There’s no business like showbusiness
Last updated 09:19, Saturday, 28 June 2008
Carlisle Musical Society was created in 1928 on the initiative of Charles Eastwood, who was the organist and choirmaster of St Cuthbert’s Church.
He was also, for many years, a teacher of music at Carlisle Grammar School (now part of Trinity school).
He felt that there was a need for an organisation to perform ‘operas’ and the constitution of the society on its formation referred to the performance of operas which would be selected by the ‘producer’ and in the early years this meant Mr Eastwood, whose role was similar to that of the current and most of the post-war) musical directors.
The selection of productions is now a matter for the Society’s committee, which of course seeks the views of members.
A major factor affecting show selection is that it is necessary to obtain a licence from the holders of the copyright of a show and this is not simply a formality. Many shows are not always available for amateur production.
The Carlisle Choral Society, which was in existence when the Musical Society was formed, performed only the D’oyley Carte operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. They moved from Her Majesty’s Theatre, in Lowther Street, to the City Hall and then to the Salkeld Hall, on Infirmary Street, before ceasing production around 1970.
For a few years from the mid 1950s until the early 1960s, the Carlisle Light Operatic Society performed works similar to the Musical Society in Her Majesty’s Theatre – after the closure of which it produced one financially unsuccessful show in the Lonsdale Cinema, following which the Society was wound up and some of its members moved to the Musical Society.
The first production of the Musical Society was Merrie England by Edward German in Her Majesty’s Theatre, which was the Society’s home until its closure in 1962. Merrie England was repeated in 1953 to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Productions were suspended following The Desert Song in 1940 because of World War Two and productions resumed in 1952 with The Quaker Girl.
Following the closure of Her Majesty’s the Society successfully transferred to the City Hall, adjacent to Tullie House in Castle Street, with a repeat production of Oklahoma and continued to use it until it was demolished to allow for an extension of the museum and art gallery. The last production in the City Hall was The Pajama Game, in 1988.
For the last 40 years, one person who has been heavily involved with the Society is Janice Jackson, from Carlisle.
Since she stepped on stage at the age of 14, Janice has taken many leading roles including Eliza in My Fair Lady and Nellie Forbush in South Pacific – a role which she has played twice. She also stepped into the breach in 2002 when the Society was unable to find anyone to play the leading role in Hello Dolly.
She took over as musical director in 1980 with her first show being The Sound of Music. She also happened to be seven months pregnant at the time and the orchestra had a hard job seeing her baton for her huge bump.
Janice recalls some of the light-hearted moments in the Society’s history.
“The first time the Society performed Annie in the City Hall they advertised for a dog to play Sandy. “A wonderful shaggy dog was found who performed brilliantly throughout the rehearsals.
“Unfortunately at the dress rehearsal when the orchestra were playing, the dog decided it didn’t like the brass section and it firmly refused to run across the stage. It stood with its legs firmly locked and wouldn’t move an inch.
“In desperation I offered to lend the Society my Sheltie – Dougal – who obviously hadn’t been at any rehearsals and didn’t know the lines!
“They managed to entice him across the stage by Annie having chocolate drops in her pocket (Dougal’s favourite). Annie kept patting her pocket and when they wanted him to run off the other side, someone was in the wings with more chocolate drops.
“The poor dog needed to be put on a diet after a week’s supply of chocolate drops.
She recalls many notable performances throughout these concerts.
“There was a wonderful take off of You’re the one that I want from the musical Grease, performed by Maureen Charlton and John Metcalfe.
“The Society always rose to the occasion for any comedy number and some of the chorus ladies even did a strip for a number from the musical Hair and created a very long banner to hide their naughty bits.
“Even the orchestra joined in the spirit of the various shows and on the last night of The Pajama Game I managed to persuade them all to wear nighties and pajamas while they were playing. I also joined in and wore a very fetching scarf complete with rollers.”
In 2001 Janice celebrated 30 years of teaching and she created a show called Music is My First Love, performed in the Sands Centre.
Janice however, decided it was time to hand the baton over to a new director and retired at the end of April after directing her last show, Gershwin’s Crazy for You.
She has fond memories of scrubbing stage floors, humping stage blocks around and getting changed in fields behind village halls – isn’t show business glamorous?
