Ballymena Mayor honours organist

Friday September 26th 2008

Mayor of Ballymena, Councillor Maurice Mills, with local music teacher Robert Farren and his wife Maureen, at a special reception for Robert to mark his retirement. Photo courtesy of the Ballymena Times A familiar face at the organ in several Church of Ireland parishes was recently honoured for his musical accomplishments with a reception hosted by the Mayor of Ballymena.

At the function Ballymena's First Citizen Councillor Maurice Mills, presented pianist and music teacher Robert Farren, LTCL, LRAM, ARCM, ARIAM, CMT, FTCL, with a civic plaque.

The 82-year-old, who originally hails from Omagh, married Broughshane woman Maureen Cummings and held various teaching posts before becoming Head of Music at Cambridge House School for Girls, Ballymena, where he taught until his retirement.

Robert has attained around 20 degrees in music from performance in piano, accompaniment on piano to performance degrees on the organ.

He was organist in many churches and retired as organist of the Church of Ireland, Randalstown, some three years ago but still plays the organ as required in St Patrick's Church of Ireland, Broughshane, where he lives.

He is much in demand as organist and pianist/accompanist throughout the province for weddings, funerals and many special concerts. He is also fluent in French.

From an original report by Elinor Glynn, Ballymena Times.