Amateur Operatic Revival In Trowbridge

REFRESHED, apparently by its long hibernation since 1939, amateur opera in Trowbridge came vigorously back to life when the new Trowbridge Amateur Operatic Society presented a four-night run of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury and HMS Pinafore just 50 years after its predecessor put on the same double bill in 1926.

The old society was able until 1937 to user the full theatre facilities of the old Picture Palace, but its successor has had this year to be content with the stage of St. Augustine’s School hall. Despite this limitation they managed a production with a very high standard of polish and stagemanship. The sets for both operas were smart, efficient and bright as new pins, so was the lighting, so were the costumes.

The deck of HMS Pinafore was very neat and ship shape, the nautical background stylised yet realistic, and a master touch was the way lights twinkled ashore before dawn broke in the second act.

Great credit is due to Mr. R.W. Foxwell, not only as the able musical director of this production but also the initiator of this revival. Full marks also to the producer, Mr. Tom Burke and to the accompanists on two pianos, Megan Thirlaway and Stephanie Frayne, with the effective aid of Stephen Martin on percussion.

Proper attention was given throughout to the true G and S tradition that the words must not be lost in the music; everyone, principals and individual members of the chorus alike kept up a plentiful amount of “business” and the production was excellent musically as well, especially in the powerful and well disciplined chorus work, from jurymen and from gallant tars, from bridesmaids and female spectators and from sisters and cousins and aunts.

Lest so much praise be thought meaningless flattery, a few weaknesses must be admitted: the court usher’s “Silence in Court” was not quite stentorian enough to make its full value felt as part of the musical cleverness of Trial by Jury; the defendant’s sordid appearance seemed overdone in so light-hearted a business and his guitar strumming lacked conviction; and the singing voices of several of the society’s principals are not yet quite up to the level of their acting ability.

But on this first showing, we can look forward to a succession of similar productions in the years ahead, each no doubt improving on its predecessors, and it was a splendid thing to discover that almost everyone concerned is a newcomer to the established musical scene in Trowbridge. Such a wealth of new talent is greatly to be welcomed and encouraged.

Two individual performances must be picked out: Frank Martin sang splendidly as Sir Joseph Porter, KCB, and acted equally so – though his commanding presence took a little away from the ridiculousness of the anticlimax Gilbert and Sullivan must have intended to follow the tremendous build-up preceding the First Lord’s appearance with his female entourage; and in Michael Woodhead the society had found a Ralph Rackstraw who not only has a charming tenor voice of just the right quality for a G and S romantic lead, but one who really looked like the most gallant of tars, his bosom swelling with a proper but modest pride in his own manliness, efficiency and patriotism.

The production, especially of Pinafore, kept securely to the knife edge between over seriousness and laughing at itself; I felt that this was how the authors intended it – satirical but kindly, a little proud even of what it was making fun of.

It is good to know that the new society has decided to give a concert version of Tom Jones for two nights in November, and a stage production of The Mikado for four nights next May.

MJL