The Yeomen of the Guard by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan

Gilbert and Sullivan Archive

You are here: Archive Home > The Yeomen of the Guard > Web Opera > Act I

No. 8: TRIO (Elsie, Lieutenant & Point)

"How say you, maiden, will you wed"

MIDI File [20KB, 2' 53"] sequenced by Colin Johnson

Lieutenant.

How say you, maiden, will you wed
A man about to lose his head?
For half an hour
You'll be a wife,
And then the dower
Is your for life.
A headless bridegroom why refuse?
If truth the poets tell,
Most bridegrooms, ere they marry,
Lose both head and heart as well!

1926 Production

Elsie.

A strange proposal you reveal,
It almost makes my senses reel.
Alas! I'm very poor indeed,
And such a sum I sorely need.
My mother, sir, is like to die.
This money life may bring.
Bear this in mind, I pray,
If I consent to do this thing!

Point.

Though as a general rule of life
I don't allow my promised wife,
My lovely bride that is to be,
To marry anyone but me,
Yet if the fee is promptly paid,
And he, in well-earned grave,
Within the hour is duly laid,
Objection I will waive!
Yes, objection I will waive!

All.

Temptation, oh, temptation,
Were we, I pray, intended
To shun, what e'er our station,
Your fascinations splendid;
Or fall, whene'er we view you,
Head over heels into you?
Head over heels, Head over heels,
Head over heels into you!
Head over heels, Head over heels,
Head over heels, into you!

Elsie.	Point.	Lieutenant.
Oh,	Head over heels, Head over heels,	Head over heels, Head over heels, Head
temptation,	Head over heels, Head over	over heels, Right into you!
Oh,	Head over heels, Head over heels, Head over heels,	Head over heels, Head over heels, Head over heels,
temptation,	Head	Head over heels,
	over heels, Head over	Head over heels,
Oh,	heels, Head over	Head over heels,
temptation,	heels, Head over heels, Head over heels, Head over heels,	Head over heels, Head over heels, Head over heels, Head
	Head over heels, Head over	over heels, Head over heels,
Oh,	heels, Head over	Head over heels,
temptation,	heels, Head over heels, Head over heels, Head over heels,	Head over heels, Head over heels, Head over, over heels,
Temptation, oh temptation!	Temptation, oh temptation!	Temptation, oh temptation!

C. Herbert Workman as Jack Point, Lilian Coomber as Elsie Maynard,
John Clulow as Wilfred Shadbolt, and
Alec Johnstone as Sir Richard Cholmondeley, 1906

During this, the Lieutenant has whispered to Wilfred (who has entered). Wilfred binds Elsie's eyes with a kerchief, and leads her into the Cold Harbour Tower

Archive Home | The Yeomen of the Guard

Page Created 9 January, 2006