november 2012
DESCRIPTION
Ox Ops MagazineTRANSCRIPT
I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
Chairman's
Letter
2
Millie
Reviews
3
Sound of Music
Directors Notes
5
Meet our new
members
7
Committee
Posts for
Election
8
Concerts 9
News and Events 10
An Interview
with Nia
Williams
11
Your
Committee
12
Insight… The magazine for
N O V 2 0 1 2
P A G E 2
Chairman’s Letter...
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O ur membership goes from strength to strength, and the standards of the society keep
rising meaning that we accepted only 3 new members out of 12 who auditioned at the
last new member auditions.
The commitment existing members show to the society is admirable, however we do need your
help more than ever to keep this society slick, not just in helping with fundraising in 2013 but also
better attendance at rehearsals. In the case of Beauty and the Beast, cast attendance at
rehearsals has been very poor at times, which effects the whole rehearsal process for all the cast.
We all need to place more importance on the smaller things that go towards making our society
the friendly, cohesive and successful society it is. Every little bit helps!
The members reaction to the EGM was very heartening as was your feedback and fundraising
ideas. The EGM was called as a direct result of the box office sales for Thoroughly Modern Millie,
this situation forced us to conduct a full review of what we need to do to ensure a long term
successful future. We almost certainly wouldn’t be doing The Sound of Music had this situation not
occurred. Guy and Julie are doing a sterling job making it a much more inclusive show for the
company than is usually the case for this show. Even more importantly it’s a great opportunity to
improve the balance sheet to fund future productions.
Our recent village concerts were very well attended, highly praised, and raised well over £2,000
for the respective village halls. I can only emphasise how important these concerts are in
showcasing the full talent of our members as it’s not possible for all of us to perform leading roles
in our major productions. I’m sure it also helped consolidate our fan base around the county. Our
participants in the joint Opera Concert at Keble College performed magnificently as well. Everyone
involved should be very proud.
It is with great sadness that we had to say goodbye to Stephanie Williams, who lost her
courageous fight against cancer this year. She was a tremendous asset to the society. A tribute to
Stephanie and her contribution to the society, will be made at the AGM in December.
I’m sure it’s not just me, but I do detect a certain magical feeling coming out of the rehearsals
leading up to show week? I’ve been amazed at the reaction of people who don’t normally come to
see our shows who have passed the word around without prompting.
Break a leg to everyone involved in Beauty and if you’re not involved make sure you come along
to watch, be our guest!
Dennis Garrett
Chairman
P A G E 3
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Millie - thoroughly modern...
Our heroine Millie Delmont (played by Hannah Veale) ambitions are beset by problems like an uncooperative boss, who fails to see her charms. Also she has to cope with the unwanted attentions of Jimmy Smith (played by Alex Williams). Alex’s acting was superb as the playboy millionaire playing the lad about town. In addition, Millie had to deal with the threat of being kidnapped and sent to the orient by Mrs Mears (portrayed by Chilina Madon). Chilina played a spectacular villainess. The performance is a steady procession of song and dance numbers by either the leading players or the company. The most memorable scenes though were when the following songs are sung including
Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Speed Test and Sweet Mystery of Life. As for the costumes, they were spectacular, especially in the party and nightclub scenes. The ones worn by Muzzy van Hossmere (played by gorgeous Susanne Sheehy) were outstanding designs. My female companions wondered where they could purchase such glamorous dresses in Oxford. In addition, the organisation of the production together with the Oxford’s New Theatre support staff was thoroughly professional. Their efforts made seeing Oxford Operatic Society first night production of Thoroughly Modern Millie a fantastic night to be out on the town.
Hannah Veale really is impressive in the lead role,
but is matched by Alex Williams as the apparently
penniless love interest Jimmy, a very funny Edward
Blagrove as the rich boss she has her eye on,
Catharine Blagrove as her new best friend Miss
Dorothy, and Chilina Madon as the very
A thoroughly marvellous time is in store for anyone
with tickets to see Oxford Operatic Society’s
Thoroughly Modern Millie at the New Theatre. It is
impossible not to have a grin on your face while
watching this fast-paced, very silly, big-hearted show.
