PHEOS NEWS
The magazine of PHEOS Musical Players
Chairman – David Evans
October 2011
Contents
Chairman’s Chatter-Page 3
From the President’s Perch-Page 2
Your Executive Committee – Page 2
A Plea – Page 4
Members Matters -Pages 4 & 5
PHEOS Concert Group –Page 5
Kiss Me Kate- PHEOS RSC Workshops - Page 6
An embarrasingly overdue message – Page 7
Fiddler on the Roof Pages 9,10 & 11
The Malcolm Sargent Festival Choir- Page 7
In Memoriam-Elizabeth Curry – Page 8
How can the show go on? Page 11
Events-at-a-glance- Page 15
Editorial
May I begin by offering (once again!) my apologies to all Members and Friends for the fact that this is the first edition this year. As you will know, it was my intention to issue an edition in April, but due to some personal difficulties this proved impossible.
However, at long last, here it is! I hope that you will enjoy reading it. Its delay has meant that John Malien’s letter is only now being published. Sorry John, but I got there in the end! Jackie O’Rourke and I felt that that you might nenjoy reading the thought provoking article, beginning on page 11.
May I draw your attention to the various references to the need to recruit new committee members. If these posts cannot be filled, then the future of the Society is in jeopardy. Without them, we cannot continue.
As ever, articles for the newsletter are welcome. My e-mail address is , and my address 179 Northumberland Road, Harrow, HA2 7RB.I shall hope to hear from some of you.
Chris Worrall
Page 2
Your Executive Committee
The following officers were elected at the Annual General Meeting on 7thSeptember 2011.
Office
/Name
/Contact details
Chairman / David Evans / Tel: 01923 499083. Mobile 07966 173956e-mail:
Vice-Chairman / Peter Allanson / Tel: 01923 286930
e-mail:
Honorary Secretary / Faith McInnes / Tel: 020 8863 0993 e-mail:
Honorary Treasurer / Ian Crawford / Tel:01923 835668 Mobile 07966 208638
e-mail:
Membership Secretary / Jackie O’Rourke / Tel: 07981 125705
e-mail:
Production Secretary / Rosalind Moss / Tel:01923 284510 e-mail:
Publicity Secretary / Pam Allanson / Tel: 01923 286930
e-mail:
Business Secretary / Elise Wheatley / e-mail:
Without Portfolio / Sue Reynolds
Without Portfolio / Lesley Noblett / e-mail:
From the President’s Perch
As I said last year, it is difficult to remember everything that has occurred since the last issue. What I do recall is the pride which I felt when I saw Fiddler On The Roof. It was, without doubt, once of the finest PHEOS productions I have ever seen, and my congratulations go to all who were involved in production, in any way. Well done. On to Kiss Me Kate.
I am also one of the ‘Not So Broadway Babes’, and it has been great for Jenny and I to perform again, even if only in concerts – that’s all I am capable of these days.
Once again there have been a number of deaths. Inevitable I suppose, bearing in mind my 54 years of membership, but sad nonetheless. The sudden death of Wendy Williams was a great shock to us all, and news of the death of Ted Ruckley brought back memories of his wonderful rendition of ‘I gotta motta’. I was also saddened to hear of the deaths of Dora O’Rourke, Jackie’s mother, and of Elizabeth Curry, with whom I was privileged to sing on several occasions. Helen Turner has written a memorial to her, which you can read later in the newsletter. She really had a wonderful voice, and was also a superb actress.
Just in case it may have slipped your notice (!) we celebrate 90 years of existence in 2012.This is to give you advance notice of some of the events which we are planning for next year.
The main event will, of course, be our production of Kiss me Kate in June, and, in addition, our current plans under discussion are to hold perhaps a dinner, or a dinner dance in February or March, and, in November, a Gala Concert, celebrating all the types of shows which we have presented. An alternative being considered is to hold a lunch in July/August, to which all will be encouraged to bring articles of memorabilia from shows in which they took part.
Continued/
Page 3
We shall of course, send you formal details nearer the time, when our plans are clearer. Sadly, all of these events will involve us asking you for money, but we are doing our best to ensure that the prices are kept to a minimum.
I now have to move on to a more serious matter. As you all know, for many years we have walked a financial tightrope, with each year bringing concern as to whether the Society had enough funds to continue. We are now faced with what is potentially an even more serious problem. We do need to have a full committee, and need to recruit a new Honorary Secretary, and a Publicity Secretary. Faith McInnes and Pam Allanson have ‘soldiered on’ for longer that they would have liked, and for this they deserve our grateful thanks. They now wish to have a rest, which is understandable. There are other references to this problem elsewhere in the newsletter, so please give this problem your serious thought.
Chris Worrall, President.
Chairman’s Chatter
Well, here we are again. Not sure where the last year has gone.
Fiddler On The Roof was a great artistic success, and I must say congratulations to all involved. It was probably one of the best shows I have ever been involved in – the atmosphere within the whole company was fantastic. To top off the success of the show, we were nominated, by our NODA rep Tony Austin, for the Kathleen Oyler Award for Chorus Work. Sadly we did not win, but our nomination is a reflection of the quality of our work.
