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| Today would have been your 95th birthday!! 2nd September 1930 - 16th March 2021 Geoff, High Town Writers still miss you and have happy memories of performances of 'Sabrina'. |
Sabrina, Goddess of
the Severn,
Could lead a man to
hell or heaven
1 - The Roman
Narrator
The
Romans came, with sword and law
And
taught crude Britons soon the score
They
worshipped gods like Zeus - and meaner
But at
Bridgnorth they found - Sabrina !
We must
have marched a thousand leagues
To
conquer this benighted spot
What
would I give for a cup of wine
Or a
lusty wench that's really hot !
Sabrina
A goodly sight, this Roman
chap
I'll
see if I can catch his eye
And
if the audience doesn't clap
I'll
grab him, love him - and he'll die !
Legionnaire
O
Bacchus ! What a wondrous sight !
Is it a
wench or a dream I see ?
Sabrina
O, I'm a maid, I'll prove this
night
Come
Roman man :I'll set you free !
Legionnaire
O Gods! O Sabrina! – I who am
about to die salute you!
2 - The Saxon
Narrator
The
Saxons came in time of yore
And
plundered us from shore to shore
And they
were pretty rough ; none meaner
There's
not a doubt they met Sabrina….
Saxon
What
have we here ? Another town.
For
sacking and for pulling down
We'll
burn the place and kill the men
Destroy
the cock but keep the hen!
Sabrina
O rude uncultured Saxon beast
I'll
see you soon regret this feast
For
Bridgnorth maids and Bridgnorth men
Sabrina's
spell will work again
Saxon
Great balls of fire! A hefty
wench
This
dish I'll taste without a wrench
Come
lass, let's frolick in the hay
You'll
not forget this joyful day!
Sabrina
I'll
frolick, friend, but you're the one
Who
nevermore will see the sun
SHE KISSES HIM AND HE DIES
Saxon
Gott in Himmel: du
hast mich getötet… – ich sterbe!
3 - The Dane
Narrator
In
former times, despite the rain
Our city
fair was taxed by Dane
And though
their habits were much cleaner
We know
for sure they met Sabrina
Dane
Now
what's this place ? They call it Quatt !
The
name's a mess, I like it not
Our
taxmen now will sally forth
Across
the bridge to south and north
Sabrina
This
fellow's dull compared to Saxon
He
calls himself a Danish Taxman
Ah, well, though I won't be hasty
Let's
tempt him with an English pastry!
Dane
O Woden
! What is this I see?
A vision
yet untaxed by me !
I'll
take her measure, scribe her rune
Sabrina
You're
right, my Dane, come take my boon !
SHE KISSES HIM AND HE DIES
Dane
Valhalla – I come!
4 - The Norman
Narrator
In
elevenhundredand twenty-two
Which
Bridgnorthmen e'er will rue
The
Normans came and built their keep
And
tried to turn us all to sheep
Norman
We
brought our culture to this land
Rude
English habits we have banned
Now
Lords and Ladies served by serf
Can all
enjoy our Norman earth
Sabrina
These
Norman gangsters must be humbled
Methinks
his tongue of "ladies" stumbled
Let's
see if ancient English lore
Tonight
our honour can restore…
Norman
Mon
Dieu! Quelle beauty do I see
Ma
chėre, what luck for you to meet with me
Sabrina
Indeed
your fortune's doubly blessed
Now
I'm the host and you're the guest!
SHE KISSES HIM AND HE DIES
Norman
Elle m’a tuè! Quand même; Vive
l’amour !
5 - The Welshman
Narrator
The
Marches dripped with blood; impaled
On Welsh
ambition our English town
Became a
field of battle and renown
Welshman
By
Cardiff, Anglesey or Rhyll
Never
before did my heart thrill
To see
so soft an English village
Ripe-ready
for Welsh guile and pillage
Sabrina
The
cheeky Celt! How dare he gloat
Before
he's even crossed my moat
I'll
tease him, be so coy and meek
And then I'll parboil up his leek !
Welshman
By
Llanfairfechan and Glendower
I've
never seen so fine a flower
Come,
English Maid, and be my love
I think
you're sent from heaven above
Sabrina
Oh
yes, my little laverbread
One
kiss - and then you'll find you're dead !
SHE KISSES HIM AND HE DIES
Welshman
O Angeu-eth! – I die! – cymru am
byth!
