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The Little Piper 1967
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A picture taken in 1967 by the Derby Evening Telegraph of one of the school plays, entitled The Little Piper. Graeme Miller believes that his only claim to 'worthy cause for fame' (as the school song goes) was to play the role of said Little Piper. He is the innocent 1st former with the recorder.
Remembering The Little Piper, Howard Sprenger writes "My memory is jogged by looking through several back issues of "Beech Leaves"...
"Based on a story by Derbyshire author Alison Uttley, the libretto was written by the music teacher, Mr J.M. Brentnall, who set it to Hungarian folk music, including arrangements by Kodaly and Bartok. The opera was performed on 16th, 17th and 18th March 1967 along with "The Play of Daniel" to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the opening of the school. The main players were:
Bela: Graeme Miller, Farmer:Gordon Macara
Mother: Carole Redfern, Performing Bear: Ian Hague
Sebastian: David Bostock, Lamb: Jill Barnfather
Maira: Jane Chandler, Dog: Michael Colinese
Karl: Brian Wilson, Cat: Danusia Kowolik
Anna: Deborah Hanstock, Bee: Petra Harrison
Magda: Pauline Beckwith, Spider: John Goodwin
Miliza: Janet Young, Hen: Howard Sprenger
"Looking at the photograph, I would hazard the following guesses:
"Humans (L to R): Deborah Hanstock, Pauline Beckwith, ???, ???
(behind Bela - might be Carole Redfern), Graeme Miller, David Bostock, Brian Wilson? (bending), Gordon Macara? (with pipe)
Animals (L to R): John Goodwin (Spider), Michael Colinese (Dog), Danusia
Kowolik (Cat), Jill Barnfather (Lamb), Howard Sprenger (Hen), Petra Harrison (Bee).
"People say this was one of my finest roles, and my achievement in laying an egg brought the house down - so much so that I was asked to repeat the performance at parties for many years thereafter. A contemporary (parent) critic wrote: "The animals were highly appealing and if I had to pick and choose I should commend in particular the Hen and the Cat. The Bear was very formidable but I thought he was an Icthyosaurus until I looked in my programme."
"The performances brought in £173 7s 5d, which after expenses had been taken out yielded a profit of £61 2s 9d - enough to pay for two teachers for a year and a bottle of sherry for "The Beak's" hospitality cupboard. I suddenly feel very old."
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 | 1960s |
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