St Patrick’s Choral Society on song with musical

St Patrick’s Choral Society on song with musical

6 March 2019

THE St Patrick’s Choral Society is bringing one of musical theatre’s hidden gems to Downpatrick. 

The award-winning local society is bringing Whistle Down The Wind to the Downhire Great Hall from  Wednesday, March 20, to the following Saturday.

The two-act musical has a stunning score by Andrew Lloyd-Webber and lyrics by Jim Steinman.

Based on the book by Mary Hayley Bell, the story was later produced as a movie by Richard Attenborough. It is set in a small, deeply religious town of Louisiana in the 1950s. 

A poor farmer and his three children have recently buried their mother and are still struggling with grief. As Christmas approaches and unable to afford many luxuries, the three children are desperate to find something to hold on to and believe in. 

One day, they find an injured stranger hiding in their rundown barn. Unknown to the children, the man is an escaped convict.

One of the children seizes upon the idea that he is Jesus and the rumour quickly spreads among the children of the town. 

Meanwhile, the rest of the inhabitants are on the lookout for the runaway convict, urged on by their sheriff to stay vigilant. When Candy, a rebellious African-American learns of the prisoner’s hide-out, she is quick to reveal it and the residents descend on the family farm. Mysteriously, the man has disappeared and the father realises that his children still depend upon him.

The musical version of Whistle Down The Wind premièred in 1996 at the National Theatre in Washington, DC, and opened in the West End in 1998. It has been revived several times. 

It features well known songs such as No Matter What, made famous by Boyzone in the 90s. Other hits include Vaults Of Heaven, When Children Rule The World, A Kiss Is A Terrible Thing To Waste and, of course, the title song, Whistle Down The Wind.

The cast and crew have been hard at work over the past few evenings putting the final touches to what promises to be a show not to be missed. 

It will boast a live orchestra conducted by Wilson Shields, stunning scenery, and authentic costume design. The orchestra is made up of some of Northern Ireland’s most respected musicians.

Director Simon Pyper said: “It’s all getting very exciting now. The cast have rehearsed immensely hard and the crew have been working tirelessly around the clock to put this production on stage. The show is now ready for an audience to enjoy and we can’t wait to welcome you to in.”

Anne Millar, chairperson of St Patrick’s Choral Society, said: “We are so excited to bring this new show to Downpatrick for the first time. With a cast young and old of almost 50 members, this really is a beautiful show worth seeing.”

Tickets are selling fast and available now online at www.ticketsource.co.uk. They can also be reserved by telephoning 07547 806572. Advanced booking is advised to secure the best remaining seats however tickets may still be available on the door.