Musicals
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The Society was formed under the musical direction of Arnold Williams with the intention of broadening the local musical repertoire. The inaugral performance of the Society was held on the 26th September 1928 at the Central Hall, Southampton. SMS performed Haydn's The Creation following the established choral tradition. This was followed a year later with Handel's Messiah.
For the next 20 years the Society continued in the main to perform one major show a year, performing in a series of venues following the aftermath of the war. SMS could be seen in 1951 at the Royal Pier Pavilion with Countess Maritza and in 1953 at the Plaza Theatre (which was converted to the Meridian TV Studios at Northam, Southampton) for our silver jubilee production of Merry England.
Gone are the days of huge choruses and orchestras and a large regular local following. Although smaller in number, SMS continues to evolve with enthusiasm moving forward and meeting changing tastes and lifestyles. Without doubt, the next 25 years will be challenging. We will continue to be under huge pressure competing with professional companies and experiencing rising costs, but rest assured, SMS will be doing all it can to keep amateur musical theatre alive in Southampton.
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