Tributes to inspirational South Devon organ recitalist

Dr Gareth Perkins was one of the country's leading organ recitalists

Remembering an influential and inspirational man

Gareth Perkins

Reporter:

Jim Parker

22 Nov 2024 10:00 AM

Email:

jim.parker@clearskypublishing.co.uk

One of the country's leading organ recitalists has died at the age of just 52.

Dr Gareth Perkins was born in 1972 and spent his early life in Totnes. He began playing the piano as soon as he was able to reach the keys and took lessons from the age of five.

He soon progressed to the organ after becoming fascinated by one in a music shop in Exeter, and his parents, Henry and Sylvia, were advised to buy one for their son rather than the piano that they had intended purchasing.

At the age of just 11, Gareth took on the post of organist and choirmaster at Berry Pomeroy Church, where he directed a four-part choir and played for weekly services.

Gareth was largely self-taught, but in his teens he took lessons with John Hopwood, affectionately known as Hoppy. They became firm friends until John's death.

Gareth read for his first degree in music at Dartington College of Arts, followed by a year of teacher training. This was followed by reading for a Master’s degree at Birmingham Conservatoire and subsequent post-graduate research for which he was awarded his doctorate.

Gareth was much in demand as a recitalist and performed both as a recitalist and accompanist for choirs and services at almost all of the cathedrals in the UK. Although invited to perform at Westminster Abbey, he had to turn that invitation down because of other commitments.

Unfortunately, due to a rare and progressive neurological illness, and due to arthritis in his hands, which also made playing increasingly difficult, Gareth gave his final solo organ recital in 2012.

During his time in Birmingham, he was invited to become Senior Lecturer and Head of Music at Abbey College, which rose during that time to being ranked third in the country.

Throughout his time there, he was Director of Music at the church of St. Paul-in-the-Jewellery-Quarter, which was then the Collegiate Church of Birmingham Conservatoire.

There he gave weekly organ recitals and recruited a new professional choir of undergraduate and postgraduate Choral Scholars from Birmingham University and the Conservatoire thanks to his friend the late Lord Denis Howell (remembered as The Minister for Drought) calling in some favours to get very generous funding for Gareth’s recruitment of a professional choir.

Gareth was invited to become Musical Director of Aston University Choir and Organ Tutor also.

He decided to return to Devon after being offered the post of organist and choirmaster at Paignton Parish Church, where he designed the successful rebuild and enlargement of the magnificent, but by then ailing, organ in 1998 and served as organist and choirmaster for a total of 20 years.

He took on the role at Stoke Gabriel Church for eight years, where he successfully redesigned the organ, and was also musical director of Britannia Choral Society at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, for ten years, where he lifted the reputation, repertoire, and ability of the choir considerably.

More recently, he had the privilege of redesigning the organ at All Saints Church, Babbacombe, Torquay, where the instrument had been failing for several years. It is now one of the best instruments in the area.

Gareth was the first person to gain the highest postgraduate level diplomas (fellowship) of all three major music examining boards in the UK and remained the only person to have done so for several years.

Gareth will be very sadly missed by his family and his many friends.

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