Towards a ‘G. & S.’ Bibliography

I SUPPOSE that anyone writing anything on Gilbert and Sullivan ought to begin by stating where he stands in regard to the works of this extraordinary pair. For ‘G. & S.’ is curious. It can perhaps be likened to cricket in that people tend either passionately to love it or as passionately to loathe it; neutrality is encountered relatively seldom. So let me say straight away that I come into the former category. H.M.S. Pinafore and all the other operas in the series have given me enormous pleasure for as long as I can remember, and I hope and believe they will continue to do so in the future.