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PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS
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PICTURE GALLERIES
Did you know? Gilbert was not too proud to borrow some words from Shakespeare? In The Mikado, Nanki-Poo begins the Wand'ring Minstrel song with the words:
"A wand'ring minstrel I - which has been borrowed from Hamlet, Act 3 Scene 4: "A king of shreds and patches"
Thanks to Kym Chalker for noticing this one! |
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NODA MEDALS The National Operatic and Dramatic Association, NODA, present long service medals in recognition of years of service to the amateur theatre. In 2006, at the Annual Ball, the following members of Denmead Operatic Society were presented with NODA long service awards:
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THE EARLY YEARS Shows produced by the Denmead Amateur Operatic and Musical Society in the years leading up to the second World War:
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NODA AWARDS Each time we put on a major production, we submit the programme for the show to the NODA Southern Area Programme competition. We are proud to have won the following awards:
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Closewood Hall - 1936 |
Hiawatha - 1938 |
Nativity Play |
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Worthy of Note is the newsletter of Denmead Operatic Society. It is sent out free of charge to Patrons twice a year, and is packed with information about what the Society has been up to, news of friends and members and details of our forthcoming productions. You may download back-copies of the newsletters (in Adobe Acrobat - pdf format) by clicking the icons below.
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NODA PROGRAMME AWARD Patricia Stallard, then Chairperson of Denmead Operatic Society, receives the NODA Basic Programme Award in 2000 for the programme produced for The Chieftain.
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CHARITY WALK Myrtle Williams, Denmead Operatic Society's Wardrobe Mistress, undertook a sponsored pram push from Emsworth to Chichester on September 22nd, 2001, to raise funds for the Society.
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Farewell to Old Friends We recently bade a sad farewell to two long-standing friends of the Society - June Parry and John Offord. Here, two members of the Society offer their tributes to two people who gave freely of their time and talents to the world of theatre in the Portsmouth area. |
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John Offord John Offord, best known to members of Denmead Operatic Society as our Lighting Director, in the days when the Society did a full week's run at the New Theatre Royal, and Life Member of the Society, was laid to rest at Highlands Road Cemetery, Portsmouth on 2nd February 2007. John's trenchant and erudite views on life, and deep knowledge of the Theatre, made him a wonderful companion. Educated at Portsmouth Grammar School, he was called up into the Army in 1942 and served in North Africa, Italy and Austria. He remained in the Army when the war finished and, at the end of a varied career, he was the last Commanding Officer of Southsea Castle when it was de-commissioned from military use. John then turned to teaching and after qualifying he obtained a post at St John's College, Southsea, where he taught history and provided, for many, their first encounter with the world of theatre, sharing his enthusiasm for the stage and opera. When he retired in 1988, his time was devoted to keeping the New Theatre Royal alive, and running his own company of (mainly) professional actors: Apollo Theatre. The funeral, which took the form of an Anglo-Catholic Requiem Mass, was attended by over 150 people and was a suitably dramatic occasion, with the sun streaming into the Church of the Holy Spirit, though air heavy with incense, onto the light oak coffin, just as the organist played Mozart's Requiem. The glass-sided hearse drawn by jet black heavy horses with black and gold drapes and plumes, fulfilled a long-standing wish of John's and ensured bravura last curtain call. Neil Lander Brinkley |
June Parry It was with great sadness that we learnt of the death of June Parry, who died on December 15th 2006, aged 82 years. June was a great friend and Life Member of Denmead Operatic Society, and would have been known to many of our members who were with the Society in the 1980s and 90s. She was a very talented lady who designed and painted the scenery for us. She also ran a costume hire business from her home. Many people will remember going to her large garden in Horndean and delving into the various huge garden sheds for a suitable costume to wear. She was always very hospitable and would make cakes and bring out tea while we worked away at painting the scenery in her garden. I recall that she loved animals. Any waif or stray would be taken in and cared for. She had at least four dogs, a couple of cats and a parrot. A wild fox with a broken leg would also come for food, She was a familiar sight around the roads of Horndean, either with several dogs in tow or, in later life when her hip was giving her trouble, riding a bike or disabled buggy. She would always stop for a chat. I found out that she helped with a local disabled group and helped to raise funds for them. Her husband, Lyn Parry, was for a short while Denmead Operatic Society's Producer. He was also very talented and could portray any character, male or female, with great skill. He also wrote wonderful poetry. They were a very happy couple. The funeral was attended by Christine and Colin Cox, and John Westbrook on behalf of the Society. Christine Cox |
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