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People
People who were involved in ArtServe or its predecessor MCMS.
Patricia Rock, who died on 21 May 2015 aged 83, was an enthusiastic musician and a long-standing member of the Methodist Church Music Society and subsequently of ArtServe.
Pat attended her first MCMS conference in 1959. She became MCMS assistant lay secretary in 1985 and by 1988 had also taken over as membership secretary. She became treasurer in 1990, a position she held along with that of membership secretary until 1997. She was then elected an honorary member of MCMS and continued to attend annual conferences regularly until her health made this too difficult.
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Margaret Higson, who died on 13 April 2015, was our pastoral secretary and had served ArtServe and its predecessor MCMS in that capacity for many years.
She was also administrator for the ArtServe long service awards, which are given to those recognised by their local church for their outstanding contribution to the arts in worship. Margaret co-ordinated the paperwork, liaised with our calligrapher, and ensured the certificate was delivered in time, often taking it along herself to represent ArtServe at the presentation.
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The Revd Bryan Spinney was foremost a true minister of the word and sacraments of the church and a real pastor to those in need. However he was also very interested in all aspects of church music and although not himself a singer or musician of any note he was a great encourager of anyone who felt called to a Ministry of Music.
Bryan was thrilled to be elected as a member of the executive committee of the Methodist Church Music Society in the 1970s, a body that he loyally served for many years. He was soon appointed as the editor of the MCMS Bulletin (subsequently called Notes) the contents of which soon reflected his imaginative leadership.
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Graham was a Methodist minister in local appointment, serving in two circuits from his home base in Shrivenham. He was also part of the chaplaincy team at the Defence Academy in nearby Swindon. Along with his wife Stella, Graham was MCMS conference co-ordinator before becoming chair. He did both jobs with sincerity and great pastoral insight, looking to the needs of individuals as they were well known to him. He then became the first chair of ArtServe, stepping down at the 2010 AGM.
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At the time of her death on 20 June 2011, aged 97 years, Freda Head was among the oldest living contributors to Hymns and Psalms. Two of her hymns are in that book: Lord, hear our prayer for this new year (day) (357), and Your will for us and others, Lord (398). Her membership of the main committee for the publication of that hymn book arose from a great interest in hymns.
Freda wrote hymns and poetry over many years and was also choirmistress in Hailsham, East Sussex where her late husband Gordon was organist.
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