A Child's Introduction to Gilbert and Sullivan (1959) Mitch Miller directs The Golden Orchestra and Chorus Voices of Michael Stewart, Ralph Nyland, Anne Lloyd, Robert Miller, Leonard Stokes, Percival Dove, Lois Winter, Audrey Marsh, Johanne Moreland, Carter Farriss, Marjorie Miller

Golden Records A198.11

Golden Records Album 9, MH 9908

Golden Records 2076

This disc contains excerpts from some 31 G&S numbers, most of them abridged and performed as a series of medleys. J. Donald Smith reports that it's "a somewhat strange selection, but remember that this was done for young children. It does seem to work."

I agree with Don's assessment, with the only complaint that the singers make no attempt at English accents ("vase" in "If you want to know who we are" rhymed with "base"). Nevertheless, as an introduction to G&S, it ain't bad. If only G&S albums for children were still on the market!

Don also located a six-inch "unbreakable" 78rpm children's record including what appear to be two items from the above, "I'm Called Little Buttercup" and "We Sail the Ocean Blue." The record credits Anne Lloyd, The Sandpipers, and Mitchell Miller and Orchestra. The record jacket features two sailors dancing on a dock with H.M.S. Pinafore in the background. It is dated 1952, which suggests that the 1959 dating for the LP issues below is either wrong, or there are earlier issues I don't know about.

Bruce Miller added:

Don located a "Little Golden record," which is a familiar item from my childhood. Most, if not all, of the items on the lp were originally issued on Little Golden Records (made by Columbia as contractor for Bell Records and distributed through the Simon & Schuster Publishing Company), and recorded and released over a period of years — so the dates above are not wrong. The lp is a recycling of previously issued, or recorded, material.

Mitch Miller was the house conductor for Columbia during this period. The TV program "Sing Along With Mitch" used the Sandpipers as the on stage chorus — all the soloists were reliable studio union New York Singers. Some of the soloists you will recognize from Al Goodman and Coté.

The selections are as follows: