Lavish shows raised church funds
LAST month, in Bugle 1511 and 1512, we featured some early photographs of the Trinity Operatic Society from the 1930s.
Bugle reader Phil Jones has done some research into this Wolverhampton amateur operatic group and he has kindly shared his findings with us.
Phil writes, “The Trinity Methodist Church in Compton Road, Wolverhampton, was founded in 1862, and soon became the largest Methodist Church in the west of the town.
Demolished
“It was finally demolished in 1976, with only the war memorial acting as a reminder of its location. The remarkable brass ‘Angel’ lectern also survives and can be seen at the foot of the stairs in Bantock House. This had been presented to the church in 1919, a generous donation by Mr Bayliss.
“However, the most enduring legacy of Trinity is the Amateur Operatic Company.
“Back in 1935, the Adult
Education Booklet shows a large number of activities as part of the Trinity Wesley Guild. The sub-groups were Devotional, Literary, and Musical. In 1936, a spin-off activity was created. Two members, Leslie and Bessie Hayward decided to stage a work by Gilbert and Sullivan, as a means of raising Church Funds.
“The stage at Trinity was too small, so it was decided to mount the production at St Paul’s Church Hall. The first production was of Iolanthe followed by The Mikado in 1937. In 1938, the brand-new Wulfrun Hall became available, and Trinity were the first amateur society to stage a performance. Their production of The Gondoliers was the last pre-war operetta.
“Post-war activities resumed, and in 1946, the Company put on a production of Iolanthe at the smaller Wulfrun Hall. Every year thereafter, a G&S operetta was put on, with HMS Pinafore being the choice for 1953.
“When Trinity Church was demolished in 1976, rehearsals were relocated to the Bannister Hall in St Mark’s Road. Two years later, the Company moved again, this time to St Columba’s Church in Castlecroft Road. Tuesday was rehearsal night.
“In 1988, the Company hit the headlines when £1,000 was raised for charity. The event was no less than a marathon performance of all 13 Gilbert and Sullivan operettas taking place. The record 26 hours was undertaken at Fallings Park Methodist Church.”
Light Opera
We have another picture in the Bugle Collection from the early days of the Trinity Operatic Society. It is undated but we think it is from a production of The Rebel Maid, a romantic light opera by Montague Phillips, Gerald Dodson and Alexander M. Thompson. The show was first staged in London in 1921 and the action is set in Torbay at the time of William of Orange’s invasion of England
in 1688.
A second picture shows cast member Norman Plimmer in his costume for the Trinity production.
Norman and his wife Olive were both founder members of the group and appeared in their earliest productions. At the time, the couple lived in Trysull Road and we think this picture of Norman was taken in their garden.
The society is still active today and in 2015 changed its name to the Trinity Musical Theatre Company. Before the Covid pandemic the company staged one show a year at the Dormston Mill Theatre in Sedgley and recent productions have included Annie (2019), The Wizard of Oz (2018), Return to the Forbidden Planet (2017) and The Witches of Eastwick (2016).