOsmond Carr. There followed His Majesty atthe Savoy in 1897, which opened to a criticalpanning. It is a show that contains flashes ofinspiration in the script by FC Burnand, ofCox and Box fame, rather dull lyrics from itslibrettist Rudolph Lehmann and an entirelyponderous score from Sir AlexanderMackenzie. George, not in the best of health,withdrew after three performances and wasreplaced, first by CH Workman and later byHenry Lytton. I was Born Upon a Sunday[19] is the introductory song of the title role,Ferdinand V, King of Vingolia.

When George’s wife, Rosa, died in 1905 helost interest in his work. Though hestaggered on with touring his heart was notin it. George gave his last solo performancein Brighton on 7 November 1908. Ill-health,insomnia and exhaustion had dogged hislater years, along with an ever-increasingdependency on the laudanum he had takento steady his nerves since his Savoy days.

George retired from entertaining and spenthis remaining years in Folkestone: ‘I shallsimply slip out unobserved, and leave peopleto say in years after, “Oh, what became ofthat curious little man with the pince-nez,who used to sit down at the piano and givefunny songs, and still funnier illustrations?’”

He died on 1 March 1912. His burial, in afamily plot in Kensal Green, North London,(not far from his friend JL Toole) wasattended by close friends, relatives, ahandful of theatrical colleagues and, from hisSavoy days, Rutland Barrington. The Kingand Queen wrote to the new ‘GG Jnr’,expressing their sympathy: ‘Their Majestieshad a great regard for Mr. Grossmith, whomthey often met in the old days, and hear withmuch regret of his death.’ Queen Alexandraalso sent her condolences, ‘It was alwaysthe greatest pleasure to her Majesty, whoknew him so well, to enjoy his acting and hisinimitable humour.’

‘GG Jnr’ (GGIII) had a theatrical careerlasting more than 40 years both as performerand theatrical manager; he had further hitswith the song ‘They’ll Never Believe Me’ andas Billy in No, No, Nanette. As a writer andco-author he created more than a dozenWest-End and Broadway shows, includingcollaborations with Basil Hood, Leslie Stuart.P G Woodhouse, Jerome Kern and theGershwins and, as a spotter of talent hegave ‘breaks’ to Ivor Novello and NoëlCoward as actors and fledgling writers. Inaddition, he made nearly 50 recordings. We

are pleased to add, as bonus tracks, twosongs performed by GGIII himself from thecollection of his grandson J C G George,KSG, Linlithgow Pursuivant of ArmsExtraordinary. Bertie the Bounder [20] andYip-I-addy-I-ay [21] were recorded duringthe original run of Our Miss Gibbs (lyrics byAdrian Ross and Percy Greenbank,composed by Ivan Caryll and LionelMonckton). GGIII ‘introduced’ them both intothe show, in the second case supplying hisown words to an American popular song -itself an interpolation into the Broadwayshow The Merry Widow Burlesque

Given that GGIII had cultivated a specificstage persona appropriate to the fashions ofthe time, and clearly had a much smallervocal range than that required by his father’smaterial, his recordings can give us only atantalizing taste of what his father must havesounded like. Nevertheless, they reveal atremendous sense of fun, an enormousenergy, an effortless ease with patter, anastonishing capability to “point” a single sungor spoken word, and, not least in his gloriousdescent into drunken incoherence in ‘Yip-I-addy-I-ay’ – an irresistible mastery of comictiming. The grandfather of our pianist,Selwyn Tillett, was on the halls in Londonand on tour from the turn of the century untilthe 1930s, and a great admirer of GGIII. Herecalled, many years later, still with anaffectionate smile, that he had the best stagepresence and the worst singing voice ofanyone he ever saw. All thesecharacteristics surely matured not just

through experience but because GGIII wasGeorge’s son.

In the 1930s GGIII also enjoyed a film careeron both sides of the Atlantic (though it hadbegun with some silent sketches from OurMiss Gibbs in 1909). He eventually foundedLondon Films with Alexander Korda, writingand directing several screen comedies. In1932 he managed the Theatre Royal, DruryLane for a year where he produced Lehar’sThe Land Of Smiles (introducing RichardTauber to the London stage) and premieredNoël Coward’s Cavalcade. He was due to beknighted in 1935 but his death from cancerpre-empted the ceremony.

