The Cecilian Society

I can't believe no-one's posted this yet! We all must go to this link and watch from about 6:40. I fell down when the name appeared.

And for eagle-eyed Cecilian spotters, check out this one from about 8:20 onwards, and you'll see her sneak in on the left-hand side of the picture.

Happy spotting!

Ben
x

I remember watching this, and trying to figure out who one of the girls was in the background, black hair. Then Jess came onto the screen. My parents cacked themselves when I jumped shouting towards the screen.

JP being called Jack Osbourne was possibly the highlight of my day.

I spat tea and everything. Comedy gold.

Glad to see the Cecilians are so obviously flourishing. I came upon the site byaccident, while I was looking for something else and it revived memories of my (long ago) youth.

I stage managed the second "Mikado" (1962) in the Falcon Theatre at St George's Cross - it had been the Empress, and subsequently became the New Metropole and has probably gone the way of most Glasgow theatres; up in flames.

I did "Trial" and "Sorcerer" in Woodside Halls the following year, not a good venue. Bill Primrose who recorded it had to hide in an attic to do so, and couln't escape until a Masonic meeting in the room which gave him access had finished.

I followed this up with the first "Fledermaus", in the Glasgow Concert Hall (?). As far as I remember the only way from one side of the stage to the other was across it. You wouldn't believe how many chorus members you can hide in a cupboard in the wings until their entries. This was the first non-G&S we had done, and the debate about that was unbelievable. Great to see the repertoire has expanded.

My final outing was the first "Vie Parisienne" the following year, again in the Concert Hall. We toured that one to the Arts Guild Theatre in Greenock, though it was a bit touch and go. It was on the the evening of Winston Churchill's funeral and we didn't know if places of entertainment would be open.

Somewhere I still have the LP we made of "Fledermaus" and some old tapes of the other shows, though I doubt if they are playable now. Happy days.

Good luck for the current season,

David

PS - forgot the "Cox and Box" we did for the University's Extra Mural Department. I think that was the first stage show in the then new Arts building theatre.

ha, lovely to hear from you.

we returned to the woodside halls to do Guys and Dolls a few years ago but i don't recall any such masonic problems.

i live in st george's cross and certainly don't know of any theatres here now... ah, according to this the falcon / metropole was demolished in 1987 after being damaged by fire five years previously.

the last few shows we've done have been

2008
sweeney todd (mitchell theatre)

2007
oklahoma (mitchell theatre)
disco inferno (qmu)

2006
fiddler on the roof (jordanhill)
back to the 80s (qmu)

2005
kiss me kate (partick burgh halls)
bugsy malone (qmu)

2004
guys and dolls (woodside halls)
boogie nights (qmu)

2003
west side story (mitchell theatre)
wizard of oz (qmu)
once on this island (cottiers)

so quite a variety. the notion of doing G&S has come up now and then i think but it's been a while now since actually choosing to produce one; it's probably exactly the opposite of the debate you had an choosing something that wasn't G&S!

anyhow, great to hear from someone who predates me, come see Calamity Jane this sunday and say hi!

I'd love to. The only problem is that I live 300 miles away in the top left hand corner of Worcestershire, which puts a bit of a downer on spontaneity.

David