THERE’S cause for celebration in Meltham next week and rightly so.

The society which keeps the spirit of Gilbert and Sullivan’s music and words alive in the Pennine village reaches its 50th anniversary this spring. No wonder there’s a real buzz about the place.

A half century of music-making is a major milestone in any society’s life and how thrilling it must be for Meltham Gilbert and Sullivan Society to be marking that birthday with a concert which will feature three of its founding members.

Turn back the clock to January 20, 1963, and a meeting that was called in the Civic Hall in Meltham by the late Mr Leslie Armstrong and Mr Denis Holmes.

It was clearly a positive meeting as the outcome was the decision to form a G and S society in the village. Its first officers, Mr A M Dunn as chairman, Miss Christine O’Connor as secretary and Mr D H Holmes as treasurer. The all important creative job of musical director went to Mr L Armstrong.

The fledgling new group’s first musical outing came later that year when it staged a concert version of a G and S favourite, The Gondoliers. Tickets were two shillings and sixpence. The profit on the show: Eighteen pounds, seven shillings and one-and-a-half pence.

The following year, boosted no doubt by the reception of that first concert, the society decided to stage a full costumed version of HMS Pinafore.

As the society’s celebrations get underway next week, there will be bags of memories to share and lots of strong performances to underline the fact that this is a group with an eye on the future.

Next Friday and Saturday (April 26 and 27), the performers will be back on stage in Meltham church hall with a concert version of what else but HMS Pinafore.

Three founder members, Denis Armstrong, David Earnshaw and Geoff Crowther, will be taking part.

And there are even more bonuses. Ben Glover, whose grandfather Denis Holmes helped found the society, is also on stage.

And founder member Maureen Webster, who sang in the first concert, will have the delight of seeing her daughter Ruth and granddaughter Helen also on stage.

Very much a community, family feeling then to this birthday group which has much to celebrate.

They are delighted too to welcome Bruce Merlin, renowned for his leading roles with Huddersfield Gilbert and Sullivan Society, who next week joins Meltham as guest narrator for the show.

The society hopes that former members will take time out to hear the company perform and to join the birthday celebrations.

The performances are at 7.30pm and tickets are £6.