Thank you for turning your mobile phones to silent before we start this evening’s production. An Amateur Production by arrangement with R & H Theatricals Europe. Please note that the licence granted to school productions of The Sound of Music unfortunately does not permit us to make an official recording. The Sound of Music Thank you for joining us at St John’s College this evening for our performance of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music. It has been a great privilege to prepare our girls and boys for this magnificent production and to witness the remarkable journey our pupils have experienced since our first rehearsals last summer. We would like to thank and congratulate all our pupils, parents and staff for their splendid team effort, and on behalf of the entire cast and St John’s College, please may I express our thanks and congratulations to our inspirational director Mr Malcolm Harding. Dr David Neville would have been so pleased to be with us this evening to see our pupils taking part in a project which is so intrinsically good, uplifting and fulfilling. These wonderful children have experienced something very special here, and they should all feel extremely proud of their collective and personal development and all that they have achieved during these thirteen months. Thank you for all your prayers and support and we wish you a very happy summer holiday. Dominic Neville Synopsis Rodgers and Hammerstein’s final collaboration, The Sound of Music, has become one of the world’s favourite productions. Based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family, it depicts a personal tale of love and hope despite the impending horrors of the Second World War. The context of the Anschluss (union) between Germany and Hitler’s homeland, Austria, runs throughout the play with its 1938 setting: Hitler had encouraged Nazi supporters to create trouble so that he could respond to calls for help by marching in his troops to “bring order”. The Sound of Music is dominated by the young, free-spirited postulant Maria Rainer, who has trouble adapting to the strict rules of Nonnberg Abbey. Commissioned by the Mother Abbess to serve as the governess for seven motherless children, Maria has an immediate impact on the Von Trapp household, transforming it from a regime of impersonal rules and regulations to one filled with love and laughter expressed through music. Thus, Maria wins the love of all seven children - and of their widower father, Captain Von Trapp. With the Mother Abbess’s blessing, and to the delight of the children, Maria follows her heart, and she and the Captain are married. However, on returning home from their honeymoon, their fears are confirmed: their beloved Austria has been taken over by the Nazis, and the retired Captain is ordered to report immediately for duty with the German Fleet. Soon the Nazis arrive to take Captain Von Trapp, but a family festival concert performance (negotiated by their wily friend Max) buys them the time to make a daring escape. Austrian patriotism compels Maria, the Captain, and the seven children to flee over the Alps to safety in Switzerland, taking the words of the Mother Abbess quite literally: “Climb Every Mountain… till you find your dream”. Originally devised a straightforward play by Lindsay and Crouse and featuring songs from the actual repertoire of the Trapp Family Singers, once Rodgers and Hammerstein were involved, today’s familiar full-scale musical soon ensued. Some details were altered but Georg von Trapp did live with his family in a villa near Salzburg and wrote to the Nonnberg Abbey asking for a nun to help tutor his sick daughter. The real Maria and Georg married at the Abbey in 1927 but the musical version has Maria as governess to all of the children and the von Trapps escaping on foot on the eve of war rather than the truth of their leaving some years later and rather less romantically - by train! The Sound of Music’s success was instantaneous, from the original Broadway production that opened in 1959, winning five Tony Awards, followed by the first London production of 1961 and almost constant revivals ever after as well as the 1965 film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, winner of five Academy Awards. In 1981, Petula Clark starred in a record-breaking revival of the show in London's West End with Maria von Trapp herself present at the opening night performance and it continues to fill theatres across the world: South Korean, South African, Spanish and Thai language productions have recently played and the show was further highlighted when a new Maria, Connie Fisher, was chosen by the public via the BBC talent contest, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, which led to a hugely successful UK tour featuring artists such as as Michael Praed, Jason Donovan and Lesley Garret. Synopsis by Nicholas Cooper The Sound of Music Cast Wednesday 6 July Thursday 7 July Friday 8 July Maria Alessia