LIFE MEMBERS
ONE
HUNDRED GLORIOUS YEARS!
The
Exeter Musical Society is proud and delighted to be able to announce
its first-ever centenarian!
Edythe
Crump celebrated her 100
birthday on February 2
2012, and the Society congratulates her on her long and happy life.
Edythe
Emily Netherway was born at Plymouth on February 2,
1912. She moved to live in Dawlish with her family and later to Farm
Barton, Whitestone, where her father farmed until the sixties. Edythe joined the
then Exeter Amateur Operatic Society for the 1931 performance of
Haddon Hall,
when she was a mezzo-soprano in the chorus of
Simples and Gentles.
In that show was also a fine baritone, Leonard Crump, who played one
of the Puritans.
Edythe continued as a chorus member until 1935, when she was given
the lead rôle in The
Duchess of Dantzic.
In that year she was also appointed to serve on the Society’s
committee, and continued to serve for several years.
Various
lead roles followed – Jill-all-alone
in Merrie England
(1936), one of the three sisters in Mikado
(1937), Phoebe
in TheYeomen of the Guard
(1938), and Lydia
in Dorothy
(1939). During the years of World War II the Society were unable to
stage productions, and Edythe Netherway, as such, was never seen on
stage again. However, in the 1946 production of Merrie
England,
Jill-all-alone
was played by one Edythe Crump – for Edythe had married Leonard
Crump in 1939 !
The
name of Crump has graced the pages of programmes from the origins of
the society. In 1907 Harold Crump became a member, and later his
three sons, Stanley, Leslie and Leonard were to follow suit.
Following Leonard Crump’s marriage to Edythe, they produced two
daughters, Susan and Jane, both of whom were to carry on the family
tradition of “treading the boards”, and both being members of
EAOS. In one way or another – acting, producing, singing, or
dancing – all four members of the family have also been involved in
dozens of shows presented over many years by other local amateur
societies.
During
the 1950s, Edythe was – at various times – Dame
Carruthers (The
Yeomen of the Guard, 1951);
Queen of the Fairies
(Iolanthe,1952);
Queen Elizabeth
(Merrie England,
1953)
and Queenie
in the 1957 production of Showboat.
Edythe has also taken on the rôle of choreographer for many shows,
both in Exeter and elsewhere, and has also acted as wardrobe mistress
when required. Her last active rôle with the Society was as joint
choreographer with Muriel Evans in the 1981 production of Summer
Song. In that year
the Producer was her husband, Leonard, the Technical Adviser her
son-in-law David Edmund, the properties adviser was brother-in-law
Stanley Crump, and the Assistant Stage Manager was her daughter,
Jane.
Edythe
Crump and fellow Life Member Reg Camble are the only surviving
members of the Society to have taken part in shows before World War
II – what a record!
In
1974, The Exeter Amateur Operatic Society was pleased to grant Edythe
Crump an Honorary Life Membership for her services to the Society, a
well-deserved accolade for a delightful lady.
© Dick Passmore 2012
