Terence Albert Ladd Rees (24 February 1928 – 15 November 2014) was a

microbiologist A microbiologist (from Ancient Greek, Greek ) is a scientist who studies microscopic life forms and processes. This includes study of the growth, interactions and characteristics of Microorganism, microscopic organisms such as bacteria, algae, f ...

but was best known as a collector of material relating to the theatre and music in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

and Britain. He was also a published theatre historian and researcher, and, in particular, was an authority on the works of

W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most f ...

and

Arthur Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...

who, as

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

, wrote 14

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

s in the late

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

Biography

Rees was born at

Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 19 ...

Glamorgan , HQ = Cardiff , Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974) , Origin= , Code = GLA , CodeName = Chapman code , Replace = * West Glamorgan * Mid Glamorgan * South Glamorgan , Motto ...

, educated at the local county school, the

University of Cardiff , latin_name = , image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University , motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord , mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord , established = 1 ...

(1948–1952), and the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

(1954–1957). He spent 1965 to 1967 as a Research Fellow at the ''Institute of Diseases of the Chest'' at Brompton in London, and between 1967 and 1981 he lectured in microbiology at The Institute of Laryngology and Otology at

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

. Rees later resided in

Powys Powys (; ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh succession of states, successor state, petty kingdom and princi ...

and in

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

. Rees was an avid researcher of theatrical topics, and his oft-cited 1978 book, ''Theatre Lighting in the Age of Gas'', has been called "(aptly) illuminating, and pleasantly non-technical."

Gilbert and Sullivan

After considerable research about Gilbert and Sullivan's first collaboration, ''

Thespis Thespis (; grc-gre, Θέσπις; fl. 6th century BC) was an Ancient Greek poet. He was born in the ancient city of Icarius (present-day Dionysos, Greece). According to certain Ancient Greek sources and especially Aristotle, he was the first pe ...

'', Rees developed, and in 1964 published, a version of the libretto for that work that attempts to correct the many errors noted in the surviving libretto, as part of his book ''Thespis – A Gilbert & Sullivan Enigma''. Rees also prepared a performance version, based on the libretto, which included a few interpolated lyrics from Gilbert's non-Sullivan operas in an attempt to replace the missing songs. A score was supplied by Garth Morton, based on music from lesser-known Sullivan operas, and this version was premiered in 1962 at the University of London and recorded in 1972.Turnbull, Stephen. "Dr Terence Rees", Obituaries, ''Gilbert & Sullivan News'', Vol. V, No. 7, Spring 2015, London: The Gilbert and Sullivan Society, p. 19 Rees collected a number of original Sullivan manuscripts, including the operas ''

The Zoo ''The Zoo'' is a one-act comic opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by B. C. Stephenson, writing under the pen name of Bolton Rowe. It premiered on 5 June 1875 at the St. James's Theatre in London (as an afterpiece to W. S. Gilb ...

'', ''

The Contrabandista ''The Contrabandista'', ''or The Law of the Ladrones'', is a two-act comic opera by Arthur Sullivan and F. C. Burnand. It premiered at St. George's Hall, in London, on 18 December 1867 under the management of Thomas German Reed, for a run of 72 ...

'', ''

Haddon Hall Haddon Hall is an English country house on the River Wye near Bakewell, Derbyshire, a former seat of the Dukes of Rutland. It is the home of Lord Edward Manners (brother of the incumbent Duke) and his family. In form a medieval manor house, it ...

'', ''

The Chieftain ''The Chieftain'' is a two-act comic opera by Arthur Sullivan and F. C. Burnand based on their 1867 opera, ''The Contrabandista''. It consists of substantially the same first act as the 1867 work with a completely new second act. It premiered at ...

'', and ''

The Emerald Isle ''The Emerald Isle''; ''or, The Caves of Carrig-Cleena'', is a two-act comic opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and Edward German, and a libretto by Basil Hood. The plot concerns the efforts of an Irish patriot to resist the oppressive "re-edu ...

'', and several major Sullivan orchestral pieces. He purchased several of these at auction in 1966, following the death of the widow of Arthur Sullivan's nephew

Herbert Sullivan Herbert Thomas Sullivan (13 May 1868 – 26 November 1928), known as "Bertie", was the nephew, heir and biographer of the British composer Arthur Sullivan. He grew up as his uncle's ward and worked briefly as an engineer. After his uncle's dea ...

. Herbert had inherited the scores on his uncle's death, and on his own death in 1928 they passed to his wife, who later remarried, becoming Mrs Elena M. Bashford. She died in 1957. Rees and

David Russell Hulme David Russell Hulme (born 19 June 1951) is a Welsh conductor and musicologist. He is an Emeritus Reader and the former Director of Music at Aberystwyth University and is known for his research and publications on the music of Arthur Sullivan, t ...

worked together to save a number of autograph manuscripts of the composer

Edward German Sir Edward German (17 February 1862 – 11 November 1936) was an English musician and composer of Welsh descent, best remembered for his extensive output of incidental music for the stage and as a successor to Arthur Sullivan in the field of En ...

