Society life member and unofficial historian Bill Gleeson said the group was the oldest continuing performing musical society in Australia and the remarkable anniversary was one they wanted to mark in style.

That means three big shows between now and December: two major musical productions with a salute to the society’s colourful history in between.

The Sound of Music is in rehearsals and will premiere at The Capitol Theatre on May 10, running until May 25.

In June, the Tamworth Town Hall, the venue the society called home from 1934 until The Capitol opened in 2008, will host Still Singing, a cabaret-style “warts and all” production that illustrates the story of the society through the decades.

Ben Mettam is director, Mr Gleeson, who has already written the opening song for the show, is the master of ceremonies and Tim Godden’s the musical director.

There’s about 20 in the cast and Mr Gleeson said it really would cover the highs and lows of the group through the decades, including the impact of the world wars and the introduction of television in the 1950s, which saw a drastic decline in membership and audience numbers as people chose to stay at home at watch “the box”.

It’s then back into rehearsals for arguably the biggest show the society has ever taken on, The Phantom of the Opera, to premiere at the Capitol on October 25.

It’s the first time Phantom has been performed in Tamworth and the society is one of the few Australian companies chosen to stage it this year.

A fitting tribute to a major milestone. At a time when other community groups are struggling for members, the society is thriving and enthusiasm for the future is high.

Mr Gleeson said the group had really blossomed in the past 10 years, a belief reinforced by the more than 40 people who attended the recent annual general meeting.

Society president Peter Ross said the interest from younger people was pleasing too, with The Sound of Music giving a whole new generation a taste for musical theatre.

The upcoming Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, starring Gabriella McDonald as Maria and Daniel Gilett as Captain Georg von Trapp, also features two groups of von Trapp children, many in their first production.

The Sound of Music, which Mr Ross is directing, is an apt choice for the 125th anniversary as it plays an important part in the history of the musical society and Tamworth’s cultural heritage.

It’s the third time the society has performed it – the last time 11 years ago – and the inspiration for the musical, the von Trapp family, actually visited the city in the 1950s, led by matriarch Maria and singing at the town hall.

Society member Ann Walsh, who will play the mother superior, has been involved with the group since 1996 when she was in the cast of Oliver.

Since then she’s put her hand up for the two musicals the group commit to each year and you get the feeling she speaks for everyone when she talks about the joy of performing.