Based on the Julie Andrews film (though not a direct
stage adaptation – the story is a little different and only
the title song remains from the original), Thoroughly
Modern Millie follows Millie (played by the fantastic
Hannah Veale) as she goes from wide-eyed Kansas
girl to 1920s New York flapper, on the search for a rich
husband but finding true ‘green glass’ love where she
least expects it. This against a backdrop of
charlstoning, the kidnap of orphan girls into white
slavery, and fake Chinese hoteliers.
The musical numbers are big and incredibly catchy (I
suspect I am going to be singing the title song to
myself for the rest of the week at least) and this
production certainly has the singers to pull them off.
Oxford Prospect...
Daily Info…
P A G E 4
Millie…
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Staged on various sets that included an elevator
fuelled by the power of tap dance and a drop-down
subtitle screen for songs performed in Chinese, OOS
did not skimp on the scenery. This decision proved
worthwhile, too, as the attention to detail in both
costume and set-design gave the entire production a
stylish and highly professional finish.
Doused in drop-waist dresses and so many sequins,
director Anne Robson’s reincarnation of the well-loved
classic manages to retain the charisma and comedy of
previous workings of the show and is not lacking in
confidence when it comes to incorporating new
additions. Thoroughly Modern Millie proved a joy to
see, and the Oxford Operatic Society can add another
title to their impressive time-line of successes.
With a back-catalogue that reaches as far into the past
as 1946, the Oxford Operatic Society presents
Thoroughly Modern Millie at the New Theatre as its first
production of 2012.
The fresh songs fit the show to perfection, meeting the
need for both humour and flapper-age style. The cast’s
performances were entirely convincing and the musical
numbers were equally notable.
Hannah Veale’s charm and complete grasp of her
character as Millie, not to mention her truly striking vocal
talents, made the production a pleasure. And, on the
comedic side of things, Fleur Yerbury-Hodgson as Miss
Peg Flannery and Edward Blagrove’s Trevor Graydon III
turned every scene at the Sincere Trust Insurance
Company into well-choreographed hilarity.
un-PC Mrs Meers, a hotelier pretending to be Chinese to keep her identity secret, selling her residents into white slavery. The fact that this sounds very weird and offensive in writing but does not come across that way in the show is testament to the exuberance and light touch of the production. There is a scene in which society hostess and international star Muzzy Van Hossmere (another incredible-voiced member of the cast, Susanne Sheehy) performs a song backed by the male chorus. Their dancing is not brilliant, it has to be said, but it is so endearing that a lot of the enjoyment would be lost if they were more slick. Thoroughly good fun, Thoroughly Modern Mille comes thoroughly recommended. However, it could give you the urge to tap dance on the way home!
Daily Info (cont). . .
Oxford Times…
P A G E 5
The Sound of Music is a musical
with music written by Richard
Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar
Hammerstein. The show is based
on the memoir of Maria von Trapp,
The Story of The Trapp Family
Singers. After viewing a West
German film about the Trapp
Family Singers, director Vincent J
Donehue felt that it would be an
excellent vehicle for his friend,
Mary Martin, who indeed went onto
star in the original Broadway
Production.
The Original London production
opened at The Palace Theatre in
1961, and ran for almost 3,000
performances. Since then there
have been two major UK revivals,
the first in 1981, starring Petula
Clark. The second starred relative
unknown, Connie Fisher, winning
talent-show ‘How Do You Solve a
Problem like Maria?’
A number of details of the real von
Trapp story were changed for the
dramatic purposes of the stage
show and later on the film. Maria
Rainer was in fact engaged as a
governess to only one of the von
Trapp children. Although they did
eventually marry and von Trapp
was undoubtedly unhappy with the
Nazi Anschluss; the family actually
left Austria quite openly and
travelled via train to Italy. They
secured a passage to America
where they settled and made a
good living from their music. It is
claimed that although many of the
Austrians in the show and the film
are portrayed as being deeply
patriotic and unhappy with Nazi
occupation, there was in fact very
little opposition to Hitler and his
forces. Another interesting fact is
that ‘Edelweiss’ is not in fact a well
known Austrian folk song but was
written specifically for the show
itself.
The show in brief, tells the story of
Maria Rainer who is failing
miserably in her attempts to
become a nun at Nonnberg Abbey.
To give her time to think about her
true devotion, she is temporarily
employed as a governess to seven
over-disciplined children by their
father, exalted Austrian Captain,
Georg von Trapp. The rebellious
children first reject Maria then learn
to love her free-spirited nature
because Maria is able to introduce
the children to music and freedom.
