Canterbury Tales
Description
Canterbury Tales is a musical conceived by Martin Starkie and written by Nevill Coghill and Martin Starkie with music by John Hawkins and Richard Hill. Originally presented at the Oxford Playhouse in 1964, it was expanded into a full-length musical and presented at the Phoenix Theatre, London on 21 March 1968, with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton attending the premiere. It played for a record-breaking 2080 performances and closed on 24 March 1973.
Lovingly DigiMIXED to modernise as much as possible and here for the first time ever on CD.
Tracklist
1. Overture - Orchestra
2. Chaucer's Prologue / Songs of Welcome - Martin Starkie
3. Good Night Hymn Wilfred Brambell, Pamela Charles, John Rutland
4. Canterbury Day - Wilfred Brambell, Pamela Charles, John Rutland
5. I Have A Noble Cock - Nicky Henson
6. Darling, Let Me Teach You How To Kiss - Billy Boyle
7. Nicholas and Alison's Love Duet - Nicky Henson, Gay Soper, Wilfred Brambell
8. Some Call It Love - Wilfred Brambell
9. Chanticleer and Pertelote Duet - Wilfred Brambell, Pamela Charles, John Rutland
10. Chanticleer, Pertelote, Fox Trio - Wilfred Brambell, Pamela Charles, John Rutland
11. Fill Your Glass - Kenneth J Warren, Nancy Nevinson, Gay Soper
12. Pilgrim's Riding Music - Orchestra of The Canterbury Tales
13. Come On And Marry Me, Honey - Jessie Evans
14. When I Was A Boy - Kenneth J Warren, Wilfrid Bramble
15. Where Are The Girls of Yesterday? - Wilfrid Bramble, Nicky Henson, Gay Soper
16. If She Has Never Loved Before - Wilfrid Bramble, Daniel Thorndike, John Rutland
17. I Give My Love a Ring - Nicky Henson, Gay Soper
18. Chaucer’s Speech - Martin Starkie, Nicky Henson
19. I Am Forever Dated
20. Opening Of the Wife of Bath’s Tale / What Do Women Most Desire?
21. April Song
22. The Arrival at Canterbury / Love Will Conquer All / Chaucer Epilogue / Finale
Reviews
Terence Flint
- Barking/Dagenham
Canterbury Tales-original London cast cd
It's great to see these old London musicals issued.There are still many that have never been on cd,which is a shame.It's a lovely show to add to a collection.
Francis Wright
- South Wales
A Reunion With a Much-Loved Classic
People tend to forget that 'Canterbury Tales' was at one stage the longest running musical. That was in the days before the writers/composers bought the theatres their works were housed in, and the public couldn't escape.
When I first saw 'Canterbury Tales' it was nearing the end of its 6-year run at the Phoenix theatre. It was still a wonderfully fresh piece of work - the colour and life and glorious designs capturing a mediaeval English world that had probably never existed, but jolly well ought to have done!
Here on CD for the first time (it has taken ages to appear) is the original cast recording, featuring the likes of Wilfrid Brambell (aka Albert Steptoe) and Nicky Henson, who has a very good singing voice. There is a liveliness and jolliness about the whole offering which makes this one for anybody who cares to recall a time when the West End had real variety on offer, and not just clones of the show next door.
Yes, 'Canterbury Tales' may have aged a bit, but hey - so what ? It's still a nice piece of work, with excellent music. Well worth having.