Mahoney Alessia Mahoney Ashleigh Patrick Captain Benedict Dimond Madeline Constable Benedict Dimond Gretl Evie Hurn Evie Hurn Evie Hurn Marta Catrin Dimond Catrin Dimond Catrin Dimond Brigitta Isabelle Lugsdin Charlotte West Isabelle Lugsdin Kurt Finn Mitchell Finn Mitchell Finn Mitchell Louisa Ellie South Ellie South Ellie South Friedrich Ben Cook Joseff Morris Ben Cook Liesl Georgia Wink Georgia Wink Georgia Wink Rolf Robert Field Rowan Downie Robert Field Baroness Elsa von Schraeder Katie Davies Stephanie Monti Stephanie Monti Max Leon Shen Leon Shen Leon Shen Mother Abbess Hannah Watkin Hannah Watkin Hannah Watkin Sister Berthe Namitha Michael Namitha Michael Namitha Michael Sister Margaretta Morgan Gould Morgan Gould Morgan Gould Sister Sophia Anna Aravindan Anna Aravindan Anais Fisher Franz the Butler Jack Aldridge Jack Aldridge Jack Aldridge Herr Zeller Morgan Rees Morgan Rees Morgan Rees Baron Elberfeld Joseff Morris Idris Kriker Joseff Morris Baroness Elberfeld Isabella Howell Isabella Howell Isabella Howell Frau Schmidt Annalisa Albuquerque Emily Shaw Emily Davies A Postulant Anais Fisher Anais Fisher Anna Aravindan Sister Agnes Thamizhni Eswarathasan Thamizhni Eswarathasan Thamizhni Eswarathasan Admiral Idris Kriker Idris Kriker Idris Kriker Lieutenant Jack Knight Jack Knight Jack Knight Ball Guests: Jack Knight, Alex Widnall, Ben Davies, Purva Chandratreya, Rosie Matthews, Isabella Howell, Thamizhni Eswarathasan, Emily Davies and Emily Shaw. Chamber Orchestra for The Sound of Music Strings: Marisa Wall, Nicky Ng, Menglin Li, Hee-Chan Kang, Ji-Eun Kang, Alif Aziz, Nadiyah Hancock, Jasmine Son, Rhian Howells, Dominie Patel, Elizabeth French, Harini Somasekar, Kyle Patterson, Hannah Grimley, Woodwind: Sophie Hale, Jennifer Hodge, Mehak Sakhuja, Marco Aldridge, Rachel Lawrie, Emily Moseley, David Griffith, Emma Tanner, Benedict Dimond, Brass: Ben Andrews, Wyn Howells, Anne Davies, Matthew Leach, Shirley Howman, The full 70-piece Concert Orchestra of St John’s College Michael Lingham, performing movements from Rachmaninov Piano Concerto Number Two at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford Our Choristers singing at El Escorial, Spain Page Turners: Joseph Morris, Jacob Vincent. Musical Director Dominic Neville Director Malcolm Harding Conductor Diana Neville Producer Graham Goode Musical Assistants Rachel Lawrie and Marisa Wall Costumes Helen Evans, Michelle Armour and Eleanor Tomlinson Props and Stage Management Maureen Bridge, Nicholas Cooper, Elizabeth Staples, Graham Goode and John Morgan Dance Choreographer Jo Gordon-Smith Make-up Peng Tieu, Dominique Lhermitte and Michelle Armour Scenery Clare Crowley-Davies and Michelle Armour Box Office and Tickets Anna Moreton, Chris Sturges, Linda Meatyard and Gillian Lewis Thank you also to SoundBase, Imre Kondura, Wyn Howells, Jack Knight, Joshua Johnson, Harriet Banks, Rui Lee and our staff and pupils for their help and support. St John’s College St John’s College continues to mourn the sudden and unexpected loss of Dr David Neville who passed away in April of this year. He dedicated his life’s work to the creation of St John’s College and the development of the Cathedral Choir: it would have given him great pleasure to be with us this Our Concert Orchestra performing its annual Spring Concert evening. Under his leadership, the school was formed in 1987 and rapidly grew from a pupil base of 85 girls and boys aged 3 to 11 in seven modest classrooms to this magnificent school of 500 pupils aged 3 to 18 with an established reputation as one of Wales’ leading independent schools. St John’s College maintains the highest ranking A-level record of all schools in Wales over sixteen years and has over several years been listed as the top performing school in Wales in The Sunday Times ‘Parent Power’ based on combined GCSE and A-level performance. For thirty-five years David Neville held the honorary position of Director of Music and Organist at the Metropolitan Cathedral. It is during this time that the choir established its fine reputation, as recognised by the Anglican Archbishop of Wales Award for Church Music which was awarded to David Neville in 1997, chaired by the esteemed director Dr George Guest CBE. Our GCSE and Sixth Form Choral Scholars Upon Dr Neville’s appointment as a Papal Knight in received standing ovations for their December 2015, Canon Peter Collins, Dean of the performances in Madrid Metropolitan Cathedral, announced: “On behalf of the Cathedral Community I extend our warmest congratulations to Dr David Neville KSG upon receiving a Papal Knighthood within the Order of St Gregory from His Holiness Pope Francis. The honour has been bestowed in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the life of the Archdiocese over the past thirty-five years through Annual sixth form and staff cricket, his role as Director of Music and Organist at this Metropolitan netball, and football matches Cathedral Church of Saint David.