Eventually their father also falls in
love with Maria when he sees how
happy she has made his children
and because she has brought music
back into their lives. Von Trapp does
not agree with the Austrian position
in the war, in particular the Nazi
Anschluss with Austria. He and his
family must flee from the Nazis who
want to tear them and his beloved
Austria apart. They escape on foot,
fleeing over the border into
n e i g h b o u r i n g a n d n e u t r a l
Switzerland.
The show contains many of the
most iconic songs and melodies of
musical theatre. This legacy was in
part ensured by the 1965 film
adaptation starring Julie Andrews
and Christopher Plumber. The film
went on to win five Oscars including
best picture. Andrews’ voice has
become synonymous with the title
role and the standard to which
actresses taking on this dauntingly
huge part aspire; as the director of
our next production I can’t really
argue wi th this aspirat ion!
Fortunately Richard Rodgers was
on hand to write more music for the
film production, from whence came
‘I Have Confidence’ and also
‘Something Good’. Additionally
some of the numbers were
switched for the film, notably ‘My
Favourite Things’ originally sung by
the mother Abbess to Maria and
subsequently changed to the
bedroom scene dur ing the
thunderstorm, sadly we are not
permitted to make the same
change.
My vision:
As you probably know there is a
dilemma for any non-professional
company when choosing to stage
this production. On the one hand it
is almost guaranteed to produce
excellent box-office returns, on the
other it is has a poor reputation for
chorus / ensemble work. Any of you
who have worked with me before
know that I strive to provide as
many opportunities as possible for
the company on stage – there are a
number of ideas in the melting pot
at the moment. Additionally I am
planning to look for innovative ways
to stage the show for the society.
Without giving too much away
please don’t expect something too
traditional but do expect new and
interesting ways of using the cast in
a multitude of roles and guises, not
just dressed as nuns!
Of course I am also looking for a
top quality principal line-up. Central
to the show is Maria herself and the
scale of this role should not be
under-estimated. We are also
looking for fourteen excellent young
performers to play the roles of the
children and exploring the best
ways we can, as company, ensure
we attract the best of Oxford and
Oxfordshire’s young talent to fill
these roles.
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The Sound of Music… directors notes
Guy Brigg
P A G E 6
The Sound of Music - cont...
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PRINICPAL CHARACTERS
Maria Rainer - is on stage for almost the entire show and
therefore needs physical and vocal
stamina. She is sweet without
being sickly. We need to believe
that she can attract von Trapp
through a mixture of her natural
beauty (both inner and outer) whilst
retaining a steely strength of
character. She needs to build an
excellent relationship with the
children on and off stage. Choosing
the right Maria is central to the
success of the show. Playing age:
20-25 years.
The Mother Abbess - She gives Maria the strength to go out and
find her way in the world. She
performs the iconic ‘Climb Every
Mountain’. She needs to have a
strength and serenity to her
characterisation. We need to feel
she is in control. There also needs
to be a cheeky spark which we see
very occasionally. Playing age: 30
years upwards.
Sister Berthe - Sister Berthe has very little dialogue in the show but
is central to ‘How Do You Solve A
Problem like Maria?’ She needs to
be rather straight-laced, she
doesn’t approve of Maria. Playing
age: 30 years upwards.
Sister Sophia - Sings in how do you solve with Berthe. Playing age
– immaterial.
Sister Margaretta - A few lines of
dialogue in the show. Again central
to ‘How Do You Solve A Problem
Like Maria?’ Unlike Sister Berthe
she does like Maria. Playing age:
30 years upwards.
Captain Georg Von Trapp -
Handsome and suave. Military and
rather uptight at the beginning of
the show. He has obviously filled
the hole left by the death of his first
wife with routine and order. Of all
his respect for the von Trapp family
and love for Lisel and his new
found political allegiances. Playing
age: 17 / 18.
Lisel - A pretty young lady on the cusp of womanhood. She has still
has some child-like qualities but is
also desperate to become an adult.
Rolf is her first love. An ability to
dance would be an advantage.
Playing age: 16 / 17.
Friedrich - Wants to be a ‘man’ but is still really a boy. Oldest son of
Captain von Trapp. Playing age: 14
Must be able to hold a harmony
line.
Louisa - Can be a little bit cheeky,
this is implied from the previous
governesses she has played tricks
on. Playing age: 13. Good harmony
singer needed.
