I Went to a Marvellous Party
Encyclopedia
"I Went to a Marvellous Party" (sometimes known as I've Been to a Marvellous Party) is a song with words and music by Noël Coward
, written in 1938, and included in the review Set to Music
. Although a melody exists, the text is most often recited over a piano accompaniment. Out of Noël Coward's approximately 300 songs, this piece is one of his most popular, ranking among the top 30 in royalty potential.
description of five parties attended by the singer on the French Riviera
. The character of the song is humorous and giddy. It has been suggested that the activities described in the lyrics were typical of the "frantic, addleheaded search for amusement" of the Train bleu
society, which flocked to the Riviera each summer in the 1920s and '30s.
Noël Coward composed this song after he and Beatrice Lillie
attended a beach party given by Elsa Maxwell
in the south of France, an event which his memory placed in either 1937 or 1938. The lyrics in the first stanza are based on a real life experience of Coward and Lillie: The two were invited to "come as they were," but on arriving they discovered the other guests were formally dressed. Perhaps this explains why the singer claims it was hell to stay dressed as they were. "Poor Grace" in the first stanza is a reference to Grace Moore
, the opera singer and movie actress, who was also a guest. The song was first sung by Bea Lillie in the revue Set to Music
in 1939.
Although the text is published in various collections of Noël Coward songs, Coward's own recording from 1956, heard on the Noël Coward Album, contains variations from the printed page. When written out, this version does not scan well. However, Coward maintains the major textual stresses in performance and fits added words and phrases before and after the stresses. He also places the second verse after the second stanza, instead of after the third, as it appears in the sheet music.
The song appeared in the David Niven
film Better Late Than Never
(1982), in which Niven appeared as an ageing cabaret artiste performing to an indifferent French Riviera audience.
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
, written in 1938, and included in the review Set to Music
Set to Music
Set to Music is a musical revue with sketches, music and lyrics by Noël Coward.Produced by John C. Wilson, the Broadway production opened on January 15, 1939 at the Music Box Theatre, where it ran for 129 performances...
. Although a melody exists, the text is most often recited over a piano accompaniment. Out of Noël Coward's approximately 300 songs, this piece is one of his most popular, ranking among the top 30 in royalty potential.
Description
The lyrics of I Went to a Marvellous Party are a first-personFirst-person narrative
First-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...
description of five parties attended by the singer on the French Riviera
French Riviera
The Côte d'Azur, pronounced , often known in English as the French Riviera , is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France, also including the sovereign state of Monaco...
. The character of the song is humorous and giddy. It has been suggested that the activities described in the lyrics were typical of the "frantic, addleheaded search for amusement" of the Train bleu
Le Train Bleu
Le Train Bleu , officially the Calais-Mediterranée Express, was a luxury French night express train which operated from 1922 to 2007. It gained international fame as the preferred train of wealthy and famous passengers between Calais and the French Riviera in the two decades before World War II...
society, which flocked to the Riviera each summer in the 1920s and '30s.
Noël Coward composed this song after he and Beatrice Lillie
Beatrice Lillie
Beatrice Gladys "Bea" Lillie was an actress and comedic performer. Following her 1920 marriage to Sir Robert Peel in England, she was known in private life as Lady Peel.-Early career:...
attended a beach party given by Elsa Maxwell
Elsa Maxwell
Elsa Maxwell was an American gossip columnist and author, songwriter, and professional hostess renowned for her parties for royalty and high society figures of her day....
in the south of France, an event which his memory placed in either 1937 or 1938. The lyrics in the first stanza are based on a real life experience of Coward and Lillie: The two were invited to "come as they were," but on arriving they discovered the other guests were formally dressed. Perhaps this explains why the singer claims it was hell to stay dressed as they were. "Poor Grace" in the first stanza is a reference to Grace Moore
Grace Moore
Grace Moore was an American operatic soprano and actress in musical theatre and film. She was nicknamed the "Tennessee Nightingale." Her films helped to popularize opera by bringing it to a larger audience.-Early life:...