However, the show was not a financial success – yet again. This was generally down to ‘bums on seats’.(Ideas on a postcard please, on how to reverse the decline.)
Our concert group ‘The Not So Broadway Babes’ has had a very good year, performing the main fundraising concert last December, amid terrible weather – but it was enjoyed by everyone involved. We also performed a concert at North Harrow Methodist Church, as part of their Summer Festival. This was well received, and thoroughly enjoyed by those who were present. It is wonderful to me to see those who feel that they can no longer participate in the stage performances being able to take part in the concert group. Our next concert is on 12th November – full details later in this newsletter – do come if you can.
In 2012 the Society will be 90 years old. A sub committee is already working hard on organising events to mark this anniversary – more of this later.
I now have to move on to a more serious topic. At the AGM, Faith McInnes and Pam Allanson were re-elected to the posts of Hon Secretary and Publicity Secretary respectively. They have made it clear that this will be their last year in these posts. Unless successors can be found by the next AGM, the Society faces the real prospect of ending its 90 year existence. These posts are vital to the operation of the Society, and without them we cannot continue.
This is your Society – please give serious thought to putting your name forward for one of these roles.
Dave Evans
Page 4
A plea!
This is your rallying call. Don’t let our Society into history fall.
To all our members we make this plea.
Just two volunteers are all we need.
Without them we cannot hope to succeed.
An Hon. Sec and Publicity Sec are what we want.
For 90 years we have been going strong.
To end it now would be so wrong.
We need your help, so give it thought. Volunteers cannot be bought.
To all you members, take heed of this.
Without a full committee we cannot exis(t)
Members Matters
Dealing first, as usual, with sordid but essential financial matters, I can confirm that subscriptions for the 2011-12 season are now due, as well as the concert contribution if you are taking part in the November Concert. Details are as follows:
PHEOS Membership Subscription:
Adults£30.00 (£25.00 if paid by 31st October)
Under 16 or in full-time education£15.00 (£12.50 if paid by 31st October)
Concert Contribution:£30.00
2012 Show Contribution (Kiss Me, Kate):£40.00 (due April 2012)
Your subscription must be paid by 31st December in order that your membership can continue.
I am also pleased to confirm the PHEOS Friends Subscription remains at £25.00 for the year ahead.
Any additional donations you feel able to give will be very gratefully received.
PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU HAVE LESS THAN A WEEK LEFT TO PAY AT THE DISCOUNTED RATE.
If you have online banking facilities, one of the easiest ways to pay is by electronic funds transferdirect into the PHEOS bank account -the details are:-
Sort code: 60-10-16
Account number: 38037807
When paying this way, please add your surname and first initial as the reference,to enable us to identify each payee in the bank statements.
Alternatively a cheque made out to PHEOS will do just as well, either posted to me at the addressbelow or handed to me at rehearsal.
I am very sorry to have to record the deaths of no less than five PHEOS Members and Friends since the last edition of PHEOS News - a shockingly high number in one season.
Continued/
Page 5
We mourn the passing of Friends Ray Reynolds and Dora O’Rourke. Both will be much missed by their families and in our audience, but thankfully they lived happy and full lives to the end.
I will leave Chris Worrall to mention members Elizabeth Curry and Ted Ruckley in a separate article and focus here on asking you to remember soprano Wendy Williams, who died on 5th July this year, less than three months after being diagnosed with a particularly vicious form of cancer.
Wendy first joined PHEOS in 1992 and was Calliope in that year’s Orpheus in the Underworld, our first non-G&S production. She remained an active PHEOS member from then on, performing in both shows and concerts until her final appearance with us in Some Enchanted Evening (2008). Her beautiful technique and precise phrasing led to her being appointed our concert ‘S’ monitor – only Wendy was allowed to sing a final ‘s’, so that we didn’t end phrases with ‘sssssssssss’! Dear Wendy – warm, down-to-earth and never remotely the diva, although she had the talent to be one – rest in peace.
Jackie O’Rourke
Membership Secretary
34 Carlton Place
Northwood
Middlesex HA6 2JX
PHEOS Concert Group
The PHEOS Concert Group has had a successful and enjoyable year, performing a mix of light operatic numbers, G&S and songs from West End shows. The highlight of the year was our “Not the Broadway Babes” concert at Rickmansworth in December. This fund-raising show, which included a buffet and a raffle, was well received by the audience.
Our next concert is an autumn supper concert on Saturday 12th November,. This is being held at Chorleywood War Memorial Hall, Common Road, Chorleywood WD3 5LN. The concert starts at 7.30pm.
Our aim is to raise funds for the PHEOS, whilst having some fun at the same time! Do come if you can.If you are interested in joining our friendly and talented group (and especially if you are a tenor or bass!), please contact Dave Evans.
March 2010.
