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A rare recording, from 1907, of Gilbert & Sullivan's Captain's Song from H.M.S. Pinafore, produced in England by Sterling Records.

The Captain's Song from H.M.S. Pinafore

 
Company Sterling Records
Cylinder # 944
Category Baritone (with chorus & orchestra)
Title Pinafore - The Captain's Song
Performed by Harry Dearth
Circa 1907
Announcement "The Captain's Song from Pinafore, sung by Mr. Harry Dearth, Sterling record."
 

Sterling Records, based in England, was run by Louis Sterling and Russell Hunting (of the famous Michael Casey series of the 1890s).   They manufactured and sold wax cylinder records from about 1905 to 1908.   Sterling records featured a slightly longer record: about ¼" longer, or about 9 seconds more playing time!

Comparing a Sterling with an Edison record.
Comparsion of the ¼" longer Sterling to a standard Edison record.

Around 1907, Sterling produced a set of at least 11 recorded highlights of Gilbert & Sullivan's 1878 comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore.   This recording of "I am the Captain of the Pinafore" is sung by the well-known British baritone Harry Dearth – a remarkable name.

To hear The Captain's Song from Pinafore   —

For help playing these sounds, click here.

To learn more, see:

Words from Act I, as recorded on this cylinder:
Recitative
Captain: 
	My gallant crew, good morning. 
All: 
	Sir, good morning! 
Captain: 
	I hope you're all quite well. 
All: 
	Quite well; and you, sir? 
Captain: 
	I am in reasonable health, and happy 
	To meet you all once more. 
All: 
	You do us proud, sir! 

Song, Captain
Captain: 
	I am the Captain of the Pinafore.
All: 
	And a right good captain, too! 
Captain: 
	You're very, very good, 
	And be it understood, 
	I command a right good crew.
All: 
	We're very, very good, 
	And be it understood, 
	He commands a right good crew. 
Captain: 
	Though related to a peer, 
	I can hand, reef, and steer, 
	And ship a selvagee; 
	I am never known to quail 
	At the furry of a gale, 
	And I'm never, never sick at sea.
All: 
	What, never? 
Captain: 
	No, never.
All: 
	What, never? 
Captain: 
	Well, hardly ever! 
All: 
	He's hardly ever sick at sea! 
	Then give three cheers, and one cheer more, 
	For the hardy Captain of the Pinafore! 
	Then give three cheers, and one cheer more, 
	For the Captain of the Pinafore! 

Captain: 
	I do my best to satisfy you all-- 
All: 
	And with you we're quite content. 
Captain: 
	You're exceedingly polite, 
	And I think it only right 
	To return the compliment. 
All: 
	We're exceedingly polite, 
	And he thinks it's only right 
	To return the compliment. 
Captain: 
	Bad language or abuse, 
	I never, never use, 
	Whatever the emergency; 
	Though "bother it" I may 
	Occasionally say, 
	I never use a big, big D-- 
All: 
	What, never? 
Captain: 
	No, never.
All: 
	What, never? 
Captain: 
	Well . . . hardly ever! 
All: 
	Hardly ever swears a big, big D-- 
	Then give three cheers, and one cheer more, 
	For the hardy Captain of the Pinafore! 
	Then give three cheers, and one cheer more, 
	For the Captain of the Pinafore! 


— This cylinder is from the collection of Frank V. de Bellis at San Francisco State University —

                                       


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