Kurt - Youngest son of Captain von Trapp. Tries to emulate his
older brother. Has to dance the
Laendler with Maria at one point in
the show. Playing age: 10. Must
have an unbroken voice.
Brigitta - Needs to have an open and innocent honesty to her
character. Playing age: 9. Good
harmony singer needed.
Marta - Ability to be cute and adorable on stage!! Playing age: 7
Must be able to hold harmony line.
Gretel - Ability to be VERY cute
and adorable on stage!! Playing
age: 5. Not afraid to sing on her
own.
Miscellaneous parts - Nuns / household servants / gardeners /
people for street scene in ‘I Have
Confidence’ / guests and dancers
at the ball / contestants at the
Festival concert. The creative team
are hoping to cast these parts from
members who are unsuccessful in
gaining larger principal roles.
There will be a dance audition for
those in the ballroom scene.
the characters in the show his
u n d e r g o e s t h e g r e a t e s t
transformation. Playing age: 40 -
45.
Max Detweiler - Max has a cheeky, rascally quality to his
character. There is an element of
theatricality to him and also of the
loveable rogue. He needs to be
suave and a great charmer. This is
a great character part. Playing
age: 35 years upwards.
Elsa, a Baroness - Perhaps the most glamorous part in the show
she must have a film star quality to
her beauty in contrast to Maria’s
very natural and simple beauty. An
ability to play refined and elegant is
necessary. Playing age: 35 - 40
years.
Franz (Butler) - Respectful and
efficient. Needs to blend into the
background. Playing age: 30
upwards.
Frau Schmidt (Housekeeper) -
She is efficient, homely and
capable. Playing age: 50 upwards.
Herr Zeller - He defends the
Anschluss with Germany, main
scene is at the ball. Playing age:
any.
Baron Elberfeld - He is a patriotic
Austrian, gets into an argument
with Zeller at the ball. Playing age:
older man.
Rolf Gruber - Naïve and
impressionable. Must be good-
looking, as this attracts Lisel to him
(blonde ideally). An ability to dance
would help. He struggles between
Talk-in: 6th Dec Rehearsals: 11th Dec
Auditions Children: 15th Dec Auditions Adults: 6th Jan
Dates for the diary
P A G E 7
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Welcome our new members...
Lindsey Henderson
Lindsey is delighted to
be joining the Oxford
Operatic Society. She
has trained in Musical
Theatre at The Oxford
School of Drama & The
Am e r i c a n M u s i c a l
Theatre Academy in
which she got the
chance to train in New
York. Since graduating
last year she has
performed in numerous
plays and musicals in
London including Twelve
Angry Women (Juror 12)
and Elegies for Angels,
Punks and Raging
Queens (Grace) at the
Theatro Technis Theatre,
Camden.
Lindsey is currently
ac t ing in m urder
mysteries, both for the
Killing Game and for
Smoke & Mirrors. She is
also thrilled to have
recently started up
Lindsey’s Musical Mania,
her own Performing Arts
School, teaching children
Musical Theatre in
Oxfordshire. During the
summer she toured the
country in a musical
‘Jubilee’. She is also
pleased to have just
accepted a role in a
Pantomime which will
tour in December.
Lindsey is very excited
about being involved with
Oxford Operatic Society.
Hayley Bater
I am not strictly a new
member of Oxford
Operatic Society, having
taken part in Chess, My
Fair Lady and The
Producers before going
to university. Before
joining Ox Ops I was a
member of Abingdon
Operatic Society (where
my first performance was
as Nellie in Annie Get
Your Gun when I was 8).
From the age of 12 I
spent 7 years as a
member of the Musical
Youth Company of
Oxford. I loved my time
t h e r e a n d i n
particular, have happy
memories of playing
Millie in Thoroughly
Modern Millie in 2008. I
am currently in my third
year at University
College London, training
to be a speech therapist.
The course is demanding
but I still manage to
spend as much time at
the musical theatre
society as I do in
lectures!
Why not take advantage of ‘no’ booking fees by booking your tickets in advance via the Ox Ops Box Office.
Tues 28th May – Sat 1 June 7.30pm, Sat Mat 2.30pm
Grand Total £________
Date of performance:
Name:
Address:
Post Code:
Tel. No.
