Huddersfield Amateur Operatic Society

Now known as the Huddersfield Musical Theatre Company Limited, the society was formed in 1896.

Their first production was Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe at the Theatre Royal in February 1897, produced by Shelford Walsh[1] of Worcester. The Era reported that the performances "exceeded the most sanguine expectations, being a triumph for all concerned".[2] The takings were so large that the society was able to distribute 100 guineas to the following charities:[3]

  • Huddersfield Infirmary (30 guineas)
  • Charity Organisation Society (12 guineas)
  • Tradesmen's Benevolent Society (10 guineas)
  • Commercial Travellers' Benevolent Society (10 guineas)
  • Society for the Blind (10 guineas)
  • Deaf and Dumb Society (5 guineas)
  • Industrial Home (5 guineas)
  • Mothers' Charity (5 guineas)
  • Soup Kitchen (5 guineas)
  • Girl's Home (4 guineas)
  • Homeopathy Dispensary (4 guineas)

In February 1920, the Leeds Mercury reported that the society had so far distributed £2,405 to charities since its formation.

Productions

The following is an incomplete list of known productions.

1890s
  • Iolanthe (1897), Yeoman of the Guard (1898), Patience (1899)
1900s
  • The Gondoliers (1900), Pirates of Penzance (1901), Mikado (1902), The Vicar of Bray (1903), Erminie (1904), Princess Ida (1905), Utopia, Limited (1906), HMS Pinafore (1907), Trial by Jury (1907), Merrie England (1908), A Merry Monarch[4] (1909)
1910s
  • The Emerald Isle (1910), Mikado (1911), Ruddigore (1912), The Squire of Harlington[4] (1913), Tom Jones (1914), Duchess of Dantzic (1915), Merrie England (1916), Ma Mie Rosette (1919)
1920s
  • The Marriage Market (1920), Gypsy Love (1921), The Rebel Maid (1922), Sylvia Lovers (1923), Tom Jones (1924), Catherine (1925), Princess Ida (1926), Mikado (1927), The Marriage Market (1927), The Mandarin (1928), Katinka (1928), The Street Singer (1929)
1930s
  • The Vagabond King (1930), The Lady of the Rose (1931), The Desert Song (1932), The Three Musketeers (1933), Gypsy Love (1934), The Gondoliers (1935), Merrie England (1935), The Gondoliers (1937), Sunny (1938), Bitter Sweet (1938), Sally (1939)
1940s
  • Merrie England (1947), The Vagabond King (1947), The Three Musketeers (1948), Balalaika (1949)
1950s
  • The Lisbon Story (1950), Iolanthe (1951), Masauerade (1951), Annie Get Your Gun (1953), Brigadoon (1954), King's Rhapsody (1955), Oklahoma! (1956), White Horse Inn (1957), The King and I (1958), Carousel (1959)
1960s
1980s
  • No, No, Nannette (1983)

Gallery

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Links

Notes and References

  1. Author of Gilbert and Sullivan Jottings (1913).
  2. "Huddersfield" in The Era (20/Feb/1897).
  3. "Huddersfield Amateur Operatic Society" in Leeds Mercury (23/Mar/1897).
  4. 4.0 4.1 Written by Arnold Sykes who worked for cloth manufacturer Edward Sykes & Sons of Outlane. He was killed in action in 1917 aged 42.