PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
Paul Seeley read German and Linguistics at University College of North Wales, Bangor, and Music at Edinburgh before joining the music staff of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1976. Before the company closed in 1982, he was assistant to the Company Manager. In 2004, Liverpool University awarded him a PhD for his research on Franz Lehár. He is author of Richard D’Oyly Carte (Routledge 2019). He is a private teacher in semi-retirement.
"‘’Paul Seely’s systematic and forensic analysis of the DOC case makes fascinating reading… After forty years many people recall DOC with goodwill and countless feelings of pleasure. However, the temptation to view this book as merely a nostalgic account of a valiant fight against cost pressures and changing audience tastes or as a tale of mismanagement and failure must be resisted. It is a must read for everyone who cares about the future of Gilbert and Sullivan and operetta. Many of the issues considered are equally relevant to the health of today’s companies, professional and amateur, who deliver musical theatre. This analysis will hopefully assist them to escape a similar fate.’’ G&S News Spring 2022 Alan Parfitt Society Librarian ""It is a welcome history that delves behind the scenes in the beloved company and exposes its shortcomings, some recognizable from its earliest days, that led to its refusal to change with the times and its ultimate demise."" Professor Rafe MacPhail, The Austin Savoyard."
