By: HAA Admin
The Awards were presented by The Deputy Mayor 2019 Councillor Teji Barnes at the AGM on 9th July 2019
Photos by Steven Davis. Copies of the photos from the Secretary
HAA AWARD was presented to Kate Patterson
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Since joining Hillingdon Musical Society 13 years ago Kate has become a stalwart of the company wearing numerous hats and is a real “doer” for the society.
Over the years Kate has enjoyed various chorus and supporting roles including Brenda in Witches of Eastwick and Mrs Bumble in our 80th Anniversary Production of “Oliver” at the Beck Theatre.
Kate loves to be fully involved in shows giving hours of time to produce many shows for our society, both for full cast and for our Youth Theatre Group. Kate has been especially pivotal in the success of our Teens section, now called the Kenny Frier Youth Theatre, after our late Teens director.
Kate is adored by the teens in the shows, looking after them like her own, not only undertaking all the duties of a producer but often also catering for the whole junior cast at late rehearsals and show nights with company renowned cakes. Kate provide much moral support when Kenny die and along with our musical Director gave support, strength and motivation to complete the show “Sunshine on Leith” the same week as the funeral of their young director. She has since worked with this same group of children to put on an award winning production of “Just So”, gaining the cast the NODA London Youth Award and preforming last year at the awards to much acclaim.
Kate has also given years of service on the committee, both as a committee member and then Secretary. She is always one of the first persons to offer help with activities, shows and fundraising and has hosted many a wonderful after show cast party. Kate is generous in time and spirit and she can always be found at the heart of Hillingdon Musical Society events.
HAA AWARD was presented to Blake Guyan
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Blake joined Hillingdon Musical Society in 2015 as a chorus member but since his arrival has proved to be so much more than this.
Blake is a very unassuming man, amazingly talented but incredible modest. As time has gone on we have realised that if you need a job doing Blake is always willing, he is able to turn his hand to almost anything.
In 2017 when our society suddenly lost a staunch member Mr Kenny Frier, with a brain tumour, while he was directing the HMS teens show “Sunshine on Lieth” and one of the main lead had to drop out, Blake took on the role with only a week’s rehearsal. He learnt the script and dance steps. He hardly dropped a line throughout the week, needless to say, he gained hero status from all the teenagers who took to the stage beside him at this very difficult time. The adults and children were determined that the show should go on.
Having proved his worth on stage Blakes many other talents came to the fore in our next production “Little Shop of Horrors”. For this we required plants that move, one by remote control and the second one with the use of a puppeteer. Many groups hire a set of plants, but Blake with his expertise and help from Hobbycraft made a delightful small plant that works by remote control. He operated it during every performance as well as being in the show.
The large Audrey 2 we had hired arrived in such a dilapidated state the director was thinking he would have to hire another costing £1000. Blake came to the rescue he spent many hours working on it adding bits adapting and perfecting the plant so she not only worked properly to eat her prey at the appropriate times but also looked a triumph on stage.
With both these success behind him you would think it was time to take a break but he then embarked on the complicated job of learning about web design so he can give our website a face lift and make it more user friendly and easy to update. He has spent many hours on this adapting the site as needed and keeping it up to date.
Whilst still taking on lead and chorus roles Blake is now our programme designer too creating wonderful programmes for our shows.. All this and never any expectation of reward and thanks. Blake is really an unsung hero of our society and we feel he deserves this Award in recognition of his work for the society on and off the stage.
The MICHAEL CRAXTON AWARD was presented to Jenny Thorne
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Jenny has always been interested in arts and crafts, so when she went to teacher training college, she chose to do Primary Education, specialising in Arts and Crafts. After qualifying, she worked for the then LCC but came to work in Hillingdon in 1963 and worked for the Borough until she had to take early retirement in 1990. She worked in various schools in the Borough for the last 22 years in special education. Jenny always tried to give her pupils a love of arts and crafts, and her classroom walls were always colourful with children’s work.
