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A Short History of PHEOS Musical Players Beginnings It all started way back in 1922, when Frederick J. Jenkins wrote a letter which was duly published in the then Harrow Observer and Gazette, regretting the absence of a body to co-ordinate the many musical talents in the district and inviting a response from those interested. The response to that article was such that the Pinner Operatic Society was formed and gave its first performance, that of "The Pirates of Penzance", under his baton, in the Free Church Hall, Paines Lane, Pinner, in April 1923. Frederick Jenkins would continue as the Society's Musical Director for 39 years until his death in 1962. A New Name As the Society grew in stature over the years, larger halls had to be found. The move in 1931 to St Anselm's Church Hall in Hatch End justified a change of name and the Society became "The Pinner and Hatch End Operatic Society", now better known as PHEOS, its acronym brought into use in the late seventies. With the exception of the war years, the Society staged its annual productions at St Anselm's until 1954 when it was at last able to move to a larger and better equipped, purpose-designed performance venue with seating to accommodate a much larger audience than they had enjoyed hitherto - the then new Great Hall of Blackwell School (now Hatch End High School) in Headstone Lane. A New Home By 1985 Hatch End High School was undergoing a much-needed refurbishment and was no longer available for the Society's use. There being no other suitable premises in the Borough of Harrow, PHEOS needed a proper theatre for their next production, and were fortunate in securing a place at the Watersmeet Theatre, Rickmansworth. PHEOS's first performance at this new venue was Gilbert and Sullivan's "Ruddigore", and will long be remembered by those who took part. On the second night, there was a tremendous thunderstorm outside, which could easily be heard in the theatre. During Act Two, while Roderic was singing, "When the night wind howls", the rain poured down onto the roof of the theatre, drowned out the orchestra and certainly added atmosphere to the performance! Since moving to Watersmeet, the Society has gone from strength to strength, both artistically and financially. Being able to perform in a full-size theatre with professional facilities has enabled us to fulfull our ambitions to put on shows of the highest standard and reach a wider audience. However, links with Pinner and Hatch End still remain strong today, as in 1922, through the weekly company rehearsals at St. Anselm's Church Hall in Hatch End. A New Repertoire PHEOS members have always thrived on performing a varied musical repertoire, from choral works to American musicals, in concert or semi-staged shows, but until 1992 the main annual production was always selected from the works of W.S.Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan. Over the years the Society has staged the whole canon of G & S comic operas, from the almost unknown "The Grand Duke" and "Utopia Limited" to those regularly performed crowd pleasers such as "Mikado", "Gondoliers" and the ever-popular "Pirates of Penzance". In 1992, to set itself new challenges PHEOS broke with this long established tradition and decided that every so often something other than G & S would be presented. The fruits of this decision have resulted in a wide increase in repertoire, including very successful productions of "Orpheus in the Underworld" and "La Belle Helene" (Offenbach), "Carmen" (Bizet), "The Merry Widow" (Lehar) and "Die Fledemaus" (Strauss), as well as musicals such as "Children of Eden" (Schwartz), "Hello, Dolly!" (Herman) and "Carousel" (Rodgers & Hammerstein). 2008 will mark the 85th anniversary of the Society's first production and to commemorate this we are returning to our Gilbert & Sullivan roots, performing The Sorcerer at the Watersmeet Theatre Rickmansworth from Tuesday 20th to Saturday 24th May. Our 2009 Spring show will be "Follies" by Stephen Sondheim. PHEOS has been fortunate over the years to attract many talented young people to become members. Some have stayed whilst others have gone on to a professional career in opera companies such as Scottish Opera and the Royal Opera for example. PHEOS is always on the lookout for talented singers and dancers to ensure its future success. So, if you do like singing and can move with reasonable grace on stage - then perhaps you would like to come and join us - tenors and basses particularly welcome! We hope you have enjoyed reading this short history of the first 80+ years of PHEOS Musical Players, and that we can welcome you to our next show, either as a new Society member or in our audience. 
To book TICKETS for "The Sorcerer" please call our Box Office Manager 01923 285882
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