British Music Hall Society

The British Music Hall Society is a registered charity in the United Kingdom. The charity was founded by Raymond Mackender and Gerald Glover in 1963.

The charity's remit is to: advance the education of the public in the traditions of the British Music Hall and the art of the present day performer, and to preserve memorabilia in the form of records, films, electronic media, photographs, literature, costumes and personal properties appertaining to music halls and music hall performers.

The Society President is currently vacant subsequent to the death of Roy Hudd on 15th March 2020 The Society Vice-President is currently Wyn Calvin MBE.

The Society’s patrons are Sir John Major, Michael Grade, Des O’Connor, Lady Anne Dodd, Sir Cliff Richard, Alan Titchmarsh, Alison Titchmarsh, Jools Holland, Paul O’Grady.

    Previous patrons include Sir Ken Dodd & Val Doonican

    History

    The Society was created out of the demise and demolition of The Metropolitan Theatre, Edgware Road and other music halls in the early 1960s and Mackender and Glover’s awareness that this period of performing history was being forgotten. Mackender put a series of advertisements in The Stage appealing for items of music hall interest ‘for safe keeping....[1]’ Out of this emerged the British Music Hall Society (“BMHS”)[2]

    An Exhibition and Variety Show, known as the “Festival of Music Hall” was organised by the Society and the then Variety Artistes’ Federation on 2 November 1963 to celebrate the centenary of McDonald’s Music Hall (now Hoxton Hall)[3]

    In December 1963, the first edition of the Society’s Journal, The Call Boy, was published[4]. The Journal continues as a quarterly publication, free to Society members.

    The first of what was to become a regular monthly meeting of the Society took place on 7 January 1964 at the Garrick Hotel, Charing Cross Road, London with Ada Reeve as the guest of honour[5] In 2013, the Society celebrated their 50th Anniversary with a Festival of Music Hall (and Variety) at Wilton’s Music Hall, Whitechapel, London.

    Since 2014 the Society has held an annual one-day event, Day by the Sea at the Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Eastbourne featuring comedy, music, discussion and film footage.

    The Society holds an extensive archive with photographs, posters, sheet music, playbills, programmes and the personal items of many artistes including Marie Lloyd, Little Tich, Max Miller, Florrie Forde, Ida Barr, Hetty King and Harry Tate. They also hold a sound archive. The Society is a member of the Association of Performing Arts Collections (APAC).

    Presidents - past & present
    • 1963-1979 - Don Ross
    • 1980-1983 - Lew Lane
    • 1984-1985 - Ellis Ashton MBE
    • 1986-1992 - Louis Benjamin
    • 1992-2020 - Roy Hudd OBE

    References
    1. The Stage, 21 March 1963; 18 April 1963; 1 August 1963
    2. The Stage, 19 September 1963
    3. Daily Telegraph, The Stage 7 November 1963
    4. The Stage, 12 December 1963
    5. London Evening Standard, 8 January 1964

    Official website

    British Music Hall Society page at the UK Charity Commission website

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