Email:
Please return this form along with an SAE and your
cheque (made out to Oxford Operatic Society) to
Marilyn Moore, Sound of Music Tickets, Courtfield
House, Drayton Road, Milton, Oxon, OX14 4EU.
For enquiries please call 01235 831305
The Sound of Music - Ticket Booking Form
Ticket Type No. of tickets @ Price band £ Total Amount
A
B
Ticket Type Price band
A Standard Ticket £21.50 £23
B Concessions:
Seniors, Students, Under 16s
£19.50 £21
Member Auditions: Do you know anyone that wants to join the society? New member auditions will be held on 4th December. Contact Palli Dent for further details.
P A G E 8
Committee Posts up for election...
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The main responsibility of the Social Secretary is, as the name suggests, organising social events for the
society! This includes arranging regular events such as the quiz, dinner dance, AGM and after show parties. In
addition, there is scope to organise other activities that might be of interest to the membership, for example
theatre trips and workshops. I should also mention co-ordinating the infamous tea and coffee rota at rehearsals,
which is probably the one responsibility that everyone knows about! Although I was unfortunately not able to
finish my two-year term on the Committee, I would encourage anyone who is interested to put their name
forward. If you’re a social bunny, this role is for you!!
The fundraising element of the role is new for 2013. This would include working with other members and
associate members to help run events and concerts in order to raise additional funds for the society. Also
overseeing any other fundraising activity for the society. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank
everyone who has helped with social events over the last two years; it has been very much appreciated!
This post is vacant
The Marketing Officer is responsible for driving sales for the society in conjunction with the Marketing teams at both the New Theatre and Oxford Playhouse. The role is incredibly varied and rewarding and has been made easier in recent years as more and more members have taken responsibility for pushing sales. We also maximise the theatre’s own marketing channels including brochure inserts, emails and mailings. Other jobs include organising Ox Ops publicity via members, e.g. Leafleting days for shows. The role also commissions artwork for each show (lots of fun!) and monitors ticket sales with the theatres, as well as copywriting and providing the society with the material necessary to push ticket sales to their own networks. Other activities include liaising with members of the press, issuing press releases, providing rehearsal and production shots as well as arranging interviews and photo calls. This may sound scary, honestly it’s not, it’s lots of fun and great for your C.V! This post is vacant
Social and Fundraising Secretary - Victoria Wilson
Marketing Officer - Gill Baines
Few would be surprised to hear that the Treasurer is a vital role on the committee but I can assure you it is also highly rewarding. The Treasurer is responsible for managing the finances of the society including maintaining the accounts, reporting these accounts to the Charity Commission, making our Gift Aid declaration to HMRC, maintaining our required insurance cover and generally getting bills paid. These are arguably the more mundane aspects of the job but they at least keep you up to speed on the day-to-day workings of the society. No other member of the committee, apart from the Chairman, has a more central role in the coordination of each show. You work closely with the production manager and the rest of the production team to set a budget and make sure they stick to it. Since every show is slightly different this is never easy! The Treasurer will often work closely with the Chairman and Development Officer when negotiating with the theatres, rights holders and other major parties to a show. This role is anything but dull!
Stephen is not seeking re-election at the AGM
Well I can honestly say that I’m honoured that all the members, associate members and patrons get to read my delightful prose on a weekly basis, you have no idea how incredibly lucky you are, I just hope I don’t bore you too much! As far as the main elements of my role are concerned, the clue is in the title. I’m responsible for keeping the membership updated in all things Oxford Operatic. This includes the weekly news email (which we revamped last year), and also this bi-annual magazine, Insight. Other responsibilities include setting up the cast email lists for each show and liaising with the production team to ensure cast updates are communicated. I also arrange for the post show cast questionnaire to be distributed and feed back your comments to the committee. Other jobs include arranging, with the director of the next show, all materials ready for the talk-in. It’s a varied and fun role and you get to know all the gossip!!
Andrew is not seeking re-election at the AGM
Communications Secretary - Andrew Stott Treasurer - Stephen Pascoe
P A G E 9
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Ox Ops Concerts...
The Magic of Musicals On the weekend of 5th – 7th October 2012, 33 members of the society accompanied by Nia Williams and
conducted by Chris Payne, performed a series of 3 concerts to raise funds for local charities and organisations.
The programme was a selection of musical theatre songs from the 1920s through to some of the classic
musicals of the modern era.