.Turnbull, Stephen. "Terence Rees", ''Sir Arthur Sullivan Society Magazine'', Issue 86, Winter 2014/15, p. 6 ''The Zoo'' is an 1875 one-act operetta by Arthur Sullivan and B. C. Stephenson, who wrote the

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

under the pseudonym Bolton Rowe. The score was believed lost until Rees located it in the 1950s in the vault at

Coutts Coutts & Co. is a London-headquartered private bank and wealth manager. Founded in 1692, it is the eighth oldest bank in the world. Today, Coutts forms part of NatWest Group's wealth management division. In the Channel Islands and the Isle of ...

Bank, where several Sullivan manuscripts were stored. The discovery was particularly important, because Herbert Sullivan wrote in 1927 that his uncle re-used the music of ''The Zoo'' in the later operas, but this turned out to be false. After Herbert's widow died, Rees purchased the manuscript at the 1966 auction. He then arranged for a piano/vocal reduction of ''The Zoo'' to be published. Using Rees's materials, the operetta received its first modern production in 1971, was subsequently broadcast by the BBC and was recorded by the

D'Oyly Carte Opera Company The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company is a professional British light opera company that, from the 1870s until 1982, staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere. Th ...

in 1978. Rees also discovered the libretto to

's 1863 play ''Uncle Baby'' (Gilbert's first produced play), which he published in 1968, and in 1983 he found six of the original 1887 portraits from the original production of ''

Ruddigore ''Ruddigore; or, The Witch's Curse'', originally called ''Ruddygore'', is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy Operas and the tenth of fourteen comic operas written tog ...

'' at the former Normansfield Hospital. In 1977, Rees and Roderick Spencer published a collection of then-rarely heard Sullivan vocal selections, ''Sing With Sullivan''. These included cut numbers from '' Iolanthe'' and ''

The Yeomen of the Guard ''The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid'', is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888 and ran for 423 performances. This was the eleventh ...

'' and songs from several of Sullivan's operas with librettists other than Gilbert that were then nearly unknown. This volume did much to encourage the rehabilitation of these works. In 2006, Rees donated to the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...

his collection of original manuscript scores, including ''The Zoo, The Contrabandista, The Chieftain, Haddon Hall, The Emerald Isle'', Gilbert and

Frederic Clay Frederic Emes Clay (3 August 1838 – 24 November 1889) was an English composer known principally for songs and his music written for the stage. Although from a musical family, for 16 years Clay made his living as a civil servant in HM Treasury ...

's ''

Princess Toto ''Princess Toto'' is a three-act comic opera by W. S. Gilbert and his long-time collaborator Frederic Clay. Its pre-London tour opened on 24 June 1876 at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, starring Kate Santley, W. S. Penley and J. H. Ryley. It tr ...

'', and

's '' Merrie England'' and '' A Princess of Kensington'', as well as prompt books for ''Princess Toto'' and ''Haddon Hall'', among 19 volumes of materials.See the British Library catalogue He died in 2014, aged 86.

Publications

;Gilbert and Sullivan * ''Thespis – A Gilbert & Sullivan Enigma'' (1964) London: Dillon's University Bookshop. * W. S. Gilbert, ''Uncle Baby: A Comedietta'', edited by Terence Rees (1968) Privately printed. * ''The Zoo'', "A Note on the Libretto" (1969) London: Cramer. * W. S. Gilbert and

Henri Meilhac Henri Meilhac (23 February 1830 – 6 July 1897) was a French dramatist and opera librettist, best known for his collaborations with Ludovic Halévy on Georges Bizet's ''Carmen'' and on the works of Jacques Offenbach, as well as Jules Massenet' ...

, '' The Realm of Joy: Being a Free and Easy Version of Le Roi Candaule'', edited by Terence Rees (1969) Privately printed. * "W. S. Gilbert and the London Pantomime Season of 1866" in
Gilbert and Sullivan: Papers Presented at the International Conference Held at the University of Kansas in May 1970
' (1971) Helyar, James (ed.) University of Kansas Libraries. * ''A Sullivan Discography'', Sir Arthur Sullivan Society (ed. 1986) * Rees and Roderick Spencer, ''Sing With Sullivan'' (1977 songbook) (Reviewed in ''W. S. Gilbert Society Journal'', edited by Brian Jones. Vol. 1, No. 3: Spring 1986, p. 94) * * "

The Happy Land ''The Happy Land'' is a play with music written in 1873 by W. S. Gilbert (under the pseudonym F. Latour Tomline) and Gilbert Arthur à Beckett. The musical play burlesques Gilbert's earlier play, ''The Wicked World''. The blank verse piece op ...

: Its True and Remarkable History" in ''W. S. Gilbert Society Journal'', edited by Brian Jones. (1994) Vol. 1 No. 8, pp. 228–37 * "W. S. Gilbert's Sleepwalking" (a new Gilbert discovery) in ''W. S. Gilbert Society Journal'', edited by Brian Jones (Winter 2003) Vol. 2 No. 14, pp. 420–25 ;Other theatre * ''Theatre Lighting in the Age of Gas'' (1978) Publisher: Society for Theatre Research * Rees and David Wilmore, ''British Theatrical Patents, 1801–1900'' (1996) Society for Theatre Research

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rees, Terence People associated with Gilbert and Sullivan English microbiologists 20th-century English historians 1928 births 2014 deaths 21st-century English historians 20th-century English scientists 21st-century English scientists People from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan Alumni of Cardiff University Alumni of the University of London Academics of University College London