Textual Variants in the Brent Walker Yeomen
By Peter Parker
I am undertaking the task of making a comparison of the versions of Brent Walker videos of the operas. The first one of these (Yeomen) is set out below. I cannot claim to have spotted every nuance or difference on a word for word basis, but the main variations are noted.
These comparisons are based on checking against the prompt book libretto as used by the old D'Oyly Carte company at the time Robert Gibson was stage manager, which of itself has errors and differences compared to the stage performances at that time and subsequently. Also, I cannot claim to check whether the omitted items were actually videoed by Brent Walker or omitted by not being included in final edited video prints.
What I have done is to compare, prompt book in hand, the version as shown on BBC TV in or around 1986 — some four years after the videos were made — with the version as sold by Brent Walker direct prior to that date and bearing their name, and with the cut price budget version sold by Woolworth and since under various names and still on sale currently bearing a Polygram trademark. I have also checked with the recent transmissions on the Performance cable channel network.
These comparisons are based on versions sold and seen on TV in UK only. I have not checked versions sold in other countries, but it should be easy for anyone having such videos to check against the list below to find out which version they have. In essence (except perhaps for copyright notices, packaging and labelling) there appear to be only two versions in existence.
The Yeomen dialogue used by the Brent Walker video is much re-written by bringing up to date the use of "ye," "thou," etc. There are a large number of minor changes too numerous to list. I have only noted omissions of complete phrases, paragraphs, or songs. It would appear that in all the "as sold" versions there are Douglas Fairbanks introductions both before the start and between acts one ane two. These introductions were not transmitted in the broadcast versions by BBC or Performance. I do not know if these introductions were on the Beta tapes used for transmission.
To make these comparisons readable I have used abbreviations thus:
| BW | = | original as sold by Brent Walker. (Prior to the budget version) |
| BBC | = | as broadcast in 1986 or thereabouts (I do not have precise dates) |
| P | = | Performance Cable TV broadcast (towards the end of 1997) |
| W | = | Woolworth budget versions, circa 1989. (It would seem all UK 'as sold' versions are identical in content to these.) |
| ALL | = | all checked versions (as listed above) are identical. |
NB: the original BW versions had Dolby linear stereo tracks and were issued before VCR Hi-Fi tracking was introduced. All the other "as sold" versions include Hi-Fi stereo tracks but it would seem that these were made not from the original master high quality tapes but dubbed from some lower quality source, as yet, not traced. I do not know if the Performance channel transmissions were in stereo as the copies I have were recorded on a mono machine.
Summary of Findings
To avoid having to read carefully all the detail which follows, I set out here a quick check summary which shows that out of all the sources on which this video has been checked only two actual versions are found, the BBC version being more complete than the others.
| When maiden loves, first verse | Not in any version | |
| Alas I waver to and fro | Not in any version | |
| Is Life a Boon | In BBC | Not in any others |
| Free from his fetters grim | Not in any version | |
| Strange adventure | In BBC | Not in any others |
| When a wooer goes a wooing | In BBC | Not in any others |
| Rapture, rapture | In BBC | Not in any others |
NB: "Laughing boy" and "When jealouse torments" are not in any version but these songs were unknown in performances in 1982.
There is no evidence that any of the "as sold" versions contain any scene, dialogue or songs not included in the BBC version.
There is a technical difference (the copyright notice, see detail below) between the 'as sold' BW version and the P and W versions. This shows that they were derived from different masters. It is clear that in order to get within a two hour limit on tapes for sale, which included the Douglas Fairbanks introductions, cuts were made from a longer version as used by BBC. It is not known if the other missing songs were videoed at all.
Yeomen of the Guard, Act I
Overture: ALL: Not played as a complete item but all videos checked are identical, with running in titles etc.
Opening scene: ALL: Starts with 2nd verse of "When maiden loves…" 1st verse omitted.
Dialogue: Phoebe; ALL: omit "Is the Little Ease sufficiently uncomfortable".
Song: ALL: Tower Warders; solo verse and subsequent dialogue appears to be given to Sgt Meryll not to 2nd Yeoman as in prompt book. This agrees with original text as per First Night G & S. (See also note in Bradley.)
Dialogue: Dame; ALL: omit "A good day to you!"
Dialogue: Sgt Meryll; ALL: omit "in saving his standard…" to "has been appointed…"
Dialogue: Phoebe; ALL: omit from "circumspection…" to "I may not do this…" (including the whole of Sgt Meryll's paragraph between).
Dialogue: Sgt Meryll; ALL: omit whole paragraph "Nay he'll not check…"
Dialogue: Sgt Meryll; ALL omit "who saved his flag…" to end of sentence.
Song: Trio, Phoebe, Leonard and Sgt Meryll; ALL omit "Alas I waver to and fro!…" Whole song omitted.
Dialogue: Sgt Meryll; ALL: omit "Nay, lass, be of good cheer, we may save him yet."
Dialogue: Sgt Meryll; ALL omit "Keep a stout heart…" to "Take my word for it…"
Song: Fairfax; Is life a boon: BBC includes this but none of the 'as sold' versions included this song. It is not in the Performance transmissions.
Dialogue: Fairfax; ALL omit "Comming death…" to "So, my good Lieutenant…"
Dialogue: Point; ALL omit "Its the very marriage of pro…" to Now wherewithal…"
Dialogue: Elsie; ALL omit "Best beware! I am armed!"
Dialogue: Sgt Meryll; ALL omit " Here is your halbert sir, carry it thus." (No halbert is given to Fairfax at that point).
The Yeomen of the Guard, Act II
NB: My prompt book contains an apparent error in that The Merrie Jestes of Hugh Ambrose is quoted as number 7683 and not as used and in all other copies number 7863. 7863 is used in these videos. (That should pin down the date of the prompt book).
Dialogue: Point; ALL omit "Jailer that jailed not…" to "Come take heart…"
Dialogue: Fairfax; ALL omit "As far as I remember…" to "The Tower bonds…"
Song: Fairfax; ALL omit "Free from his fetters grim-"
Dialogue: Fairfax; All omit "With all my heart."
Dialogue; Kate; ALL omit "…on my tablets."
Song: Quartet; Fairfax, Sgt Meryll, Dame and Kate; Strange adventure… BBC included this song but ALL 'as sold' and P tapes omit this number. NB there is a long noticeable pause with picture but no sound on the 'as sold' and P tapes to blend this deletion of the missing song into the next video scene.
Dialogue: Fairfax, Elsie; ALL omit entire scene/dialogue from "I might have fared worse with my eyes open!" to "Hark! What was that sir?"
Dialogue: Point; ALL omit "The testimony of one eye…" to (Phoebe) "But are you sure it was…"
Song: Quartet, Elsie, Phoebe, Fairfax and Point: "When a wooer goes a wooing," BBC included this song but ALL 'as sold' and P copies omit this number.
Dialogue and Song: Sgt Meryll and Dame; BBC included all the dialogue from "must e'en suffer for it" to "Comes the pretty young bride…', including Rapture, rapture. All the "as sold" and P versions omit the entire scene between Sgt Meryll and Dame Carruthers with all the dialogue and the song "Rapture, rapture"
NB: The copyright notice right at the end of the video differs depending which version you watch. Its very subtle. On all the videos checked the last but one title is a copyright notice. ALL of them award the copyright to The Moving Picture Company but only the W and P versions have a date, 1982; the BBC and BW version do not have a date even though the layout and font of the title screen is identical and is superimposed on the same background scene. This implies that the date which is given its own line has been added on some master copy. Examining these videos frame by frame at this point shows the date line having been faded in slightly late (by about 3 frames) compared to the other part of the title and indeed there are a few frames (about 3 only) on fade out where the date is still showing (faintly) but the title has disolved and is not showing at all. At normal playing speed this difference is not discernable.
Conclusions
One can conclude that the P and W versions are taken from the same master but the P version would have been on a Betamax system tape for transmission. This points to three master versions being in existence at some date. One, the BW "as sold" originals, heavily cut; two, the BBC version with more songs; three, the W and P versions, identical to each other and to the BW version in opera content but with the added copyright date line.
I should perhaps add that this sleuthing comparison has been done the hard way and not with any help from the current copyright owners. The ownership of the current copyright is believed to be Goldcrest Films International, to whom I have appealed in vain, both personally and in writing but who have refused to respond at all. All contacts during 1997 with Brent Walker (now totally out of existence) and the Moving Picture Company referred me to Goldcrest as the current copyright owners. The Moving Picture Company credited with the copyright on the tapes are still in existence but are apparently unable to be of help.