The first concert on the Friday took place at North Leigh’s Memorial Hall, followed by Chalgrove Village Hall on
the Saturday and finally, Islip Village Hall on Sunday evening. Over the course of the weekend, the society
played to 300+ people and raised in excess of £2500 for the various charities and organisations.
The concerts were greatly received by audiences, and we have since received some wonderful emails from
representatives of the three villages, all giving extremely complimentary feedback.
The objectives of the concert was not only raise funds for the charities and organisations, but to also showcase
the sheer talent of our society, both of which we certainly achieved. Not only did the chorus sound amazing as
always, but it was also great to be able to give a stage to many voices we rarely get chance to hear. There were
so many wonderful solo and duets, each and every one bringing something unique to the concert. There were
many people leaving the concert at the end of the evening raving about the quality of the show and looking
forward to our future productions, so hopefully it will help sell a few more tickets! Word-of-mouth can be a very
powerful marketing tool, so this can only help. Everyone involved did our society proud.
Concert of Opera Favorites Following our successful Gilbert & Sullivan concert in 2010 performed jointly with the Oxford Pro Musica
Singers, we again joined forces for a concert of operatic favourites in the cosy surroundings of the O’Reilly
Theatre at Keble College, Oxford. Several of our members participated in a wide-ranging programme of
choruses from Purcell to Puccini, Mozart to Mascagni, and Beethoven to Bizet (Carmen, of course!), including
some really juicy ones by Verdi and Wagner, all interspersed by solo and ensemble items performed by
members of the two societies. Among our ‘stars’ who took part were Sarah Leatherbarrow, Sian Millett and
Stephen Pascoe, and the evening ended with everyone enjoying a good wallow in the choral version
of ‘Nessun dorma’. Robin Wilson
Steve Mellin
P A G E 1 0
News and events...
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Tom and Charlotte met on 4th August 2011 and moved in together in December last year. I knew after being together I would ask Charlotte to marry me. She was in the kitchen and when she came to the sitting room I was down on one knee to propose to her, she said yes!!
Eva Louise Wilkinson was born on the 9th of August weighing 8lb 4oz, after making Jo & Simon wait an extra 11 days to arrive, hard work for a couple who are never late for anything! Eva seems to have long legs and long fingers so potentially a dancer or pianist a few years down the line.
Ella Haydon was born on 18th April 2012 at 1.53pm weighing 7lb 6oz. Rachel and husband Mark are delighted to have a new addition to the family, and Lucy is very excited to have a new sister.
Noah Edwin Eric
Crewe was born on Tuesday 8th May, in the
middle of a rainstorm. He
has been to lots of
rehearsals since, and
was even quiet through
the entire of a Millie
performance, at just over
2 weeks old!
Chris and Michelle married on 11th August 2012 at St Leonard's Church in Eynsham before celebrating at Heythrop Park. It was a beautiful day with great weather in a fantastic setting. The wedding service finished with Oxop singers suprising Michelle singing All You Need is Love as the couple walked back down the aisle, a wonderful end to a wonderful service.
Stephanie Williams , l i fe
member and director of Oxford
Operatic Society, passed away
in the early hours of Thursday 6th
September at Sobell House
Hospice after a short but
courageous battle with cancer.
She will be sadly missed and our
thoughts are with Stephanie’s
family.
Sian Millett finally married
her lovely fiancé Anthony on
the 1st of September in
Cardiff. As you can imagine it
was a day full of music and
laughter and she was thrilled
that some of the Ox Ops
family were there to share it
with her. The day was more
perfect than they could have
imagined. Just to confuse
everyone, Sian is now Mrs
Haynes but will still be
singing as Sian Millett.
Congratulations goes to Amy Bilton who ran her very first marathon on Sunday October 7th in Budapest. She was raising money for Sobell House Hospice. Sobell provided a huge amount of care and support for Stephanie and her family and also to Amy’s work colleague Naomi, who sadly passed away from bowel cancer at the end of July. Completed in 4 hours 45 minutes, Amy was understandably thrilled to have completed the race.
Margaret and Kenny got married on Saturday 9th June in Killearn, near Loch Lomond. The sun shone, the wine flowed and the OxOps attendees certainly held their own when it came to the ceilidh dancing! Just a perfectly magical day, followed by a fantastic Italian honeymoon.
