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In 1972, R. H. King/Scarborough Collegiate was celebrating its 50th anniversary. I met Nan and Bill Bates in the
course of the afternoon and they mentioned that the St. Peter’s Choral Society, which Nan directed and in which
Bill took the tenor leads, needed a new pianist, since their original accompanist had moved out to Calgary.
They suggested I come and see their production of "Yeomen of the Guard." So Barb and I and our friends, Dick
and Doreen Dean, duly attended.
It was like old home. Some of the cast, like Nan, went back to the days when my dad took Gwen and me to see
the G. and S. productions at Scarborough Collegiate, or the days when we actually took part in the shows
ourselves. Others had been part of the cast in the St. Aiden’s productions in the Beach during the early 1960s,
directed by Nan’s brother, John Ricciardelli, who would call me in to play for the
performances, so that he could conduct. John and I were also part of the chorus for G. and S. productions during my years at Victoria College,
U.of T., and the Ontario College of Education in the 1950s.
So I signed up! And, except for a break in 1991, when I was chairing a major province-wide student Classics
Conference a week before showtime, I’ve been here ever since. Until 1996, my high-school class-mate, Nan (by
then remarried to another Bill - Wells), was our lady-high-everything in directing the
shows. She and I shared a fondness for snappy tempos and extra dance music! At rehearsals and shows we could almost anticipate what
the other was thinking. That was not always true about the words, music, and actions of those on stage!
My "favourite" nightmare, interestingly, is from a performance of "The Gondoliers" at Laurier C . I. in 1983.
During the Gavotte near the end of the show, everyone except Colin MacPhee, the Duke, forgot words, music,
and action all at the same time. I have no idea what I played on the piano until they all somehow moved back to
where they were supposed to be and finished the number. John Ricciardelli, who knows all the shows
thoroughly, came up afterwards and was still trying to figure out how we had survived. His North Toronto shows
use full orchestra. This was one occasion where a single piano was an advantage!
Until 1975, the shows were performed in the hall at St. Peter’s Anglican Church. Dressing rooms and gathering
area were in the basement. Entrances had to be made from stage right, or by running behind the back curtains
over to stage left. Lighting was all done from regular wall switches at the back of the hall. "Ruddigore", in 1975,
required a complete blackout in Act 2 for the ancestral portraits to "come to life." Invariably the lights went out
too late or came on too early. Perhaps that is why we moved to Thomson the following year!
The Society has been blessed with many fine soloists over the years. I cannot name them all. I must, however,
mention the most notorious, Jack Jeffery. He has played both baritone and tenor roles with equal mangling of
words and music, but always so confidently that you were sure he was right! Ask Clarke or Nadine about the
challenges of playing on stage with Jack. And if John Ricciardelli was in the audience (he laughed at anything
Jack did), forget it!
Jack, like Nan and myself, and Sheila Snelgrove, a superb soloist, was a Scarborough C. I. grad. There was
always a moment in "Ruddigore", during the comedy duet, "I Once Was A Very Abandoned Person," when the
entire production was being handled by four old S. C. I. types, a tribute to the positive influence of our
extra-curricular activities there.
The Society has been a real family affair. Barb joined the cast when our children were old enough to leave at
home. Then they joined cast and crew, too. We have made life-long friends from people we met for the first time
here. Happy memories include summer parties at Bill and Marg Chick’s, playing a grand piano in full regalia for
our 25th anniversary production in 1990, and sharing the pride when Nan Wells was named Scarborough’s
Citizen of the Year in 1992 (nominated by the Society).
In 1990 I also organized a summer tour to Gilbert and Sullivan Land, where we visited sites associated with the
team or Society members. In Mansfield, Peggy Clarke had arranged for us to entertain at her old church. We felt
guilty at our late arrival, but not quite as guilty when we discovered that no one had unlocked the piano! In
Huddersfield, the local G. and S. Society feted us with an evening of singing and dining together. Here Peggy
performed her famous "’Ole in the Road" recitation. We completed our visit with a two-night stay at Grim’s
Dyke, just north of London. Gilbert’s old estate is now a hotel. On our last evening we enjoyed dinner while being
entertained with excepts from a number of the operettas. Even Gilbert’s "ghost" paid a visit.
In addition to the camaraderie for which the Society has always been noted, I do enjoy the challenge of playing
the piano score (difficult, but possible) and acting as the accompanying "orchestra." I know there are some who
come to the shows to see me bow while still playing the piano. However, I believe that most come to hear the
singing. If you notice the accompanist, it’s usually because he’s done something wrong. And that I would never
do! Well, hardly ever!
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