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Graham Morrison

Obituary of Graham Morrison; organist, choirmaster, teacher and composer; born 21 May, 1949, in Edinburgh; died 29 January, 2007, in Edinburgh, aged 57. Morrison studied the organ with Dr Denis Townhill, of St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh, and composition with the renowned Welsh composer William Mathias.

His grounding was in the playing of the organ for church services where he quickly gained renown not only for his skill at the organ, but also for his sympathetic interpretation of the words of the hymns. Aged 15, he was given his first appointment as an organist at the Leith Methodist Church and, while still in his teens, he won a William Baird Ross Trust organ competition. The trust is dedicated to encourage the work of Scottish church organists.

Outside his working life, he served as the musical director at the Methodist Central Hall, in Edinburgh's Tollcross, for 37 years. Although being brought up in the Church of Scotland, he embraced Methodism with enthusiasm and took a full part in the life of the church. He also served as the organ advisor to the Methodist Church in Scotland.

Full story at The Scotsman.