YORK Opera have celebrated their 50th anniversary with a gala dinner at the Novotel, Fishergate, York, where several founder members attended the  October 14 dinner.

Back in the 1950s and 1960s, York Education Authority ran, as part of the Youth Service, the York Youth Operatic and Choral Society with a musical director and stage director employed as youth leaders.

This company staged a Gilbert and Sullivan opera every year at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre and gave concerts at Christmas and other times of year. The age range was from 16 to 23/24, so as singers reached the top of that range they looked around for an adult society to join.

York at that time had two very good companies staging musicals, but not much in the way of groups utilising the vocal skills which the young people had developed.

It seemed the obvious thing to form a new group to cater for this type of operatic singing, so City Opera Group York came into being, constituted in December 1966.

An evening of excerpts from operettas followed in 1967 and then the group’s first fully staged production of Offenbach’s Orpheus In The Underworld was produced in 1968.

Little could they have imagined then that some 50 years later they would be gathering to celebrate this new company with a black tie dinner attended by over 80 people to celebrate York Opera’s golden anniversary.

This dinner, held on October 14, was well attended by York Opera members and performers from across the generations. Founding members sat alongside recent recruits. Veteran musicians chatted to talented amateurs.

It was an occasion for reflecting on the group’s many achievements. Over the course of the evening, five key speakers from York Opera’s history regaled guests with stories of past shows. Pauline Marshall, the only founding member who has remained an active participant throughout the group’s existence, took the first decade, while the musical director for 20 years, Leslie Bresnan, told stories from the second.

York Press:

A past York Opera production of Turandot

Present president Clive Goodhead recalled stories from the group’s third decade, while Alasdair Jamieson, who has been musical director for many York Opera performances, including their upcoming performance of Turandot, recounted his memories from the fourth decade.

Finally, current chairman Hilary Dyson not only told the guess of some highlights from the group’s fifth decade, but also spoke of the future and how she hoped the group would continue to inspire and entertain the people of York for many years to come.

She acknowledged that the musical world, and the tastes of audiences, have changed since 1966, but that as long as people have a passion for music and opera of the highest quality there would always be an audience for the productions York Opera puts on.

While the evening did allow for this optimistic glimpse into the future, it was a dinner to remember some of the group’s greatest achievements. From performing Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Hugh The Drover with his widow Ursula in the audience, to taking part in the world premiere of Rich Claus, Poor Claus from Hans Gal. From performing world-famous epic operas from composers such as Mozart, Verdi and Puccini, and famous light operettas from Gilbert and Sullivan, to rarely performed works by Benjamin Britten and Offenbach.

It was also a night to celebrate Pauline Marshall’s contribution to the group, as she was made a life member of York Opera in recognition of 50 years of dedicated service. Generally there was a sense of joint accomplishment from everyone in the group, and a lot of reflection of what can happen from such humble beginnings when a group works hard to achieve its ambitions.

York Opera's celebrations will continue with their production of Turandot at  York Theatre Royal, with evening performances on November 8, 9 and 11 at 7.30pm and 4pm matinee on November 12. Tickets are on sale on 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

 By Michael Foster, with contributions from Pauline Marshall