East Norfolk Operatic Society

Officers of the Society 2013/14

Committee: Sue Catchpole, Margaret Collingwood, Derek Cousins, Fran Robson, Clive Swetman, Keith Swetman

Hello!

And welcome to the latest newsletter, being written on the most beautiful spring like Sunday morning.

We are well into rehearsals now for HMS Pinafore/Trial by Jury. We are so happy to welcome new faces to our ranks this year, with Stephanie, Helen, Lin, Nick and George joining us. Also good to see members, previously of the chorus, having principal roles. Well done you, too!

We have concerts and events to look forward to after the production has finished (7 – 10 May for those who need a reminder to buy tickets!) so we will keep you up to date with further details closed to the time. Tickets are now available through our website, www.enosoc.co.uk (A small charge will be made by the ticket agency).

With best wishes

from your Editors,

Ros & Clive.

HMS Pinafore (with Trial by Jury)

Can you help? We are in need of a Prompt for our show. If you think you can help, or know someone who can, please contact Janet on 01603 439554

Show Timetable

2015

Your committee have decided that the show for next year will be The Sorcerer, last performed in 2004, our last show in Sprowston High School along with the Zoo. This time it will be performed on its own with Keith Swetman as Stage Director, Margaret Collingwood assisting with choreography and Ros Swetman as Musical Director. As usual this will commence rehearsals in September the week after the AGM.

My "Other Life"

This new feature will showcase what members do in other aspects of their lives, which fellow ENOS chums may be quite unaware of! So, if you have an unusual hobby, an interesting vocation or just something interesting to share, email us the details, preferably with a photograph!

To get us started, here is my story about Polly the PAT dog.

Polly is our 5 year old retired racing greyhound. We have now owned her for 21 months and she has blossomed from a shy, slightly nervous dog, into a confident and happy hound. About 6 months ago, I read about the Pets as Therapy charity, which involves dogs (and cats!) visiting hospitals, care homes, and hospices as a therapy for those who love animals and are missing their own loved pets. As Polly had grown so much in confidence but was still very quiet amongst people, I decided that it might be something that she would be rather good at and something that I would enjoy sharing with her.

So, I completed the application forms and waited for the call for assessment. This was conducted by the Norfolk Volunteer Area Coordinator in the surroundings of the 'Pets at Home' superstore, lasted about 45 minutes and involved Polly walking on a loose lead (despite bunnies and gerbils bouncing all around her!), being handled by strangers, taking treats gently and having sudden noises go off behind her! She behaved immaculately and we were thrilled to be told on Christmas Eve that she had passed the test, that my references had been accepted and that we could start as soon as we were able to organise a visit.

We were provided with a list of interested hospitals, etc. which had requested a visit, so we now regularly go to Caroline House, a neuro rehab unit in the grounds of the Colman Hospital in Norwich. The patients love being visited by Polly, most moving has been the interaction with a young man who just adores her and can now manage to tell her to sit and who likes to try and shake her paw – Polly has never had anyone try to shake her paw, her legs are so long, but she was very brave and did try for him!

The following information about PAT is taken from the charity's website:

What's On

ENOS

Saturday 3rd May, Horning Boat Show (day before our get-in at the Maddermarket)

Saturday June 7th Flower Festival in Horstead Church

Saturday July 19th for St Mary's Church Wroxham

HATS

I'm sure that HATS would welcome a mention of their forthcoming Barn Dance!

The annual Barn Dance will be on 12th April at the Village Hall, Horning, starting 7.30pm. Tickets are £7.50 each and include a ploughman's supper. HATS have their usual group Small Fry to provide the music.

This is an occasion to bring the kids along as they will love to join in - the caller will tell you what to do (but hardly anyone gets it right so it doesn't matter). It is a really fun evening and one not to miss if you can help it.

