Musical Life in Newry in the 19th and 20th Centuries

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Employees of Newry Central Laundry with the W.R.H. Hennessey Perpetual Memorial Silver Challenge Cup, first prize in the Ladies’ Choir section of Newry Musical Feis in the 1940s. Newry and Mourne Museum Collection

During the 19^th century and for much of the 20^th century, musical entertainment in Newry was provided by visiting musicians and local artists. A wide range of musical tastes were catered for and performances included opera, choral works, orchestral music, military music and popular songs.

As far back as August 1806 the Theatre in Newry re-opened with a performance of the comic opera, Love in a Village. Newry Amateur Musical Society was established in 1830 and another group, Newry Musical Society, gave its first concert on 4^th April 1864 in the Assembly Rooms (now The Sean Hollywood Arts Centre).

Newry Muscial Society’s 1946 production of The Mikado. Newry and Mourne Museum Collection

The late 19^th century and early 1900s saw Newry on the circuit of touring opera companies such as the National Opera Company which performed Maritana and La Sonnambula in Newry in October 1873. From 1904 until 1910, Newry was visited on several occasions by the Elster Grime Opera Company which toured widely in Ireland from 1900 until the First World War. Mentioned by James Joyce in Ulysses, this company performed seven different operas during a week-long visit to Newry in October 1910.

Many local people sang in church choirs and these provided the basis for the establishment of Newry Amateur Operatic Society in 1913 and St. Patrick’s Choral and Operatic Society in 1926. These groups specialised in light opera and the works of Gilbert and Sullivan respectively.

The Maid of the Mountains, 1951. The production was the first musical comedy produced by Newry Musical Society. Courtesy of Charlie Smyth

The support which these two societies garnered, and the local interest displayed in music provided the context for the foundation of Newry Musical Feis in 1928. The Feis gave many children and young adults first-hand experience of performing publically. A number of local people such as Harry Heather, Alma Brown and Kathleen McNally, who were involved with the Feis either as competitors or administrators, were also closely associated with the variety concerts organised by Pat McKevitt in Newry Town Hall in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Ticket for St. Patrick’s Choral and Operatic Society’s production of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Yeomen of the Guard, 1927 Newry and Mourne Museum Collection

However, it was the foundation of Newry Musical Society in 1945 which set the scene for the pattern of musical life in Newry in the second half of the 20^th century. The Society’s first production was The Mikado in Newry Town Hall in 1946 and it went to on stage many more Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and musicals in the succeeding decades. It was a successful competitor at the Waterford Festival of Light Opera where it gained many awards including the International Premier Award on two occasions, in 1976 for its production of The Desert Song and for Fiddler on the Roof in 1979. Newry Musical Society continues the tradition of musical performance in Newry which has been going on for over two centuries.

The Museum is currently offering free tours of the main exhibition galleries on Wednesdays at 2.00 pm. These must be booked in advance by calling our Education Officer at 0330 137 4422.

Newry and Mourne Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday 10.00 am – 4.30 pm. Please call 0330 137 4422 or email museums@nmandd.org for further information.

Please visit the Newry Museum website at www.visitmournemountains.co.uk