GGII declined to be recorded or filmed,arguing that he was at his best performinglive before an audience, but severalmembers of his family have been committedto both celluloid and disc. Brother (Walter)Weedon Grossmith (1854 - 1919), withwhom George wrote The Diary of a Nobody,appears in a 1917 silent film Masks & Faceswith all-star guest appearances from Geralddu Maurier, HB Irving, JM Barrie, ArthurWing Pinero and George Bernard Shaw.GGIII’s young brother Lawrence Grossmith(1877-1944) followed him on to the stage insimilar, and sometimes the same stageroles, before becoming something of a movieheart-throb in Australia and America playing‘English types’; he most often crops up thesedays on late-night TV in a supporting rôle inGaslight (1940) with Ingrid Bergman. GGIIImarried Adelaide Astor (Gertrude ‘Cissie’

Rudge, 1873-1951) who was one of fivetheatrical sisters. Adelaide played smallparts in musical shows with her futurehusband. Their daughter Ena Grossmith(1896-1944) was primarily an actress onstage and screen, but appeared occasionallyin musicals.

For further reading:

GGIITony Joseph: George Grossmith: Biographyof a Savoyard; Tony Joseph 1982.George Grossmith: A Society Clown(reminiscences); Arrowsmith 1888.George Grossmith: Piano and I(reminiscences); Arrowsmith 1910.George & Weedon Grossmith: The Diary of aNobody; Arrowsmith 1892.

GGIIIGeorge Grossmith: “G.G.”(autobiography); Hutchinson 1933.Stanley Naylor: Gaiety and GeorgeGrossmith (reminiscences); Stanley Paul1913.

GGII and GGIIILeon Berger: Entries on ‘George Grossmith’Snr & Jnr: The New Grove Dictionary ofMusic and Musicians; London 2001.

MUSICAL SOURCES

These songs have been selected from MrGeorge Grossmith’s Humorous & MusicalRecital (1995) and The Grossmith FamilyAlbum (1996). The only liberties taken withthe material were the omission or truncationof verses in particularly lengthy numbersand, occasionally, of chorus repeats andinstrumental playouts. I would like to thankthe following people who made their privatecollections available to us: Tony Joseph(biographer of Grossmith), Michael Waltersand John Cannon. Finally, especial gratitudeto J C G George (KSG, LinlithgowPursuivant of Arms Extraordinary) and DrJames Bevan who gave us access to thepersonal music collection of GeorgeGrossmith, their great-grandfather.

Leon Berger has appeared as a guestprincipal with Covent Garden, ScottishOpera, Welsh National Opera, EnglishNational Opera and has sung over 100 rolesin opera and musicals both in the UK andabroad. Leon is well-known in Gilbert &Sullivan circles, having performed the lyricand patter parts in all 14 operas for manycompanies including G&S For All, The Magicof D’Oyly Carte and The Gilbert & SullivanOpera Company at the Buxton InternationalG&S Festival. Leon is an honorary lifemember of the Sir Arthur Sullivan Society forwhom he performs and records regularly.For Divine Art Leon has recorded Cox in Cox& Box, (CD24104), a solo CD of the songs ofGeorge Grossmith A Society Clown

(CD24105) and, as archivist to the lateDonald Swann, has made available a newstudio recording of his cycle of songs forVoices and Chamber Orchestra entitled TheIsles of Greece (CD25010). Leon is currentlywriting the authorised biography of MichaelFlanders

Selwyn Tillett has an extensive interest inall aspects of the nineteenth-century Britishmusical theatre. He has written widely on thepre-production and early performing historyof the operas of Sullivan and othercontemporary British composers. He hasmore than thirty years' experience as anaccompanist, and was one of the co-discoverers of Sullivan's ballet music for thefirst G&S opera Thespis. Selwyn originallytrained as an ancient historian and is Rectorof Beddington in Surrey.