For tickets phone either Chris and Julie on 01692 678145 or e-mail hulse510@btinternet.com

Barton Turf Choral Society's Spring Concert on Saturday 12th April at 7pm. in St Michael & All Angels Church Barton Turf (NR12 8YU). The programme includes Schubert's Mass in G and Mozart's Missa Brevis. Entry by programme, which includes refreshments - £12. Children & Students in FTE £6. Tickets in advance from 01603 760669 or on the door.

"Ideas Of Flight". Tuesday 17th June 8pm to 10.30pm St. Benedict's Church Horning to St Benet's Abbey and back to Horning Church via The Missisippi River Boat ‘Southern Comfort’.

The words and music have all be created especially for the occasion and evoke the landscape, buildings and wildlife of the site. The evening commences at Horning Church car park at 8pm. It moves down to the Church staithe and the Mississippi river boat will transfer you to St Benet’s Abbey where music and poetry will be performed at strategic sites, such as inside the mill, at the Cross and at the water’s edge. You will then be returned to Horning Church where the final part of the evening will be performed inside the church. The evening will finish at around 10.30pm.

Please note that this is a non religious event.

If interested, contact Marion Jackson on marion@horningnr12.freeserve.co.uk

Tickets will be available from the end of March. Please visit the Voice Project’s website:  http://www.voiceproject.co.uk/

Campaign to Save Jubilee Hall

Jubilee Hall on Aylsham Road, Norwich, owned by the Royal British Legion is in danger of being closed. If you would like to help the campaign to try and save this very useful facility, please get in touch with Janet on 01603 439554 and she can provide more details.

Member Profile - Edmund Ramsdale

1. What was your first show with ENOS?
The Pirates of Penzance last year. I had been coming to watch ENOS for several years and finally found the courage after my dad nudged me into doing it. I'm so pleased that he did.

2. What was or is your favourite ENOS show and why?
Pirates was enormous fun. I had been a policeman in Pirates in a school production donkey's years ago, but nothing had prepared me for the real thing as it were! The production last year was fabulous and the society was very welcoming (and forgiving of my ham acting!).

3. Your most disliked food.
Baked beans are my bête noire without a doubt. Or possibly I should say bête d'orange.

4. Your favourite film or TV show.
I can't count the number of times I've watched "Withnail & I". Poignant and darkly humoured. It was a great disappointment to discover that The Penrith Tearooms from the film don't exist in reality thereby robbing me of a chance to burst in and utter the film's most memorable line "We want the finest wines available to humanity. And we want them here, and we want them now!".

5. The part you would most like to play on stage (not necessarily G&S but anything, anywhere) or enjoyed playing in the past.
Well I'm thoroughly enjoying the current production which allows me to bellow "Silence in Court" in Trial By Jury (apologies to ear drums). I think playing Bertie Wooster would be top notch, or a part in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (although I doubt if I have the legs for Dr Frank-N-Furter!).

6. Any irritating habits, that is - your own.
Not finishing the last 5% of every DIY job I start. There's a kitchen very nearly tiled, a living room pretty well mostly painted, and a dining room where someone's had a good stab at trying to panel it.

7. Most embarrassing moment.
There are so many it's hard to know where to start. Probably the cleanest one I can think of is when my attempt to jump off an old Routemaster failed to take into account the fundamental principal of inertia. The bus was doing about 20mph when I jumped off the back and physics took charge. Happily for me, but unhappily for them, a large gaggle of tourists made for a soft landing. It was a bit like human 10 pin bowling.

8. Favourite animal.
I hold both cats and dogs in high regard. However, I currently have a cat called Thinley whose brain appears to mainly consists of marbles deficient in quantity, and prior to their loss, quality also.

9 . First musical memory.
That would be a Gang Show with the Beavers in Harleston. The "Good Ship Lollipop" hoves into my memory's view. Not a sea going vessel that I fancy Sir Joseph Porter KCB would have approved of!

10. What did you have for breakfast (day not specified).
Practically always a soft boiled egg and toasted soldiers. There's about twenty egg cups in the kitchen so I feel there's an obligation to get round them all.