Newspaper Article 1985 – Operatic society finds its roots

Operatic society finds its roots
Group may be two years off centenary

By Mary Gibsone

Three years of research has established that the Napier Operatic Society was in existence in 1887 – and is therefore looking towards its 100th birthday.

Principal researcher has been past chairman, Barrie Browne who began the task of searching old newspapers, the museum and other sources in 1982 – after it had been suggested that the society could have been “born” in 1883.

That information has been proved incorrect as the Hawke’s Bay Herald on Friday, December 2, 1887, advertises an “inaugural” performance of The Sorcerer in the Theatre Royal – about where the old Napier Fire Station stood near Memorial Square.

Only the cynical would question that the reference to the Napier Opera Society referred to the operatic society of today.

It was also referred to in the critique of the day as the Napier Amateur Operatic Society.

The review of December 1887 provides other historical facts about Napier’s theatre life of the time.

It states: “The Napier Amateur Operatic Society has fittingly inaugurated its career and The Sorcerer season is in full swing. Hitherto our amateurs’ loftiest flights have been comedy or drama, but the advent of Mr Keith Wilson has nerved the local amateurs for still greater achievements and the Opera Society and The Sorcerer is the result”.

Research has shown that prior to The Sorcerer and the operatic society there had been two other societies active in Napier; The Napier Musical Society, which staged its first concert on October 19, 1883, and the Napier Amateur Drama Club which staged an inaugural performance on May 8, 1883.

After the operatic society’s inaugural performance in 1997 [1887] The Daily Telegraph review commented there was a “capital” circle and good downstairs audience to witness the “initial” performance and goes on to credit a “Miss Hitchings” for “spearheading the “formation” of the group.

Society members today feel these comments cement the belief that 1987 will be the society’s centennial year.

Weight to the argument is added by the discovery of a scrapbook compiled by, “Mr J. G. Shaw” which is in the possession of the Hawke’s Bay Art Gallery and Museum. Many of the earlier dated and undated programmes showed clearly productions were the society’s “second, third, fourth season – and so on”.

Among the earlier plays were The Mikado, Iolanthe, Rip Van Winkle, Madame Favart and Les Cloches de Cornville.

The public of Napier had to wait until the early 1900s before they were treated to such delights as Blue Moon, Rio Rita, and The Belle of New York. Chu Chin Chow, The Desert Song, The New Moon and Oklahoma graced the stage in the mid-1950s.

There is some suggestion that the society went into recess somewhere between 1941 and 1953 when – The Gisborne Herald reports – “that town’s society brought The Merry Widow to Napier to help bring Napier’s group out of recess”.

Certainly research has been unable to come up with any reference to performances during those years.

Other gaps in the Society’s history are between 1916 and 1920 – perhaps the First World War years saw performances cancelled – and 1925 to 1927 and 1931 to 1937.

Today’s executive however, has not given up its research for facts about these times and especially programmes.

The search for programmes is continuing, many of the earlier ones gave the society the names of foundation members.

Among the “dramatis personae” listed in earlier performances were names still associated with the city and its theatre – Ormond, Carlile, Balfour, Holt, Peddie, Slater to name a few.

The programmes also give an insight into the costs of the theatre back to the late 1880s. When The Mikado was performed in 1889, the price of admission to the dress circle was four shillings and the stalls two shillings and sixpence. The pits cost a shilling.

The theatre doors opened at 7.30pm for an 8pm performance and patrons were advised that “carriages may be ordered at 10.30pm …” although “Mr Cotton’s bus runs to and from the spit each evening at a cost of sixpence each way”.

Mr Rymer’s bus ran to Taradale for a shilling and sixpence return.

As well a special train ran from Hastings for theatre patrons at the “usual fare” rate.

The ornate programmes of the day were proof of the printers’ craft with some of the work executed in brilliant colour. There appeared to be no extra charge for these tasteful and skilfully designed mementoes of the shows.

Looking forward, the incoming committee is considering ways of celebrating 100 years; perhaps a masquerade ball could be the highlight.

The executive feels the 1887 event has special significance and could call a special meeting of the society to form a centennial committee to plan the 1987 celebrations.

Photo captions –

THE Napier Operatic Society’s research team checking facts in The Daily Telegraph library this week to confirm details in early programmes collected during the painstaking search. With society president, Fred Twyford (centre) is Mrs Dale Reid, wife of the society’s secretary Ian Reid, and past chairman, Mr Barrie Browne.

The society advertises its first show

THE ornate cover of the programme for the society’s 1890 production of Rip Van Winkle is an example of the printer’s craft.