Page 6
KISS ME, KATE – PHEOS RSC WORKSHOPS ANNOUNCED
As you know, our 2012 production of Kiss Me, Kateispart of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Open Stages Project. I am delighted toannounce two special workshops just for PHEOS, which will be run by professional Coaches from the RSC Open Stages teamas part of their Skills Exchange initiative.
We want as many PHEOS people as possible to benefit from this opportunity and ask you all please to attend both sessions, if you can. Each session will run from 7.45pm – 10.00pm and the venue is: Fairfield Hall, Windsor Close, Northwood Hills HA6 1PD
Wednesday 23rd November
Movement
(for everyone, even those less mobile - it’s about how to move on stage, not about dancing!)
Coach:Kate Sagovsky
Wednesday 7th December
Voice and Text
(for everyone-it’s about expressing and projecting meaning through words, spoken or sung, including chorus!)
Coach: George Richmond-Scott
Coffee/tea/biscuits will be provided during a 15-minute mid-session break.
There is no charge for the workshops. However, we would be grateful if you would make a small contribution towards the hire of the venue, which is a lot more expensive than our normal rehearsal space - £3.00 per session would help us cover the extra costs.
Please let me know whether or not you will attend - and note that I do need a reply from you one way or the other, to ensure the effective organisation of each session.
If you want to discuss any aspect of the workshops with me before committing yourself, my contact details are below.
Jackie O’Rourke
34 Carlton Place, Northwood, Middlesex H6 2JX
M: 07981 125705
E:
Page 7
An embarrasingly overdue message
Around what must be three or four years ago, I sent a note to the then editor, saying that I’d effectively acted as the Society’s representative when I had a conversation with Richard Jenkins at a ceremony at Bournemouth crematorium, following the death of his mother, Evelyn Jenkins. Members of the Society in the 1950’ and 1960’s will remember her as the second wife of Frederick Jenkins, our Society’s founder member. Because I had never seen my note published, I assumed that ‘PHEOS News’ had, shall we say, withered on the proverbial vine.
So, given that I’d somehow no recollection of receiving the first edition in ther new format, I’d thus no idea that PHEOS News had been revived. I was therefore amazed, embarrased and, as such, made to feel extremely guilty when I receive the October 2010 edition so unexpectedly. In order to rectify what is to me a glaring omission, I am now voicing thoughts which you should have read some time ago.
I, and indeed members of what is now my family, were so appreciative, grateful and indeed overwhelmed that so many members of the Society, whom Barbara and I have looked upon as long standing and valued friends,were prepared to travel to Bournemouth crematorium on 23rd March 2010. Their presence gave us immeasurable comfort and resounding support on that sombre occasion.
May I also take this opportunity to convey our thanks and appreciation for the many kindly condolence cards and letters which we received. These invariably expressed admiration for Barbara’s endearing qualities, yet, as a family, we were all so thankful and relieved that, after such a long and painful struggle, she was, mercifully, ultimately no longer suffering, but resting comfortably and peacefully.
Thankfully, she was fortunate that the last four days of her life were in the local, tranquil and caring surroundings of Oakhaven Hospice. May I thank you for your generous donations, which enabled the Hospice to receve a total of £1,090, given in lieu of flowers.
To Barbara and I, membership of the Society, apart from giving us so much joy, was a privilege, particularly in the 70’ and 80’s, when its reputation for “G&S” was virtually unrivalled. As we’d so often said, membership gave us so many chances or opportunities to participate. We jointly enjoyed sharing glorious, if not spectacular experiences, and, over the years, recollected or reflected upon them time and again.
Having moved down here in 1992, some 100 miles from Pinner, we haven’t, in any way, felt that we’d been cast aside, and, as such, we have been only too pleased to speak to and gratefully welcome members whom, for years, we have genuinely regarded as long standing friends.
I and the rest of my family, with feelings of gratitude, both welcome and appreciate such continued friendly support and consideration. I recognise that there will inevitably be readers who won’t remember us, so it is to those to whom I have to apologise, but also illustrate what the Society has not only given, but has meant to us over the years.
Thank you.
John Malien
Page 8
IN MEMORIAM
PATRICIA ELIZABETH CURRY
9th December 1931-29th May 2011
Older members will have been sad to hear of Elizabeth Curry’s death in May. When her husband Michael phoned, it came as a shock to me as, although we had corresponded for years, I didn’t realise she was so ill. I last saw her just a few years ago at one of our exhibitions in London and am glad to say that I have that memory. I am sure we all remember Elizabeth for many reasons – her lovely bubbly personality, her friendliness and kindness, her wonderful stage presence, etc – but perhaps even more for her beautiful soprano voice.
As her funeral was in Sevenoaks, I allowed plenty of time to cope with the M25 on a Friday and so of course arrived early. I almost sat in the car for half an hour but was so glad I didn’t when I entered the church and heard that unmistakable sublime voice filling the building. By chance the song happened to be Gilbert & Sullivan but there were other delights following. The lady sitting next to me assumed it was Elizabeth singing but had never heard her before, having only met through the local National Trust. That seemed strange to me - silly- but one often finds out more about people you know at their funeral than you know about them when they are alive. Sad but true.