Congratulations goes to Nia Williams, who wrote the new musical, ‘Daddy's Girls’. This was staged at the Old Fire Station in July, starring Sarah Leatherbarrow, Jane Hainsworth and Rebecca Martin, with Nia on the keyboard and Steve Mellin and Paul Burgum producing and doing all things technical!
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Unsung heroine of Oxford Operatic Society, Nia Williams, gives us an Insight into what it’s like playing for the Society.
Have you always been a fan of musical theatre?
As far back as I can remember. The house was always
full of music when I was growing up - classical, pop,
musical theatre—pretty well anything going. One of my
earliest memories is of the sleeve design on the Original
Cast LP of West Side Story. And then, when I was
about 11, BBC2 showed a season of Astaire-Rogers
films and I was smitten.
How did you first come across Ox Ops?
Because I’m a freelance, the first thing I do when I
move to a new area is contact local choirs and music
societies looking for work. A couple of years after I
approached Ox Ops, I was invited to audition as a rep/
accompanist. I had to sight-read a page from Crazy For
You in front of a panel which included a very stern-
looking John Dean!
Are there any other groups or societies you're
involved with outside Ox Ops?
Yes—music groups and societies are valuable
employers as their rehearsals are regular and
predictable, unlike a lot of my other work. I play four or
five evenings a week—for Ox Ops, MYCO, and a choir
in Kennington; and I work on a less frequent basis for
local companies such as Opera Anywhere and
Creation. Then there are one-off bookings from singers,
dance schools and other groups such as Stagecoach.
Has Ox Ops changed much since you started
playing for us?
As Ox Ops has a good reputation, there’s no shortage
of new people wanting to join, and I think that always
keeps a society fresh and energetic. Ox Ops seems
quite willing to venture into new territory as well as
performing familiar and popular shows, so in a way it’s
always changing.
What would you say is your favourite show?
I’d rate West Side Story as one of the best musicals
ever written, and it’s very challenging and rewarding
to play. In any show, the way the score is written
makes a big difference for me. Some of the most
enjoyable scores to play have been Crazy For You,
Thoroughly Modern Millie and The Producers,
because the arrangements are so good. I also loved
playing for Carmen, and particularly enjoyed playing
the big bass drum in the pit.
What’s show week like for you?
Dark, crowded and noisy! The pit is a little world of its
own, and can be a bit surreal—especially in a deep
pit, when you can just hear the stage action and the
audience reaction going to and fro like a tennis
match. It’s also a bit like starting from scratch—in
rehearsals I play a piano reduction (a condensed
arrangement of the orchestral sound); but in the pit I
have a specific band part—just one piece of the
jigsaw—which is completely different. I always look
forward to being part of the band. Ensemble playing
is an amazing experience. You can’t beat it.
Do things ever go wrong when you’re playing in
the pit with the Orchestra?
Of course not! There are no mistakes, only learning
opportunities! The usual mishaps are things like lights
going out on the music stands. The MD generally has
a supply of spare bulbs, but the stand hoods get very
hot so bulb-changing can be a very tricky operation,
in the dark, during a musical number! The biggest
dread, though, is stuff falling in. Past examples have
included bits of costume, canes, the occasional
member of cast and a rocking chair.
Tell us something about yourself that the society
may not know?
Welsh is my first language, and I write novels (in
English)!
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Interview with Nia Williams...
Dennis Garrett - Chairman Stephen Pascoe - Treasurer
Marilyn Moore - Secretary
Dave Crewe - Development Officer
Your Committee... President - Ron Hewitt
Vice-President - Ann Southwell
Courtfield House Milton
Oxfordshire OX14 4EU
01235 831305
55 Bostock Road Abingdon
OX14 1DW
07971 004820
32 Orchard Way Wantage
Oxfordshire OX12 8ED
07740 948790
3 Long Alley Alms Houses,
St.Helens Churchyard Abingdon OX14 5EJ
07879 874697
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Andrew Stott - Communications Officer
106 Roman Way Bicester
Oxfordshire OX26 6FL
07775 812686
Palli Dent - Membership Secretary
46 Besselsleigh Road Wootton Abingdon
Oxfordshire OX13 6DX
07905 097426
The following Committee posts are up for election at the AGM:
- Treasurer
- Marketing Officer
- Communications Officer
- Social and Fundraising Secretary