Ballinrobe Musical Society is celebrating this week after receiving nine nominations in the Annual Association of Irish Musical Societies Awards. Categories include the coveted Best Overall Show category, for its world amateur premiere of The Pirate Queen.
It is the society’s second time to be nominated for Best Overall Show in the premier Gilbert Section of the awards scheme. “Such a list of nominations is almost unheard of in this awards scheme, and we feel is a fitting tribute to a memorable 10-night run of The Pirate Queen here in Ballinrobe,” said society chairman Pat Mc Govern, who revealed that more than 5,000 people enjoyed the show while thousands more were disappointed at not being able to secure tickets. Included in the audience were the show’s creators John Mc Colgan and Moya Doherty, along with composer Claude Michel Schonberg.
The full list of nominations is: Best Overall Show; Best Chorus; Best Musical Director (John Roe ); Best Actress (Sinead Heneghan ); Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Sandra Schalks ); Best Technical (encompassing lighting, sound, and set ); Best Stage Manager (Niall Heaney ); Best Programme (Liam Horan and Pat Mc Govern ); and Unsung Hero (John Hyland ).
The awards ceremony will take place in the Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney, on Saturday, June 19.
