Organist calls time on stops (From Bucks Free Press)

Organist calls time on stops

9:18am Sunday 27th March 2005

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A POPULAR church organist is retiring after giving 36 years of service to a church in High Wycombe and raising thousands of pounds for charity.

Jane Crompton, 60, of Cressex Road, High Wycombe, has been a leading member of St Augustine's Roman Catholic Church, through her musical contributions as the church organist and choir conductor.

Every Christmas since her father's death in 1969 Mrs Crompton has organised St Augustine's choir to sing carols in the Octagon and Chiltern's shopping centres raising more than £1,000 per year for the Iain Rennie Hospice.

And despite being a self-confessed Anglican, Mrs Crompton was personally acknowledged by the head of the Roman Catholic Church and presented with a papal certificate for her immense contribution to church music in 1993. Mrs Crompton was first introduced to St Augustine's via her Catholic husband Michael after they moved from London to High Wycombe in 1968.

She said: "I am not really an organist, just a piano player but it was quite easy to transfer my skills.

"I was only meant to be filling in until they found someone permanently."

From the outset, the church has been quick to recognise the generosity and talents of their organ player, even changing their parish boundary to ensure that she was not tempted to leave to attend the closer Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady's Grace in Booker.

Church member and close personal friend Sheila Mawhood, said: "Jane is an institution and in my humble opinion is quite unique and a very special person."

Mrs Crompton told the Star she was leaving for the choir's sake, but will continue to give private piano lessons in the Wycombe area and participate as a member of the Wycombe Choral Society.

She said: "I think they need someone younger now to lead them on, although I love them very much."

Mrs Crompton will be giving her farewell performance at the annual church concert at St Augustine's Church, Daws Hill, on Friday, June 10.

But she added: "I really hope to keep in touch with everybody and I will always be available to stand in for the organist otherwise I will just sit quietly at the back as quiet as a church dormouse."

Mrs Crompton is a music teacher at St Augustine's School and worked at St Bernard's RC School, Wycombe High School, Crown House School, Highworth Combined School and Wellesbourne School.

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