Following our AGM we are excited to announce the winners of the 2022 DMTC Membership Awards!
Mary Hamilton was one of the stalwart members of DMTC when the company reformed in 1956. She played many lead soprano roles for the company and later sang in the chorus as well as being our Assistant Secretary for many years. She always encouraged younger members and this award was set up in her memory by her daughter.
The award this year goes to a relative newcomer to the Company, having joined DMTC in 2017 for our production of “Kiss Me Kate”, in which she gave a stand-out performance. In “Evita” she was one of our Chorus Principals, but in “Chess” she took the lead role of Florence Vassy, performing tirelessly throughout the week. The wide range of musical styles was accomplished seemingly effortlessly, but that was only because of the huge amount of hard preparatory work that went into her achieving such an excellent portrayal. We are delighted that because we “know her so well”, the 2022 Mary Hamilton Award goes to Pascalle Rossle.
Mary Robinson’s Award was set up as a way of honouring a long-serving member of DMTC. Mary herself is an example to us all of someone who has given selflessly to the needs of DMTC for over 60 years. She is still working on our behalf and we all owe her a huge debt of gratitude for all she continues to do for us.
The award this year goes to a Company member who has always dedicated himself wholeheartedly to the show in hand. His absolute commitment to DMTC has meant him forgoing holiday entitlement and sometimes even losing pay, in order to attend rehearsals which, he felt it would be wrong for him to miss. When we lost Mike Crick from “Chess”, just after floor rehearsals had started, our nominee stepped up to the mark to fill this gap in the cast and take on the extra burden of Chorus Principal. He carried out his supplementary duties in exemplary fashion, as was always to be expected. We are therefore extremely pleased to present the 2022 Mary Robinson Award to Mike Langthorne.
This is only the third year of presenting the Pauline Gilman Bowl. Pauline joined the company under our former guise of Durham Amateur Operatic Society and performed mainly in the chorus but she did also undertake a few small parts. The Pauline Gilman Bowl was set up by her husband last year to honour a devoted member of the chorus.
This year’s recipient has been with DMTC for many years and also joined us when we were operating under our former name of Durham Amateur Operatic Society. Since joining the company she has appeared in all the shows we have staged, providing solid alto support to the chorus. She has undertaken several cameo appearances, especially in our concert stagings. Her poetic skills are always put to good use in opening night cards which she sends to the cast. Her cheerful demeanour is always a pleasure to have around in the rehearsal room, especially when things are not always going as smoothly as one would wish. I am thrilled to announce that the winner of the 2022 Pauline Gilman Bowl is our good friend Catherine Lawes.
