Sheffield musical society celebrates 50th year

The Dore Gilbert and Sullivan Society was established in 1972, and after a rocky two years during the pandemic is preparing to return with favourite comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance.

The opera, which was first performed in London in 1880, and by the Dore society back in 1980, follows a young lad who has been apprenticed to a group of pirates by mistake.

Society chairman Alan Wade, aged 70, joined the group 12 years ago, and his wife Angela is also a member, performing in productions and painting set pieces.

Alan said: “Dore are well known for presenting classic Gilbert and Sullivan and The Pirates of Penzance was one of our earliest shows so it seemed the perfect time to revisit what has always been one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s greatest and most enduring hits.

“Our audiences always enjoy our traditional approach to the world of G and S but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a few surprises along the way in this new production.

“It’s an operetta packed with beautiful music and wonderful comic characters and it’s the perfect choice for this very special anniversary year.

“There is a sense of community in the society and it is really great fun.

“It has been a bit of a struggle over the last couple of years with Covid-19.

“We weren’t able to put anything on in 2021.

“We decided last summer that for our 50th anniversary we wanted to put on a show to celebrate that, and Pirates of Penzance is a really fun show.

“We have got about 50 members including those who are not on stage.

“We have people in their 20s, and people in their late 70s. It is a great leveller, you can put in as much effort as anybody else. Age doesn’t matter.

“It’s great to be able to meet different generations of people.

“Older people who have done these things before and know what they are doing and know all the songs can help people who are less experienced.”

Alan will be a part of the chorus, playing one of the pirates in this year’s show, and Angela will be one of Major-General Stanley’s many daughters.

Alan added: “All the men start off as pirates and then become policemen, and then I turn back into a pirate again, so that will be a quick costume change. “Angela and I met at another Gilbert and Sullivan production, Mikado, in 1972.”

The last show the society put on was The Yeomen of the Guard back in 2019. The pandemic disrupted the society’s events – just two weeks out from a performance in 2020 the first lockdown began and the show was postponed and then cancelled.

Last year, another lockdown and uncertainty about future restrictions meant that a performance was not planned, but now with restrictions ending across England, The Pirates of Penzance will be performed at The Montgomery on Surrey Street, marking the society’s return.

Anniversary performances will take place from April 6-9, with a Saturday matinee and an evening performance.

Alan said: “Performing music is like a crossword – you don’t want it to be too easy because you get bored, but you don’t want it to be too difficult because you’ll just give up.

"Gilbert and Sullivan is fun and interesting.

“Their words are so clever, Gilbert was a complete satirist.

“Some of the words that Gilbert wrote are still relevant. The pirate king says ‘But many a king on a first-class throne, if he wants to call his crown his own, must manage somehow to get through more dirty work than ever I do’ and I think that can apply to some people today. Gilbert and Sullivan is a fantastic company, if they were around now they would be up for Tony awards.

“I think the society has got better over the last 12 years. The standard that you have got at the moment is much better than it was because we have got a musical director, Martin Yates, and an artistic director, Graham Weston, who are very good.”

The Dore Gilbert and Sullivan Society also put on concerts during the year, in summer and at Christmas, which do not feature only Gilbert and Sullivan songs.

Next year, the society will perform HMS Pinafore, the story of a captain’s daughter who falls in love with a lowly sailor.

It is the first production the society performed back in 1972.

The Pirates of Penzance will be performed at the Montgomery Theatre from April 6-9.

For tickets call 0114 2363797 or 07565 805405, visit doregass.weebly.com, or email [email protected].