THE SOCIETY A few questions and answers

What's in a name? It's a bit of a mouthful but most call us "Our Lady's Opera". If you ever have the urge to write us a cheque, though, "OLHSFPALOS" is our unpronouncable acronym. What do we do? We present musical shows in Motherwell, Scotland and some concerts. What and how often? We normally present two "big shows" a year, in May and November. Initially, pre-World War II light opera predominated, but in the '90s we added post-war musicals and revues. A full list appears on the "History" page.Concerts are usually performed for organisations and charities. What is the make-up of the Society? We're fortunate to have a well-balanced chorus. Our membership was largely made up of the "mature" but in recent years we have been delighted to welcome a new generation. We have a number of excellent principals and usually cast shows "from within". We've about 70 performing members registered, with 35 - 50 on stage in most shows. New members, especially men, are always welcome. Exclusively for FPs? The Society was founded as part of the (now defunct) Our Lady's High School Former Pupils Association. At that time the school was "all-boys" and certain ladies, "wives, daughters, sisters and (sic) established girl-friends of former pupils" were allowed to join, allowing all-gender casting. Soon, members were recruited from outside the "Our Lady's" community and for many years the Society has been open to all with the desire and ability to contribute to musical theatre, on stage or behind the scenes. Full details on joining are on the "join us" page What's it like to be a member? We try to make everyone welcome in the Society, which people often remark has a strong "family-feeling" to it. As in the best families, despite occasional disagreement, we care about each other and do our best to help each other succeed. Our "drop-out" rate is relatively low. What about "behind the scenes"? We have a stage crew and welcome approaches from anyone interested in this side of things - especially from those with experience. Contact the Secretary. Our large "Front of house" team ensures our patrons are well looked after before, during and after the show. We have other non-performing members who take on essential jobs, working hard and long without the reward of applause. How is the Society run? Democratically, with Office Bearers and a committee operating under the terms of a constitution. Do you do charity work? The Marian Trust is our own charity, whose set-up enables us to contribute every year to charities suggested by members and friends. Since shows sometimes run at a loss, the Trust receives contributions from the Society in "good years" and from supporters who purchase refundable bonds. These earn no interest for the owner. The fund is invested to produce an annual income from which donations are made. If you would like to find out more, contact the Marian Trust secretary, Moira Bradley, 110 Mill Road, Motherwell, ML1 1LL (tel: 01698 269196) Many of the concerts we perform are in support of other charities. We belong to District 5 of the Scottish region of the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA) which provides assistance and training in all aspects of theatre. It comprises over 2000 amateur theatre groups throughout the UK.