The Gilbert and Servalan Song Book

Filk Songbook
Title:	The Gilbert and Servalan Song Book
Publisher:	Chris Blenkarn
Editor(s):
Date(s):	November 1998
Medium:	print
Size:	A4
Subject:	Blake's 7 to the tune of Gilbert and Sullivan operas
Language:	English
External Links:	Hermit.org, Archived version
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cover by Michael Blenkarn

The Gilbert and Servalan Song Book is a gen Blake's 7 40-page anthology of filks by Chris Blenkarn. All are based on the operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. It is A4 in size, has laminated card covers and wire binding and cartoons drawn by Michael Blenkarn.

Contents

• We've Got a Little List (won a 1999 FanQ)
• Avon's Lament
• Ballad of Roj Blake
• Cally and Jenna's Teleport Song
• Holding Cell Song
• I am the Leader of the Liberator
• I am the Leader of the Scorpio
• Orac's Song
• The Orbit Song
• Rushing Around in Space Song
• Three Very Youthful Rebels We
• Travis's Exbar Song
• Vila Restal's Nightmare Song
• other unknown content

Reactions and Reviews

Space City members in particular will have seen many of Chris's hilarious Gilbert and Sullivan parodies this last year. Who could forget Servalan's version of 'For I'm called Little Buttercup' or Travis's 'I am a Renegade' to a tune that formerly belonged to the pirate king in Pirates of Penzance.

Or Vila's Nightmare Song -

When you still have the shakes from that last scheme of Blake's and you can't get to sleep for anxiety,

You've consumed a relaxant, the effect's not apparant, you're still in a state of sobreity,

Your nerves are all shot, the bedclothes they plot of your usual sweet dreams to deprive you,

Your bedspread hits the floor, scatt'ring bottles galore and the sheet follows shortly from under you,

- and gets wilder and wilder

Avon jumps on a horse, drinking neat Worcester Sauce, followed up with a large whisky sour,

Then you turn to find Blake, who is munching fruit cake and a plateful of cold cauliflower,

He asks you to dine, but you have to decline for you're falling into a large cavern,

Feeling somewhat unstable you grab a chess table in what seems a late maniac tavern, etc.

If you know Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas then you'll be rolling on the floor. If you don't know the original songs, then you'll still find these parodies funny, but you may find a sudden dertermination to go out and buy a CD of 'The Pirates of Penzance' or 'The Gondoliers'. The originals had great tunes as well as having some of the most delightfully improbable plots of all time. Speaking of improbable plots, this volume also contains the storyline for 'The Pirates of Gauda Prime' a tale of amazing deeds that introduces the Scorpio crew plus Blake, Cally, Servalan and Carnell in a PGP that shamelessly rips off the plot of The Gondoliers and coms out with something even more improbable.