4:00pm Thursday 18th June 2009
By Adrian Mullen
ONE of the leading lights in the region’s music circles is getting a showstopping send off for her final production.
Anne Pater, well-known for her work with Mary Gordon and the now defunct Kendal Young Singers as well as the popular Making Music organisation, is bowing out of her voluntary musical director role for Queen Katherine School’s annual show after its June 29-July 2 run at Kendal’s Brewery Arts Centre.
The school is staging Wizard of Oz with nigh on 200 students involved.
With dancing trees, singing crows, and some of the most memorable tunes ever to grace a musical, it promises to be a great way to sign off for Anne, after working alongside QKS head of performing arts Caroline Barber for over a decade.
Anne told me it was time to hand over the baton and she was thrilled that the school’s music department would be taking over her role: “I’m quite sad to be finishing.
“Its been a huge privilege to be able to be part of the QKS musicals, and I have loved the partnership with Caz.
“And I’ve got on so well with the students.
“They’ve been great to work with and its been good to see them develop so well over the years.”
The film of the Wizard of Oz (1939) landed three Academy Awards, including Best Song (Over the Rainbow) and a special award for Judy Garland, whose role as Dorothy catapulated her to stardom.
In addition to its Brewery run, QKS is staging a special gala performance at the Westmorland Hall on July 4, to celebrate Anne and Caroline’s tenth show together, inviting all past cast members back to watch.
So, to some of the talented young performers who will be off down the Yellow Brick Road - Emma Haddon plays Dorothy; Sammy Arthur takes the role of Scarecrow; spooky Wicked Witch is played by Felicity Powell; in the guise of Tinman is Josh Betoin and taking the part of the roller-skating ‘good’ witch Glinda is Anna Bilson.
And no QKS production would be complete without influential teacher Kevin Bell, kitted out this time around as Lion.
Caroline recalled that she first met Anne, by chance, 11 years ago, having moved to QKS to join her husband Keith, who was already teaching at the Kendal school. She said the conversation turned very quickly to their love of musicals: “It would probably have stopped there but for Anne's youngest daughter Ellie and my husband.
“Ellie had always wanted to perform in a school musical, while Keith was keen for a QKS musical tradition to be re-established.
“They contrived to bring Anne and I together and before we knew what was happening Guys and Dolls was being discussed. This went on to be our first production together.
“The rest, as they say, is history”.
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