Club History
The Hamilton Select Choir, the original name of the present club, was founded on 1894 by Frederick Pugh, a
prominent musician in the town. He formed a double quartet, which developed into St Celia’s choir, and later became
Hamilton Select Choir. A venture into comic opera was made in February 1904, with a production of “HMS Pinafore”.
For many years the choir continued in production of Gilbert and Sullivan and light musical comedy.
In 1934 the Select Choir changed it’s name to Hamilton and District Operatic Society. and gave it’s first performance
with “Yeoman of the Guard”, in February of that year. After the Second World War, the society, renamed Hamilton
Operatic and Dramatic Club, opened with a repeat performance of their pre-war show, “The Desert Song” in October
1947.
In 2003, the centenary year, a Service of Thanksgiving was held in St Mary’s Episcopal Church. This was followed by
the highly successful Lanarkshire premier of “Jesus Christ Superstar” in May. Thereafter club members past and
present, along with dignitaries and invited guests attended a Civic Reception as guests of the Provost and
Councillors of South Lanarkshire Council in the town’s Banqueting Hall.
We are now into our second hundred years, and look forward to the challenge of continuing to produce musical
entertainment for our audiences.
1904 HMS Pinafore
1905 Mikado
1906 Yeoman of the Guard
1907 Patience
1908 Iolanthe
1209 Gondoliers
1910 HMS Pinafore/ Trial by Jury
1911 Merrie England
1912 Utopia Limited
1913 Dorothy
1914 Mikado
The 1st World War
1920 Patience
1921 Iolanthe
1922 Pirates of Penzance
1923 Mikado
1924 Trial by Jury/ Facing the Music
1925 Yeoman of the Guard
1927 Patience
1928 Gondoliers
1929 Utopia Limited
1930 Falca
1931/2 Mikado
1933 Ruddigore
1934 Yeoman of the Guard
1935 Merrie England
1936 Tom Jones
1937 Quaker Girl
1938 Arcadians
1939 Desert Song
The 2nd World War
1947 Desert Song
1948 Rose Marie
1949 New Moon
1950 Katinka
1951 Good Night Vienna
1952 Chu Chin Chow
1953 Victoria and Her Hussar
1954 Pink Champagne
1955 Geisha
1956 Oklahoma
1957 Quaker Girl
1958 Annie Get Your Gun
1959 Desert Song
1960 Free as Air
1961 Brigadoon
1962 Kismet
1963 Calamity Jane
1964 South Pacific
1965 Carissima
1966 New Moon
1967 Passion Flower
1968 Rose Marie
1969 Finian’s Rainbow
1970 The Gypsy Princess
1971 Carousel
1972 The Merry Widow
1973 Brigadoon
1974 Lilac Time
1975 Guys and Dolls
1976 Naughty Marietta
1977 Kiss Me Kate
1978 The Great Waltz
1979 The Pajama Game
1980 Call Me Madam
1981 Kismet
1982 White Horse Inn
1983 Flower Drum Song
1984 Hello Dolly
1985 Desert Song
1986 Half a Sixpence
1987 Viva Mexico
1988 Annie Get Your Gun
1989 Mame
1990 The Pajama Game
1991 On Broadway
1992 Anything Goes
1993 Brigadoon
1994 42nd Street
1995 Melodies Familiar
Kiss Me Kate
1996 Swing into Spring
Fiddler on the Roof
1997 Hot Jazz and Blues
My Fair Lady
1998 Crazy for You
1999 Love on a Star
Guys and Dolls
2000 Pop into Broadway
Me and My Girl
2001 Encore
2002 Copacabana
South Pacific
2003 Jesus Christ Superstar
Lets Celebrate
(100 years of HODC)
2004 42nd Street
Curtain Up
2005 Anything Goes
Hello Dolly
2006 Godspell*
Oklahoma*
2007 Centre Stage*
2008 Crazy for You*
Scrooge*
2009 By Popular Demand*
2010 Come to the Cabaret
Beauty and the Beast*
2011 The Producers*
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