The very first service in our new church, so new that it still smelt and felt slightly damp, was Midnight Mass. The organist then and for so many services since was John Elton. His expert skill and tremendous enthusiasm for music has been a great gift to us. Over the years, John has written and arranged hymns, introduced us to new favourites and sold us tickets to concerts in support of the School of Organ Studies.
Recently as John grew older and more frail, he came to play only on special occasions. However, he still chose the hymns we sang, now played by his musician friends.
John died in July. At his funeral we realised that he had been so much more than our music-maker. His lifetime friends told of his intellect, his love of the classics, his rowing during his years at Oxford, his time in Austria serving in the Intelligence Corps (he spoke German too) as well as earning a living for his family as a teacher and librarian.
We shall miss John Elton, but he leaves us the gift of enjoying our church music.