, the opera singer and movie actress, who was also a guest. The song was first sung by Bea Lillie in the revue Set to Music
Set to Music
Set to Music is a musical revue with sketches, music and lyrics by Noël Coward.Produced by John C. Wilson, the Broadway production opened on January 15, 1939 at the Music Box Theatre, where it ran for 129 performances...
in 1939.
Although the text is published in various collections of Noël Coward songs, Coward's own recording from 1956, heard on the Noël Coward Album, contains variations from the printed page. When written out, this version does not scan well. However, Coward maintains the major textual stresses in performance and fits added words and phrases before and after the stresses. He also places the second verse after the second stanza, instead of after the third, as it appears in the sheet music.
The song appeared in the David Niven
David Niven
James David Graham Niven , known as David Niven, was a British actor and novelist, best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and Sir Charles Lytton, a.k.a. "the Phantom", in The Pink Panther...
film Better Late Than Never
Better Late Than Never (film)
Better Late Than Never is a 1982 film directed by Bryan Forbes. It stars David Niven, Art Carney and Maggie Smith. The soundtrack features songs by Henry Mancini and Noel Coward.-Plot:...
(1982), in which Niven appeared as an ageing cabaret artiste performing to an indifferent French Riviera audience.
Sheet music
The song is published separately as sheet music or in a number of collections, including the following:- The Noël Coward Songbook, London: Michael Joseph, 1953.
- Noël Coward - Songs to Amuse, London: Chappell & Co. 1970.
- A Noël Coward Gala, Volume 1, Chapell & Co./Random House, 1972(?).
- Cowardy Custard, John Hadfield, Ed. London: Heinman, 1973.
Lyrics alone
- The Lyrics of Noël Coward, London: Heinman, 1965.
- The Complete Lyrics of Noël Coward, Barry Day (Ed.) London: Methuen, 1998. ISBN 0413732304 / 9780413732309.
Noël Coward
- 1939. Orchestra conductor, Emmet Dolan. LP AIE 2122.
- 1947. Noël Coward on the Air, piano accompaniment, Mantovani. Past CD 7840.
- 1956. Noël Coward Album, piano accompaniment, Peter MatzPeter MatzPeter Matz was an award winning American musician, composer, arranger and conductor. His musical career in film, theater, television and studio recording spanned fifty years, and he worked with a number of prominent artists, including Marlene Dietrich, Noël Coward and Barbra Streisand...
. Sony CD MDK 47253 AAD; CD DRG 19028 (2003).
Other notable recordings
- 1939. Beatrice Lillie (A Marvellous Party), piano accompaniment, Will Irwin. AIE CD 006; PLATCD 118.
- 1972. Patricia RoutledgePatricia RoutledgeKatherine Patricia Routledge, CBE is an English character comedy actress and singer. She is best known for her role as character Hyacinth Bucket in the British television series Keeping Up Appearances and Hetty Wainthropp in the British television series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates...
(Cowardy Custard), piano accompaniment, John Burrows. RCA LSO 60160 LP. - 1994. Kernan, Robertson, Gold (Noël/Cole-Let's Do It), Song CD 910.
- 1998. The Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy (band)The Divine Comedy are a chamber pop band from Ireland, fronted by Neil Hannon. Formed in 1989, Hannon has been the only constant member of the group, playing, in some instances, all of the non-orchestral instrumentation bar drums. To date, ten studio albums have been released under the Divine...
(Twentieth-Century Blues: The Songs of Noel CowardTwentieth-Century Blues: The Songs of Noel CowardTwentieth-Century Blues: The Songs of Noël Coward is a 1998 Noël Coward tribute album curated by Neil Tennant, who invited prominent artists of the day to reinterpret Noël Coward’s songs for the late 20th century....
) - 2002. Elaine StritchElaine StritchElaine Stritch is an American actress and vocalist. She has appeared in numerous stage plays and musicals, feature films, and many television programs...
(At Liberty), DRG Theater 12994.