Our Story!!!

Our 2001 show: Oklahoma

Every year Fortwilliam have been proud and successful in performing both a theatrical production and a number of concerts, the most important of which have been the Christmas concerts.

1977 Fortwilliam Musical Society is formed!!! The society was purely amateur and was meant to be an interdenominational organisation "to promote choral, operatic and musical productions" in North Belfast. There’s nothing like setting yourself a challenge...but we’ve done well!

The first musical director was a local schoolteacher, Gerry Deignan.

1978 The first show!!! In May 1978, Fortwilliam Musical Society performed Gilbert and Sullivan’s famous "Pirates of Penzance". The show was performed in local school and a local church hall. The orchestra was made up of a number of local school children!

Oh, is there not one maiden here....?

1979 Gilbert and Sullivan’s "The Gondoliers"

1980 Gilbert and Sullivan’s "The Mikado"

1981 J. Strauss’s "Gypsy Baron"

This was another year of firsts for Fortwilliam Musical Society. The new musical director began a run with the society that continues today. This is William Cairns, perhaps Northern Ireland’s most successful and best-loved musical director due to the continuing success of Cavalcade of Song, a massive concert involving all of Northern Ireland’s music societies.

Master of the keyboard - Billy Cairns!

Fortwilliam Musical Society also performed its first of many award winning appearances at the Northern Ireland Festival of Light Opera in Bangor, co. Down. On this occasion, the society received the award for best chorus and M. McGahan won the award for best female voice.

1982 J.Strauss’s "Die Fledermaus"

1983 Gilbert and Sullivan’s "Iolanthe" M. McGahan again won at Bangor Festival, this time as Best Actress.

Rogers and Hammerstein’s "The Sound Of Music" This show saw the beginnings of Fortwilliam’s youth group, one of Northern Ireland’s longest running and most enthusiastic young musical groups!

Fortwilliam Musical Society took part in Cavalcade of Song for the first time and also began their work with Rosemary Church Choir celebrating Easter through choral music.

1984 Schubert’s "Lilac Time"

1985 Bock and Harnick’s "Fiddler on the Roof"

L. Bart’s "Oliver!"

1986 Gilbert and Sullivan’s "Yeoman of the Guard" Again, this won awards at Bangor for Best Actor: E. Huntley and Best Comedian: M. Blair

1987 Offenbach’s "Orpheus in the Underworld" Winner at Bangor for Best Musical Director: W. Cairns and Best Comedian: E. Huntley

1988 Gilbert and Sullivan’s "The Gondoliers": This was the society’s first show in a professional theatre and W. Cairns again won Bangor festival’s award for Best Musical Director

1989 Strouse and Meehan’s "Annie": This, our first show in the Arts theatre, Belfast, won E. McGrath the award for most promising performer and W. Briggs the award for Best Comedienne at Bangor Festival.

1990 Lehar’s "The Merry Widow" which won W. Cairn’s the Bangor award for Best Musical Director.

1991 Gilbert and Sullivan’s "The Mikado" won B. Galloway (Best Supporting Male) and W.Cairns (Best Musical Director) awards at Bangor but brought success to the chorus which won the prestigious recognition of the AIMS adjudicator who awarded us the Best Chorus award for all Ireland.

1992 Rogers and Hammerstein’s "The Sound of Music"

The youth group performed an INCREDIBLY successful production of S. Wilson’s "The Boyfriend". A multi-award winner at several festivals, the youth group achieved Overall Winner at both Derry and Bangor festivals.

1993 "White Horse Inn" which was Overall Winner at Bangor festival.

Another award winning youth group production, this time for Rogers and Hammerstein’s "Oklahoma!"

Laurie and Curley discover love in the Wild West

This year we held our first set of concerts at Ballyearl’s Courtyard Theatre in Newtownabbey which we revisit every Christmas (Book early to avoid disappointment!)

1994 Bock and Harnick’s "Fiddler on the Roof" which was the Overall Winner at Bangor and again individual prizes including Best Producer (P. Kennedy), Best Musical Director (W. Cairns .... AGAIN!), Best Chorus and Best Supporting Actress.

This was also the main society’s first visit to the Waterford Festival for Light Opera.

1995 Lerner and Loewe’s "Brigadoon" which took Bangor’s awards for Best Musical Director (guess who!), Best Supporting Male(J.O'Connor) and Best Chorus.

1996 Rogers and Hammerstein’s "Carousel" won at Bangor again with awards for Best Female Voice to both stars, M. Healey and S. Mullan, Best Actor and Best Male Voice. Mairead Healey also received the AIMS award for Best Female Voice.

1997 Lehar’s "Merry Widow"

1998 J. Strauss’s "Die Fledermaus". This year’s show was a smash hit, perhaps one of the most impressive amateur shows in Northern Ireland for some time. The combination of W. Cairns, T. Finnegan and W. Mairs was excellent and created a superb principal line-up and an incredible chorus. The show came second in the AIMS awards for Best Male Voice (E. O’Hagan), Best Female Voice (H. McCrisken), Best Chorus and surprisingly (??) Best Musical Director (W. Cairns).

Helena McCrisken - Soprano and star of Fortwilliam

1999  The King and I which starred the superb Tony Finnegan and well acclaimed star of many Belfast shows, Ceara Grehan. This show was a great success despite the shock of the closure of the Belfast Civic Arts Theatre only two weeks before we were to go on stage. Thankfully, though at great cost, we were able to perform in a local church hall. The critics and the audience loved us! What...you don't believe me? We did wonderfully at this year's AIMS awards. We were runner's up in the Best Overall Show catagory - the only Northern Irish society to be nominated for this catagory. even more impressive was the Special Adjudicator Award which we received for the suberb ballet scene. We also received the award for best costumes. Congratulations also go to Mairead Weir for her TWO nominations.

2000 Oliver! An ideal show for a new millenium as it celebrated the whole range of talent our society possesses.Once more, we have excelled with an superb show which pleased audiences and critics alike. We were particularly fortunate to have the great talent of Father Eugene O'Hagan as Fagin. For a taste of one of the best stories ever written why not read some Charles Dickens

2001 Oklahoma We return to St Kevin's Hall!! See the photos of the show!