ALGSS win international award at 2004 Buxton Festival

Award winning local theatre group, Abbots Langley Gilbert and Sullivan Society (ALGSS), are celebrating after achieving international recognition for their recent production of “Iolanthe” at the glorious Buxton Opera House.
 
Competing against the cream of G&S societies from the UK and beyond, ALGSS came up trumps gaining nominations for ‘Best Musical Director’, ‘Most Traditional Opera’, ‘Best Concerted Item’ and ‘Best Costumes’. The evening climaxed when ALGSS Chairman, Brenda Southorn stepped onto the stage at the opera house to receive the coveted NODA plate, a magnificent silver salver, for winning the ‘Best Concerted Item’ category for the Peers Chorus. Brenda was handed the award by Thomas Round, a legendary tenor from the world famous D'Oly Carte Opera Company and Vice President of ALGSS. He commented that it was a “particular pleasure to award the prize to Abbots Langley”.
 
Gaining a nomination for ‘Best Musical Director’ at the prestigious festival is a particularly special achievement and Philip Joslin received a late night phone call in Hungary to let him know of his triumph and said, “I am very honoured to have been nominated for best MD and especially while working with ALGSS who have shown what high standards they can achieve. Thanks must go to the whole company for all their hard work. It resulted in a terrific performance and they were a joy to conduct at Buxton”.
 
ALGSS are riding high and looking forward to starting rehearsals in September for their next show; ‘The Yeomen of the Guard’ with Julia Rufey directing and Philip Joslin taking up the baton once more as musical director. It is the darkest and the most dramatic of the G&S opera’s and the group are thrilled to be returning to their spiritual home, the Watford Palace Theatre, to perform the piece 14th -19th February 2005.
 
If you would like to join this international award winning group, ALGSS are holding an open evening for prospective new members at 7.45pm on Monday, 13th September at the Methodist Hall in Abbots Langley.  Membership Secretary, Jonquil Willcock, will be on hand to welcome you and you will have a chance to chat to members over coffee, as well as joining in with the singing. You don’t have to be an experienced performer; enthusiasm and a sense of humour are more important attributes! For further information contact Jonquil at membership@algss.org.uk, call her on 07905 97 08 86 or log on to algss.org.uk