November 18 is the birthday of William Schwenck Gilbert—better known as W.S. Gilbert and one half of the duo Gilbert & Sullivan, the English librettist and composer team who specialized in light opera, bringing audiences such classics as “The Pirates of Penzance,” “HMS Pinafore,” “The Mikado,” “Patience” and quite a few others.

If Mr. Gilbert was a contemporary singer/songwriter, my favorite radio station, MVY, might ask its listeners to suggest their favorite W.S. Gilbert composition as their Friday Afternoon Six Pack.

If that were the case I might suggest “When I Was A Lad,” from “HMS Pinafore,” “I Have A Song To Sing O!” from “Yeomen of the Guard” or perhaps “The Magnet & The Churn" from “Patience.”

Written between 1871 and 1896, the Gilbert & Sullivan canon features 14 collaboration

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