Jody Baker: Arthur Conan Doyle, T.S. Eliot And Andrew Lloyd Webber

  • Saturday, December 20, 2014
  • Jody Baker

T.S. Eliot (Thomas Stearns Eliot: 26 September 1888 – 4 January 1965) was an essayist, publisher, playwright and considered one of the twentieth century's major poets. He is best known among our group for his appreciation of the Sherlock Holmes tales and his admiration of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.[For more details on Eliot, see Wikipedia.]

One of Eliot’s many outstanding works is Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. This is a collection of poems about a variety of cats.. Among the poems there is one written as a tribute to Conan Doyle. (This is confirmed, we are told, by a letter from Eliot to Frank Morley, the older brother of Christopher Morley, founder of the Baker Street Irregulars.) 

That poem is Macavity the Mystery Cat.  From a reading of the poem a Sherlockian will see that Macavity is the alter ego of  the infamous Professor Moriarty. 

In Andrew Lloyd Webber’s  magnificent musical production of CATS much of the libretto is taken from the poems contained in Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. Macavity’s depiction of Moriarty has a major part in production. 

Excerpts from Macavity The Mystery Cat – 

‘Macavity's a ginger cat, he's very tall and thin; 
You would know him if you saw him, for his eyes are sunken in. 
His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly domed; 
His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed. 
He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake; 
And when you think he's half asleep, he's always wide awake.” 

*          *          *          *          * 

“And when the Foreign Office find a Treaty's gone astray, 
Or the Admiralty lose some plans and drawings by the way, 
There may be a scrap of paper in the hall or on the stair -
But it's useless to investigate - Macavity's not there! 
And when the loss has been disclosed, the Secret Service say: 
`It must have been Macavity!' - but he's a mile away. 
You'll be sure to find him resting, or a-licking of his thumbs, 
Or engaged in doing complicated long-division sums.”  

For Macavity, The Mystery Cat in full text and recorded rendition go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWUmqtDq6F0  and Sara Brightman  at  -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZMz4FG9PpI

Respectfully submitted,
Wishing you a blessed celebration of the birth of Christ,
Inspector and Mrs. Baynes

Latest Headlines
Opinion
Democratic View On Top State Senate Issues - March 18, 2024
  • 3/18/2024

Campbell bill seeks to save lives by studying suicide trends in Tennessee 3 p.m. Senate Regular Calendar — SB 1787 , by Sen. Heidi Campbell, would require state health officials to produce ... more

The Odor Of Mendacity - And Response (2)
  • 3/16/2024

The Fulton County judge, Scott McAfee, overseeing the Fani Willis prosecution of Donald Trump and eighteen other defendants has spoken. In response to a motion by defendants to remove Willis ... more

Capitol Report From State Rep. Greg Vital For March 15
  • 3/15/2024

General Assembly confirms new Tennessee State Supreme Justice Members of the General Assembly confirmed the appointment of Mary L. Wagner to the Tennessee Supreme Court in a joint session ... more