MAURICE PROVIDED ‘SOUNDTRACK’ TO LIFE IN VILLAGE FOR 70 YEARS...
Church organist performed at countless weddings, funerals as well as concerts
TRIBUTES have been paid to a Stoke City season ticket holder and church organist who has died at the age of 85.
Maurice Clowes , who was a musician for 70 years, died last week at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.
During his life, Maurice, of Ipstones, played at countless weddings, funerals and concerts all across the Staffordshire Moorlands.
Born in Foxt, he moved to Ipstones following his marriage to teenage sweetheart Barbara. They had a bungalow built in the village and lived there all of their 59 years of married life.
Mr Clowes started playing the piano as a child. A committed Christian, he was organist and music group leader at Ipstones Methodist Church for more than 50 years.
During his working life he was a printer at the Cheadle and Tean Times newspaper. He later went on to be the printing manager at Britannia in Leek.
Following his retirement, he worked as a volunteer at the Good Samaritans.
In his spare time Maurice loved gardening, cricket, and was a season ticket holder at Stoke City for many years.
Eldest son Anthony said: “At this time of sadness, our overwhelming feeling is one of deep gratitude for the time that we spent with my dad.
“He was a lovely Christian man.
Thank you for all the kind messages of love and support that we have received during the past week.”
Friend and a member of Ipstones Methodist Church, Joan Mitchell, said: “The Lord was smiling down on Ipstones when in April 1962 Maurice, a Foxt lad, and Barbara, from Ipstones Edge, married at Ipstones Methodist Church and moved into their new bungalow.
“Individually they would have been assets to the life of the village and the Methodist Church in particular, but together they were an enormous blessing.
“There are probably very few methodist churches in the former Cheadle circuit where he has not played for some occasion.
“His sensitivity and capability as an organist were renowned. A preacher could produce any piece of music at the last minute and he would play it faultlessly.
“As well as the traditional and well-loved hymns synonymous with Methodism, Maurice introduced us and taught us the tunes of many modern and meaningful choruses and songs.
“He took our choir, which was virtually our congregation, to the final of the BBC church choir competition when Stuart Townend’s modern version of The Lord’s my Shepherd took us to second place.
“There will be few Ipstones families for whom Maurice has not played for a family wedding or funeral and, in fact, there is one family for whom Maurice played at the weddings of three generations.
“Many pupils and parents of St Mildred’s Primary School, at
Whiston, will remember Maurice for his playing and training for many of Roger Jones’ musicals.
“Maurice also took on the formation of a WI choir and accompanied us to several performances.
“With all these time-consuming and usually unpaid challenges, never once did Maurice suggest that a willing participant was unsuitable.
“No child at St Mildred’s was ever told that they could not sing – something that many music leaders could learn a lot from.” Maurice played for Food and Fellowship, the Senior Citizens, the Fire Service
Christmas Carol Service, as well as leading the methodist congregation round the village.
Don’t think that Maurice was just a serious man – far from it,” added Joan. “He has played in many a Two Ronnies sketch and taken part in much entertainment of a far less serious nature.
“He has shouted, gently, at the Stoke City boys when they didn’t do as he expected them to and then return home to cook home made chips for us.”
Maurice leaves Barbara, their children – Anthony, Peter and Gillian – along with six grandchildren.