On November 25, 1951, the Galway Literary and Debating Society hosted a lecture by Dr Louis Evers on the composer Verdi. In seconding the motion of thanks, the Patrician Brother, Bro Cuthbert, said: “The present seems a fit time for Galway to step into the musical world. It would be a fine tribute to the subject of tonight’s lecture if a musical society were formed”. The Patrician Brothers' Past Pupils' Union took up this idea, and on February 29, 1952, the Patrician Choral Society was formed.
Their first rehearsal took place on March 5. Bro Cuthbert acted as choir master and conductor at rehearsals in the Old Mon, and one of those who attended, Tess Emerson, is happily still with us. At that time, every church in Galway had a choir, and most of those who joined the new society were members of church choirs. By April 9, an orchestra was formed, and the group were known as the Patrician Musical Society.
On this day, May 14, in 1952, their first public recital took place in the Railway Hotel and featured a chorus of about 60 and 12 instrumentalists. There were outstanding soloists, including John Tierney, Pat Long, Mary Angela Kyne, Ita Brennan, Imelda Cribben and Reggie Dooney. The evening was a huge success, and all concerned now turned their attention to their first musical show, Maritana.
This took place in the Town Hall in March 1953. There was huge enthusiasm but also some serious drawbacks – the stage crew could make no preparations until the cinema audience had left the theatre after the last show on Sunday night; the cinema screen had to be rolled up and the props, the sets and the scenery, which of necessity had to be constructed elsewhere, were brought in by PJ Ruane; the tab rail, which carried the tabs behind the main curtain, was carried by members of the men’s chorus over from An Taidhbhearc while some of the women’s chorus warned the traffic. There were no dress rehearsals.
The production was a huge success … the foundation from which the society grew. It was produced by Maureen Filbin who came from the North, the principals were Mary Angela Kyne, Patty Long, Sonny Molloy, Vincent Kyne, Gerry Glynn and Tommy Lynskey; Dodo Courtney played the piano and coached the principals; Brother Cuthbert conducted; Noreen Warner led the orchestra; stage management was by Brother Maurice and Seán Beatty; John Mulhern painted the sets; Dick Kilgarriff did the lighting and Peg Grealish was the wardrobe mistress.
Boosted by the popularity of the show, the society produced Michael Balfe’s opera The Bohemian Girl and also Verdi’s Il Trovatore the following year. In 1955 they selected La Traviata, in 1956 it was Martha and in 1957, The Pirates of Penzance, and the following year they staged Guonod’s Faust. The 1959 production was Carmen, in 1960 it was La Traviata and it was followed by Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci, then Il Trovatore in 1963. Their annual production was always something to look forward to and they put on an opera or a musical every year until fairly recently. The costs of production eventually became too much, so the society disbanded some years ago but they are still remembered with great affection.
To mark the occasion, we have three photographs for you today. The first is Sonny Molloy on stage in the role of Don Caesar De Bazan, the second is of Tommy Lydon, vice-president of the society together with Mary Angela Kyne who played Maritana, and Sonny Molloy. Our third image is of some members of the gentlemen’s and ladies choruses. They are, from the left: Maura Maloney, ‘Bruiser’ Hennessy, Tess Walsh, Paddy Corcoran, Dolores Kelly, Maurice O’Connell and Anna Kineen. In front are ----, Noreen Flaherty and Michael Heaslip.
