Preview: An Upcoming Thespis Recording

Libretto and lyrics by W. S. Gilbert / Music by Alan Riley Jones and Arthur Sullivan

About Thespis

In November, 2004, the Durham Savoyards Ltd. presented a staged reading of Thespis, or The Gods Grown Old, with libretto and lyrics by W. S. Gilbert, and music newly composed by Durham Savoyards music director, Alan Riley Jones. In November, 2007, most of the 2004 cast joined with additional participants to create a piano-accompanied recording, soon to be available on CD through the Durham Savoyards web site.

The audio samples on this page have been excerpted from the full length, full quality recordings, and have been converted to mp3 files at 48 kbps for ease of downloading. You may be able to hear a slight loss of clarity. We hope you will enjoy this preview sampling, and will check back at the Durham Savoyards site later when the finished recording is available.

For more information about the original 1871 Gilbert and Sullivan version, see the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive's Thespis page. You may also wish to read this edited version of the complete libretto (PDF file), which is correlated to the Jones score and which contains further remarks about the new setting.

Audio Samples

Words by W. S Gilbert, Music by Alan Riley Jones (except where noted)

For the smoothest listening experience, you might want to use the all samples embedded page.

From #4. Oh, I'm the Celestial Drudge Mercury (272Kb 0:45)	From #5. Procession Of the Gods Instrumental (662Kb 1:52)
From #6. Oh, Incident Unprecedented Jupiter, Diana, Apollo, Mercury, Mars (663Kb 1:52)	From #8. Climbing over Rocky Mountains (Music by Arthur Sullivan, adapted by Alan Riley Jones) Timidon, Pretteia, Daphne, Sillimon, Chorus of Thespians (1.49Mb 4:13)
From #9. I Once Knew a Chap Thespis (367Kb 1:01)	From #11a. Entr'Acte: The Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze (Music by Arthur Sullivan, adapted by Alan Riley Jones) Sparkeion, Nicemis (297Kb 0:49)
From #12. Of All Symposia Sillimon, Chorus of Thespians (487Kb 1:22)	From #13. Little Maid Of Arcadee (Though Sullivan's setting survives, this version is by Jones.) Sparkeion (284Kb 0:47)
From #15. You're Diana, I'm Apollo Sparkeion, Daphne, Nicemis, Thespis (259Kb 0:43)	From #16. Oh, Rage and Fury Jupiter, Mars, Apollo (303Kb 0:50)
From #18. Finale Act II Jupiter, Mars, Apollo, Chorus of Thespians (623Kb 1:45)

Music Director: Alan Riley Jones *
Piano: J. Samuel Hammond *

Principal Cast
(doubling as chorus)
Thespis: Richard Dideriksen *
Mercury: John Adams *
Jupiter: Dwight Sullivan
Sparkeion: Chris Newlon *
Nicemis: Ann Marie Thomas *
Daphne: Evelyn McCauley *
Diana: Olive McKrell *
Apollo/Timidon: Michael Rowe *
Mars/Sillimon: Steve Dobbins *
Pretteia: Marie Snider
Solo Star: Karen Gray *

Additional Chorus
Pamela Guidry-Vollers *
Teme M. Levbarg *
Kay Bailey *
Lyle Bass
Carolyn Coolidge
Cathy Lambe *
Sandy Gerli
Bobby Cameron *
Houston Horn
David Smith *

* repeat from 2004 performance

Production Recording Engineer: Hubert Deans, Snow Hill Music
Executive Producer: Michael Rowe
Producer: Noelle Debora Paull
Art Design for CD: Evelyn McCauley

Music © 2004 Alan Riley Jones. All rights reserved.

Phonorecords © 2008 Durham Savoyards Ltd. All rights reserved.

These audio samples are provided for your private enjoyment and perusal only.