DISTINGUISHED music teacher/choirmaster Trevor Beckford was recognised for 55 years as a church organist at the Cathedral of St Jago de la Vega in Spanish Town, St Catherine, last Sunday.

The occasion, which started at 5:00 pm, included hymns, scripture lessons and a sermon by Rt Reverend Leon Golding.

“I feel elated, elated, elated…It means that I am appreciated for the works that I have done in my various areas of working. My talent is broad, not only as a church organist — I am a teacher and an adjudicator, everything. I taught [music] at St Jago, I taught at Glenmuir High School, Dinthill Technical, Shortwood Teachers’ College … so it feels good to be appreciated,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Under the theme ‘Celebrating The Music Ministry of Trevor A Beckford’, the veteran church organist gave glowing recitals of his favourite composers such as Bach, Mozart, Handel, George Dodds, Jr, William Hodson, Herbert Howells, Geoffrey Shaw and many others. A rapturous performance came from soprano soloist June Lawson during her riveting rendition of Somewhere.

Millicent Castle presented the citation to Trevor Alvin Beckford, who is included among the longest-serving church organists in the Caribbean and declared that his love for music is “uncontestable and incontestable”.

The award said he is a “musician par excellence, patient teacher, loyal friend, sincere and generous human being…a dutiful and honest man who loves the Lord and dedicated to Christian service and praise for 55 years.

“You did so unflinchingly seated at the 168-year-old great Cathedral built in 1849 …among the longest-serving church organists in the region…the Cathedral Choir under your baton gained the distinction as the only choir in Jamaica to perform an orator each year presenting major works by the masters such as from Back to Haydn, and the only local organist to present an annual classical organ recital,” read the citation.

President of the Jamaica Guild of Organists (a member for 40 years), the Spanish Town-born Beckford has received numerous recognitions, among them a Bronze Musgrave Medal in 1984. he was listed in the book published 2007 titled ‘Change Makers: 101 Portraits Great men in Jamaica’ authored by Peter Ferguson; Aruba’s Wisemen Club in 1978; received a Certificate of Merit from the St Catherine Parish Council in 1980, the Archbishop of Canterbury Medal in 1984, OD in 1992; became a JP in 1990, was recognised by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission for his work as an adjudicator, and received a number from his alma mater St Jago High School.

— Basil Walters