On 2 December 2011, George Ogden, resident of Hawthorn Mill, had the thrill of a lifetime when Wetherby Silver Band performed his Hawthorn Mill March at the Women’s Institute Christmas Concert at Pudsey Civic Hall.
A recording of the performance is available below – enjoy!
from the winter 2011 tenant newsletter|:
George Ogden has lived a life full of music. The 90 year-old tenant of Hawthorn Mill, Connect’s sheltered housing scheme for over-55s, has played piano, organ and accordion from the age of nine. He began to write music when he was 20, and has performed in every sort of social club, church club and sports community – and not least of all in many Hawthorn Mill social events.
One of his lifelong ambitions, to hear a Yorkshire brass band perform one of his original compositions, became reality when the Wetherby Silver Band recorded ‘The Hawthorn Mill March’, which Mr Ogden wrote as a tribute to his home and community. Connect staff had contacted the Yorkshire & Humberside Brass Band Association and arranged for the march to be transcribed to a score suitable for brass band, and a permanent recording of the piece, in all its brassy beauty, is now available for Mr Ogden and other Hawthorn Mill tenants to enjoy.
Mr Ogden had the opportunity to meet the band and hear his march played live on 2 December, when the Wetherby Silver Band performed at the Women’s Institute Christmas Concert at Pudsey Civic Hall.
And it’s not just Mr Ogden who’s enjoying the glow of success: for all of the effort that went to helping him achieve his dreams, Connect was a finalist in the Bloom Awards, which recognises excellence in improving the quality of life of older people.
Sue Hendry, Senior Scheme Manager at Hawthorn Mill, was thrilled, saying ‘The example of his achievement will be an inspiration for other tenants for years to come. Our motto is it’s never too late.’