Former Moray Councillor and community worker Lorna Crewell BEM from Forres is finally learning to play saxophone, 25 years later
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A LOCAL volunteer and former Moray Councillor is blowing audiences away with the musical skills she’s picked up since retiring.
Great-grandmother Lorna Crewell of High Street, recently played saxophone on stage at Forres Town Hall with local group Soul Food Café in front of more than 300 people, despite only having taken up the instrument a few years ago.
“Maybe by my 80th I’ll have been asked to form a band,” said the 70-year-old, “who knows?
“I encourage everyone to take up an instrument.
“It’s good for our health and wellbeing!”
Lorna initially attempted to learn nearly 25-years-ago, having used the funds from the leaving fund her colleagues collected when she changed workplace from Forres House Community Centre to Elgin Town Hall.
She said: “However, I’d no time to practice at home so I gave up! Decades later, as I was nearing the end of my time as a councillor, I decided I would return to past interests and hobbies so I resumed lessons nearer home. Since then, I’ve been attending every week and try to practice every day. Learning an instrument in later life is challenging - reading music is like learning a new language.”
Lorna has so far played for audiences at town hall coffee mornings, an open mic session in the Nairn and Forres community centres, as well as in St Leonard’s Church.
She said: “I’ll keep taking the opportunities where I can, if invited. I like to play with others but have no intention of sitting music exams or getting any grades!”
Lorna is partly following in the footsteps of her late father, a big band player in Aberdeen.
“He didn’t read music, he played by ear,” she said. “He enjoyed Glen Miller, dance music, Sinatra etc, as well as the post-war songs I grew up with. At the moment, I’m enjoying blues and jazz most.”