When she retired and wanted something to do, she enrolled at Harrow Weald College to do City & Guilds cake decorating Part 1 & 2. When she finished that, she went to Windsor College and did City & Guilds Patchwork Part 1&2. When she finished these courses she joined the Townswomens’ Guild and started to run classes for the members in Arts and Crafts and helped to organise inter Guild arts and craft competitions She then became more interested in embroidery so again did City & Guilds in embroidery and Stumpwork and joined the Harrow and Hillingdon Embroiderers’ Guild for many years organising their Day Schools.
Jenny gives talks to groups about patchwork and embroidery, especially about their history. She is always willing to pass her skill and knowledge to others.
In 2005 Jenny joined Hillingdon Arts Association to represent Townswomens’ Guild and after a year she joined the committee and in 2007 became the Awards Chairman. She also provides the refreshments for the Quarterly Meetings.
HAA AWARD was presented to Leigh Smith
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Leigh joined Hillingdon Choral Society over 25 years ago. He has been a true stalwart of the tenor section until his retirement from singing in 2018 when he felt age had caught up with him.
During his time with the choir he has been a member of the committee and taking on the responsibility of being librarian, a very difficult job, sourcing scores from different libraries, issuing music to the choir members, dealing with problems and requests. Then collecting music in and chasing people who did not return their music on time and finally getting the scores back to the right places. These tasks have to be repeated three times a year.
Leigh is also a talented writer and he has produced a number of synopses of musicals and other works to be presented to the audience at concerts in order to help them understand the storyline and plots which the choir and soloists are singing about. Sometimes his work was presented by others and a number of occasions he would present them himself in addition to singing in the choir.
There have also been times when he has read poems in concerts with a real professional touch using his own stage experiences.
HAA AWARD was presented to Dorothy Vickery
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It was during the early part of 1985 that three people, Gillian Vickery, Annette Pearson and Peter Williams got together to discuss the possibility of forming what we now know as Hillingdon Philharmonic Orchestra.
There was no other orchestra in Hillingdon for those who had completed their time with the Music School and had not gone to university. For those playing an orchestral instrument ,who wanted to play with others, it was necessary to go out of Borough. In the Autumn of 1985 Hillingdon Philharmonic Orchestra was born. For the first year it was run by the three previously mentioned but after that a committee was formed and everything became formal, including membership of the Hillingdon Arts Association through the Uxbridge Guild of Arts.
It is three years later in 1988 that we find a particular important telephone number on the flyer advertising the concerts. In those days it was known as Ruislip 674223. At the end of that telephone line was Dorothy Vickery, mum of the first secretary.
Now the number is 01895 674223, 31 years later, Dorothy is still answering the ,phone, taking orders for tickets, receiving cheques through the post and keeping helpful records of all the ticket sales.
We would like to thank her for fulfilling this role for a staggering 31 years and hope that she will continue. We are not expecting another 31 years but certainly we hope for plenty more.
HAA AWARD was presented to Sandy Symons
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Sandy joined Hillingdon Choral Society in 1982, 37 years ago. She has been a very loyal member taking part in all the concerts and concert tours. In 2003 after the untimely death of our Concert Secretary, Sandy, as an elected member of the committee took on this role until her retirement in 2018.
Her duties included dealing with contracts for soloist, collecting their biographies for the programme, sorting out transport if required and making sure they were welcomed and looked after on concert days. A further nice touch was to write a thank you for taking part in the concert. Sandy also dealt with communications and reporting to Making Music and various other things from sorting out the Society Christmas tree to hosting meetings.
In addition to her role as Concert Secretary she took on the co-ordination of all the paperwork for four concert tours undertaken by the Choral Society, collecting money from participants, writing letters and making lists. A mammoth task while dealing in some cases with over a hundred people. Holland 2004, France 2007, Belgium 2010 and France 2013.
Sandy has many skills and her interest and concern for members of the society was very prominent during her time as Concert Secretary and continues now as she still sings with the Society.