John Fairbairn (Obituary)
by
Everyone in the Accordion and Fiddle club scene in the Borders was stunned by the sudden and untimely death of John Fairbairn, Chairman of the Galashiels club.
John was a stalwart at all of the local Clubs, and his support will be sorely missed by many. He was happy to play alongside any club player, no matter how inexperienced. When asked who he would like to support him, he would always say, “It doesn’t matter, just whoever hasn’t had a turn yet.”
He was known as ‘The Gentle Giant’, and had a kind and friendly word for everyone he met.
Although John had considerable musical talent as a bandleader, in recent years he had been best known as second box player in David Scott’s Glenelvan Scottish Dance Band. Their second Take the Floor broadcast was aired less than three weeks before his death.
Local musicians packed the church in Galashiels, and the graveyard at Bowden. There were no hymns, but fellow band members Jim Nichol and Judith Linton played piano and fiddle.
Our sympathies go to John’s father and to his many close friends.
There were numerous floral tributes at his funeral, and a collection for Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland and Ward 14 of Borders General Hospital
David Scott wrote this poem:
He played with grace, he played with flair,
Sad to say, we’ll hear nae mair.
A better friend, you wouldn’t find,
He was so gentle, and so kind.
Big John, my friend of twenty years,
Now an empty chair, and lots of tears.
But life goes on, or so they say,
When next we meet we’ll have some day!!
Until that day I shall carry on,
Miss you always, my friend John…..
Box and Fiddle
May 2003
John was a stalwart at all of the local Clubs, and his support will be sorely missed by many. He was happy to play alongside any club player, no matter how inexperienced. When asked who he would like to support him, he would always say, “It doesn’t matter, just whoever hasn’t had a turn yet.”
He was known as ‘The Gentle Giant’, and had a kind and friendly word for everyone he met.
Although John had considerable musical talent as a bandleader, in recent years he had been best known as second box player in David Scott’s Glenelvan Scottish Dance Band. Their second Take the Floor broadcast was aired less than three weeks before his death.
Local musicians packed the church in Galashiels, and the graveyard at Bowden. There were no hymns, but fellow band members Jim Nichol and Judith Linton played piano and fiddle.
Our sympathies go to John’s father and to his many close friends.
There were numerous floral tributes at his funeral, and a collection for Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland and Ward 14 of Borders General Hospital
David Scott wrote this poem:
He played with grace, he played with flair,
Sad to say, we’ll hear nae mair.
A better friend, you wouldn’t find,
He was so gentle, and so kind.
Big John, my friend of twenty years,
Now an empty chair, and lots of tears.
But life goes on, or so they say,
When next we meet we’ll have some day!!
Until that day I shall carry on,
Miss you always, my friend John…..
Box and Fiddle
May 2003