6- The Roundheads
Narrator
In
sixteen-hundred-and-forty-six
In
Parliament, by knavish tricks
Our
sovereign lord quite lost his head
And
Cromwell took his place instead
Roundhead
These
Royalist dogs and their cold bitches
With
Papist plots, warlocks and witches
Shall
now the power of Cromwell feel
With
Roundhead flesh and Roundhead steel
Sabrina
This fellow's pretty hot, he thinks
He'll
get no favours from this minx
Or
rather if he dares to touch
He'll
burn from fingernail to crutch
Roundhead
Come
lass, forget your bonnie Charlie
Now with
a real man you'll parley
Sabrina
O
Soldier brave, you little know
Just
quite how far this wench will go
SHE KISSES HIM AND HE DIES
Roundhead
My God – the she-devil’s cooked
my goose!
7 - The Cavaliers
Narrator
In
course of time, the good Lord willed
That
Ironsides' ardour should be chilled
So
Cavaliers now roamed the land
And
freedom reigned, naught more was banned.
Cavalier
By
Royal command I've ridden far
Please
show me to the nearest bar,
I'm
thirsty and uncommon dusty
Just
find for me a girl that's lusty !
Sabrina
Whether
their heads are round or Royal
There's
but one thing that makes them boil
I'll
not object to a little loan
But
me they'll never call their own
Cavalier
Fair lady! Let me but now thy
praises sing
And I
will grant thee everything
I'll
bring you lutes and daffodils
If you
would only cure my ills
Sabrina
Such honey'd words his lips
have passed
'Tis
such a pity they're his last!
SHE KISSES HIM AND HE DIES
Cavalier
Thou treacherous Woman - I am
undone!
8 - The Irish
Narrator
In eighteen-hundred-and-sixty-two
The
Railway came, the town pierced through
And
snorting trains with fiery funnel
Rushed
proudly through the newbuilt tunnel
Irishman
My name
is O'Malley and I came to dig
Not to
roister or rampage: although the jig
Which I
dance on a Saturday night is fine
When I ravish their women and
drink up their wine
Sabrina
Here's importunate Dublin and confident Cork
And
sometimes there's action as well as the talk
But
they'd better take care if they tangle with me
I'll
not be seduced by a riddle-me-ree
Irishman
Oh look
at the beauty of this Bridgnorth maid
The
glory and ecstasy of how she is made!
My dear English darling, my
heart's at your feet
I crave
but a kiss, like the soup before meat!
Sabrina
A kiss you shall have, but
hungry you'll be
For
no more will you taste the sweet joys of Tralee
SHE KISSES HIM AND HE DIES
Irishman
Begorrah! I’ll never drink
Guinness again!`
9- The Airman
Narrator
In
nineteen-hundred-and-forty-two
At
Stanmore trained the boys in blue
They
came from every land and nation
And
Bridgnorth was their comfort station
Airman
Saturday night, a forty-eight
Don't
miss the bus or we'll be late
The pubs
are open, the girls are willing
I'm glad
I took the Sovereign's shilling.
Sabrina
They
may be rough at times I know
But
when to war the lads must go,
They
do deserve a little fun
Before
they face the horrid Hun.
Airman
Good
‘eavens! Miss, you're quite the best!
You're
even better than Mae West!
Sabrina
Farewell,
my friend, away you fly
Not
from my lips will I send you die
I
must be getting sentimental
I
though he was, though rough, quite gentle
WAVES AIRMAN AWAY
10-The
Tatung
Narrator
From
cleverness born in the East
In Low
Town grew a powerful beast
Where
once the peasants listless hung
To
Bridgnorth came- and later went - Tatung
Tatung
This
occidental place is strange
They do
not know our latest range
And if a
salaryman feels randy
All he
can do is dream with brandy
Sabrina
It's
sad our friends from the Pacific
Now
have gone - but it’s terrific
That
they're not really far abroad
But
ten miles north to great Telford
EXIT TATUNG WITH
ORIENTAL BOW
11-The
Tourist
Narrator
In nineteen-hundred-and-eighty-five
Bridgnorth
really came alive
Divorced
from juggernaut and truck
Relying
on part skill, part luck
The
By-pass-men did pass us by
And
tourists now to us do fly
Tourist
I am the
Tourist, last of all
Now to
Sabrina's wiles I'll fall
But will
she accept me? What must I give?
Can I
but love her, and still live?
Sabrina
Yes
sir, you can; the others' mistake
Was
never to give but only to take
So
welcome, Stranger, come to my arms
And I
will enfold you in my charms.
THEY
KISS
WHOLE CAST
So friends, you've heard our wondrous story
This land is part
of England's glory
So join with us this lovely day
And shout aloud Hurray - Hurray !
HURRAY!!!
2 comments:
Wonderful writing by Geoff as always, I do miss him. Once when I was reading the Mary Webb narration in a play Val and I wrote, and Geoff was acting in, he said he would give me lessons in acting!
I remember a wonderful lunchtime performance of ‘Sabrina’ in the courtyard of the Kings Head whilst it was still a pub. Happy Days and Geoff brought a lot of fun to the group. He is missed.
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