A MEMORIAL concert to celebrate the life of much-loved choirmaster and organist Gordon Crabbe will take place next month.

The 84-year-old gave more than 70 years to the musical life of Swindon and the surrounding area since he first moved to the town from Somerset with his family, until his death following a short illness in June.

On November 15, choirs and organists from around the town and the surrounds will gather at Christ Church to pay tribute to him in a special concert from 7pm, as well as raising money for the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research charity.

As part of the proceedings the Reverend Geoff Gleed, of Immanuel United Reformed Church, will share his memories of the man he knew for more than 54 years.

“There will be humour and some really good music to enjoy, so I do hope that we will see lots of folk coming along to join in this tribute to a great musician,” said Rev Gleed.

“This town owes Gordon a great debt of gratitude.

“From the musical point of view he was responsible for making countless weddings and funerals very special.

“After all, everyone will remember when the organist plays a wrong note and to be honest Gordon very rarely did.

“It’s almost impossible to calculate the number of people who have sung hymns to Gordon’s accompaniment over these many years.

“The number of Sunday services, civic occasions, weddings and funerals he’d played for runs into thousands. Even when asked how many services he reckoned he’d accompanied, Gordon’s reply was ‘goodness knows, it must have been a fair few’.

“And this was a typical comment from the unassuming Gordon, who simply got on with the job.”

At the age of just 15, Gordon became organist and choirmaster of St Mary’s Church, in Commonweal Road, and just 10 years later he was appointed to the post of organist and choirmaster at Christ Church in Old Town, a position he held for the next 40 years.

He later became assistant organist and choirmaster at Immanuel United Reformed Church in Old Walcot, where he served for 19 years until his death.

He also served as resident organist at Kingsdown Crematorium for more than 36 years.

Rev Gleed said: “Gordon gave many organ recitals, played for and conducted choirs at various cathedrals, including Salisbury, Gloucester, Bristol and Wells.”

The concert will feature performances from Christ Church and Immanuel choirs alongside choristers who started their singing careers under Gordon and have since gone on to sing with the choirs of St Paul’s Cathedral, St Martin in the Field, St George’s Chapel Windsor, Wells Cathedral and the English Baroque Choir.

Members of the Swindon Gilbert and Sullivan Society, of which Gordon was a past president, will also be performing and Gordon’s son, Ian Crabbe, a music master of Marlborough College, will be playing the organ.

Rev Gleed said: “To use an organist’s term, we’re pulling out all the stops to make this an evening to remember a lovely man, a fine musician.”