Ballinrobe Musical Society is delighted to announce the chosen show for 2011 is ‘Come The Dawn’.   Written and composed by Peter Kennedy, a name many of you will recognise as the Society’s Director & Choreographer for the past number of years.

‘Come the Dawn’ is not an historic document, nor a true story, despite being firmly rooted in the reality of the Ulster 'troubles' of the pre-Good Friday Agreement era!

It is, rather, an artistic representation of the fears and nightmares that haunted the generations who grew up amid the turmoil. None of the events of the story actually took place, none of the characters have ever existed...except, in the minds of thousands of ordinary people whose thoughts and imaginations couldn't help but be affected by the endless strands of propaganda that were the backbone of the political impasse.

That the story is a work of fiction is irrelevant, because the fear that such a story, and such characters, could have...or could still exist is very real, and very tragic!

The Musical does not pretend to offer a solution to the troubles, but emphasises the drastic need for the process of reconciliation to be successful, for fear of sliding ever closer to the abyss.

It recognises that both good and evil exist on every side of the equation, and acknowledges that each group’s aspirations are passionate, and valid, depending upon which side of the fence one is standing. It criticises and emphasises the futility of the route of violent aggression towards achieving any goal, but it is abundant with a hope and a prayer for a brighter tomorrow!