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Newry Musical Society was formed in 1945, and evolved directly out of a choir established jointly in 1943 by Tommy Kelly, the organist and choir master of St. Catherine’s Dominican Church and Tony McAlinden. After the Second World War ended, the newly formed group quickly established itself on the local cultural scene in Newry.
The early productions of the Society, focused on the works of Gilbert and Sullivan and the first show to be presented in Newry Town Hall in 1946 was The Mikado. The show was a great success and, for the next few years, the Society staged some of the better known Savoy operas before branching out into the field of musical comedy in 1951 with a production of The Maid of the Mountains.
After the newly named Newry Musical and Orchestral Society’s successful production of The Gipsy Baron in 1964, the Society decided to accept the invitation to compete at the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera, and won various awards during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The 1976 production of The Desert Song was an outstanding landmark in the Society’s history, in more ways than one. Rehearsals for the show had gone well, but disaster struck when Margaret McCann who was playing Margo Bonvalet broke her ankle two days before the opening night in Newry Town Hall in June. Florence McAnulty, who was assistant to the producer, after two days of intensive study, took over the role. Margaret had fully recovered for the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera in September, when the Society achieved one of its proudest moments winning the International Trophy for the Best Show (Premier Award) at the Festival.
Charlie Smyth as ‘Benjamin Kidd’, who also won Best Comedian, described the performance as “Golden . . . one of those nights where everything went perfectly, everything just clicked.” In addition, Carmel McGuinness as ‘Azuri’ won Best Solo Dancer and Ray Jeffrey won both Best Professional Producer and Best Choreographer. Margaret Nolan also received a certificate of merit for her role as ‘Susan’.
On their return, Newry and Mourne District Council held a civic reception in the Ardmore Hotel to mark the Society’s success and the trophy was presented to the Council on behalf of the people of the area as an expression of the Society’s thanks for their continued support and encouragement down through the years.
In 1977, the production of My Fair Lady was the runner-up at the Festival and, in 1979, the Society again took the International Award with Fiddler on the Roof, marking another milestone in the Society’s history. Other awards received by the production that year included Ray Jeffrey for Best Professional Producer, Geraldine Smyth for Best Supporting Female in her role as ‘Hodel’ and Joe Canavan for Best Lighting.
Since then, the Society has staged a diverse range of shows such as Hello Dolly, Carousel, 42nd Street and The Sound of Music. Many local people have been involved in the Society over the years in various ways including performing on stage and in the orchestra, in production, stage management and administration. The Society is still at the top and a force to be reckoned with in the world of musical comedy.
The Museum is currently offering free tours of the exhibition galleries on Wednesdays and Thursdays 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.
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