Other picture credits :“GG” Pages 13-14: "A Society Entertainer"

Ally Sloper's Half Holiday 19 December 1903(Brian Jones Collection)Front cover: "GG" - from cabinet photo(Peter Joslin Collection)

Recorded at St Mary’s Rectory, Beddington, Surreyon 19-20 May 1995 and *21-23 October 1996Engineer: Chris Kimber (Cantate Recordings).Remastering: Glenn KeilesArt & Design: Inglewood Graphics

1995; *1996This compilation© 2003 The Divine Art Record Company

"GG" - sketch by RG Matthews Feb. 1902(John Cannon Collection)

WARNING: Copyright subsists in all recordings issuedunder this label. Any unauthorised broadcasting, publicperformance, copying or re-recording thereof in anymanner whatsoever will constitute an infringement ofsuch copyright. In the United Kingdom, licences for theuse of recordings for public performance may be obtainedfrom Phonographic Performance Ltd, 1, Upper JamesStreet, London W1R 3HG.

diversions ddv 24109the grossmith legacy

URC 809 730 410 925

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Bertie the Bounder

Bertie Fitzfootletop, King of Romance,Had but one passion – and that was to dance;Some say his brain was so heavy withalHe had to keep bounding to stand up at all!I met young Bertie one night at the ClubBounding about like an India-rubber ball!(La ti tee, ta ti tee, ta ti tee…)

I said: “Bertie, boy, why do you bound?What have you found wrong with the ground?You should stop at a sixpenny hop,We’re not playing rounders!”He said: “Old chappie, if I were bound,I’ll be bound I should still have to bound(la ti tiddely i ti too)For I’m one of the bounders!”(Repeat chorus)

Bertie one day in his wonderful brainHatch’d out a scheme for an aeroplane;Took little Susie aloft for a ride,Started proposing, forgetting to guide!She said: “How sudden!” as downward they flew;Sue was near Bertie and Bertie near Suicide!(Oh, look at ‘em!)

I said: “Bertie, boy, why do you bound?What have you found wrong with the ground?Mind your socks when you get on the rocks,You’re no sev’nteen-pounder!”He said: “Old chappie, I’m homeward bound:One more bound, and I’ll bound where I’mbound(la ti tiddely i ti too)For I’m one of the bounders!”

(Repeat chorus)

Bertie met Gertie one day at the Rink,Rounding a corner, she tipped him a wink,Tipped into Bertie who gave a few pullsTipped over backwards against all the rules.Over they went with their heels in the air –People cried “Shame!” and “My word! What apair – of fools!”

(Ah!)

I said: “Bertie, boy, why do you bound?What have you found wrong with the ground?You don’t appeal as a catherine wheelAmong the flappers and flounders!”He said: “Old chappie, if I’m unbound,You may be bound, I shall have it rebound –(la ti tiddely i ti too)For I’m one of the bounders!”(Repeat chorus)

Yip-I-Addy-I-Ay

Young Herman von Bellow, a musical fellow,Played on the big ’cello each nightAt a smart hotel where all the gallant and fairWould drop in for a chat and a bite;He’d play tunes that you know, by Wagner andGounodTo give the gay building a tone;But the place started swaying when he beganplayingA wonderful waltz of his own:

Yip! I-addy-i-ay, i-ay; Yip! I-addy-i-ay:I don’t care what becomes of meWhen he plays me that sweet melodyYip! I-addy-i-ay, i-ay;My heart wants to shout out “Hooray”:Sing of joy, sing of bliss,Home was never like this;Yip! I-addy-i-ay, i-ay!

Now some sort of music makes me sick and yousick,While some sort is noble and grand;But the kind that our hero was fiddling like NeroWas quite of a different brand;And sweet Sally Frampton, who lives down atHampton,Her train home was trying to decide,But when Herr von Bellow began on his ’celloShe tore up her ticket and cried:

Yip! I-addy-i-ay, i-ay; Yip! I-addy-i-ay: (etc)

This fellow von Bellow with ’cello so mellowProposed to sweet Sally, who said:“I’ll be yours on condition your sweetcompositionYou’ll play me each day when we’re wed.”Such excitement he was in, he bought some morerosinThe morning the wedding bells rang;And when they’d addressed ’em, and joined ‘emand blessed ’em,She kissed all the curates and sang:

Yip! I-addy-i-ay, i-ay; Yip! I-addy-i-ay:

"Words of Songs" - Leon Berger Collection

"GG III" - Leon Berger Collection

The prequel to this album:‘A Society Clown’Diversions DDV 24105“The booklet is very nicely presented and the CD which is wellrecorded and affords generous measure is generally veryrecommendable” - British Music Society

“If you like Gilbert & Sullivan, you will most likely enjoy the songsof George Grossmith. The songs are indeed witty and stand upwell today. The music is well recorded and well performed” - Inthe Groove, USA