Coventry Savoy

Welcome to the Coventry Savoy Opera Society web site. The Society promotes the works of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan but has and continues to perform other works as well. We have an established repertoire of songs from a variety of shows which we perform in concerts whilst not undertaking one of our major shows. Next year "2010" Coventry Savoy is to present "Patience" by Gilbert and Sullivan.

Synopsis

Patience satirizes the "aesthetic craze" of the 1870's and '80s, when the output of poets, composers, painters and designers of all kinds was indeed prolific — but, some argued, empty and self-indulgent. This artistic movement was so popular, and also so easy to ridicule as a meaningless fad, that it made Patience a big hit.

All the well-born young ladies in the village, rapturously caught up in aestheticism, are in love with two contrasting aesthetic poets — a "fleshy" poet and an "idyllic" poet. But the poets are both in love with Patience, the simple village milkmaid, who cares nothing for poetry. Patience learns that true love must be completely unselfish - it must wither and sting and burn! The girls' military suitors don't see the point to aesthetics, but they decide to give it a try to win the women's hearts. It is touch and go for awhile, but everyone ends up with a suitable partner, even if it is only a tulip or lily.