HE only joined at the last minute as a favour to a friend and intended to bow out after his first show.

But Philip Henderson has been performing with Melrose Amateur Operatic Society for more than 20 years now.

He plays the role of Nanki-Poo in their latest production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic classic The Mikado at the town’s Corn Exchange every night this week.

The tenor’s dedication - typical of all of the society’s members - has shone through the worst of the Borders weather as he braved treacherous conditions to drive from his home in Edinburgh for rehearsals every winter ever since.

And, despite a lack of new members and having played the same role twice before already, he revealed he hopes this year’s production won’t be his, or their, last.

Speaking to the Border Telegraph ahead of this week’s shows, Philip said: “I first got involved with the production because the producer Meg Paterson, who is sadly passed away now, gave me a phone call and she asked if I had a car and could I sing tenor? I came in in January and we performed the show in February and ever since then I have been coming down. So what was a one-off ended up being over 20 years.

“It’s absolutely fantastic, as is working with an orchestra of this standard. I absolutely love Gilbert and Sullivan and I wish more young people would come in to the shows and hopefully in the years to come we can grow a few more Nanki-Poos and Yum-Yums and see how we get on.” The Melrose cast, which is this year celebrating its 80th anniversary, is made up men and women from a variety of backgrounds from across the Borders and beyond.

Local GP Bob Smith, who revealed he first got into performing at school, plays the title role of the Mikado.

And, with fun and friendship going hand in hand with the local opera, he admitted it was just what the doctor ordered.

Bob said: “It’s a fantastic part to play not least because you don’t appear until half way through the Second Act and you get the whole opera named after yourself.

“I have been with Melrose Opera 25 years now, and this is the fifth time in total that I’ve done the Mikado. I started off doing it in my final year at High School, and then I did it at University, and then this is my third time at Melrose.

“I just love the music, it’s always been a big part of my life. This is the third different part I’ve done in it as well, I was the Lord High Executioner before, so I’m working my way round the various parts.” It has been argued that Gilbert and Sullivan’s musicals have become dated and thus proved difficult to attract a new audience.

However, Melrose Opera, which has only ever performed storylines written by the Victorian-era theatrical partnership, claims that, with a few subtle script changes, they are just as relevant today as they were when they were first produced.

Bob said: “This is the problem, I think it is a general thing across not just the opera society but I hear this from folk at other clubs as well, they find it harder and harder to recruit new people to come in and keep going.

“Folk nowadays prefer to do their socialising sitting in the house on social media rather than going out and about and meeting people. It’s a shame. But at least if this is going to be our last one, we are going out on a good one, it’s one of the most popular of all so it’s a good show to do.

“Although it was written in Victorian times ostensibly about the Japanese, it’s parodies of British behaviour.

“You get characters in this who are in it for the money - the same as you get politicians nowadays, holding umpteen jobs down and there is this conflict of interests between the jobs, but as long as they have got the money rolling in then that is what they are primarily interested in. So it is still relevant to the present day.” Borders towns take great pride in their operas, many of which are put together by a small band of amateurs with all the professionalism of a big stage production.

Adminstrator Lucy Smith, whose 37 year opera veteran partner Colin Smith produces the show, said: “Very few of our members can sight read but they have an ear for a tune and they do a good bit of note bashing before Christmas to get the music in.

“We don’t have any professional singers on stage at all but a lot of them have been singing this sort of music for a long time.

“We start music rehearsals in the middle of October and then they get on stage and start doing the production after Christmas.” But she added: “The best part is seeing it all come together with the set and the costumes and putting on a really good show.” One of the most popular songs in the Mikado, ironically, was Ko-Ko’s “I’ve Got a Little List”, in which he goes through all the undesirables who “never would be missed”.

We can only hope Melrose Opera never ends up on it.

The cast: Pish-Tush (A Noble Lord) - Bruce Ogilvie; Ko-Ko (Lord High Executioner of Titipu) - Grant Lees; Pooh-Bah (Lord High Everything Else) - Colin Smith; Katisha (An elderly lady, in love with Nanki-Poo) - Hazel Devlin; The Mikado of Japan - Bob Smith; Nanki-Poo (The Mikado’s son, disguised as a wandering minstrel and in love with Yum-Yum) - Philip Henderson; Pitti-Sing - Anne MacFadyen; Yum-Yum - Jacqui Budge; Peep-Bo - Christine Armstrong.

Chorus of Students and Staff of Titipu High School for Girls: Ros Anderson, Kathleen Buchanan, Carole Cameron, Jean Denholm, Ruth Flavin, Hilary Ford, Ruth MacDonnell, Geraldine Rowley, Linda Stark, Elizabeth Wilson.

Chorus of Titipudlian Businessmen: Paul Baxter, Richard Halpin, Keith Hanson, Bruce Hislop, Alan Jones, David Marshall, Robin Sloan, Robert Turnbull, John Wilkinson, John Wilson.

Katisha’s Chauffeur: Ken Budge.

Rehearsal Accompanist - Alison Kaye; Producer - Colin Smith; Musical Director - Nancy Muir.

Orchestra: Leader - Cath Cormie; 1st Violin - Tony Kime; 2nd Violin - Dorothy Coe, Claire Taylor; Viola - James Young; Cello - Sam Coe; Bass - Viv Young; Flute - John Harris; Oboe - Michael Sutcliffe; 1st Clarinet - Paul Cormie; 2nd Clarinet - Sam Lord; Bassoon - Graham Fraser; French Horn - Pippa Emerson, Iain Kille, David Wilson; Trumpet - Colin Kemp; Trombone - Richard Howden; Percussion - Euan Fairbairn.

Backstage and Technical Support: Set Design - Colin Smith; Set Construction - Colin Smith and Robin Sloan; Stage Manager - Ken Budge; Stage Crew - Tony Watson; Props - The Border Studio and MAOS; Lighting - Tommy Combe; Costumes - Utopia Costumes; Make-up - Kirsty Nichol, non-playing members and friends; Prompt - Anne Watson; Poster and programme - Colin and Lucy Smith; Ticket Sales - Elizabeth Wilson; Bouquets: Fountain Flowers, Melrose.