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Gordon Ashman
(Co-founder of the West Gallery Music Association.)
He died on Friday 15th August, 2003.
WARWICK, October 2001
A presentation was made to our founding Director, Gordon Ashman, of an anthem and an illuminated address, upon his retirement, in recognition of both his, and his wife, Isabella's, enthusiasm in masterminding the Association over the past ten years.
Mike Bailey's splendid anthem, composed for Gordon and Isabella, was sung for the first time at Warwick at the Association's Autumn Meeting in October 2001. Entitled "Listen, O Isles", it marshalled a sequence of Old Testament texts into a sort of allegory of the foundation and development of the Association. There was something for everybody - and especially the Altos seemed delighted - and it finishes, needless to say, with a rip-roaring run of Hallelujahs. Composed in the west gallery style, it sums up Gordon's achievements and was sung again at his Memorial Service at Albrighton.
The climax of the WGMA autumn weekend was undoubtedly the presentation to Gordon and Isabella of a framed illuminated address, designed and calligraphed by Don Grimshaw, in appreciation of their tireless efforts in masterminding the WGMA, nurturing and guiding it from its humble beginnings to its present status, and the singing once again of "Listen, O Isles" in their honour. They are seen here with the Association's new chairman and the composer of the anthem, Mike Bailey.
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