A LASTING memorial to a much-loved music master from Helston has been placed outside the town’s parish church just in time for the summer.

Friends of George Shutter have spent the last few months fundraising for a hand carved bench to be placed outside St Michael’s Church.

The churchyard was chosen due to its location just down the road from Helston Community College, where Mr Shutter taught from around the time it was opened as the new comprehensive school until the late 1980s. It also reflects his role of relief organist for St Michael's - as well as for the town's Methodist and Catholic churches, plus being a regular organist at Wendron Church and RNAS Culdrose.

On Thursday an oak bench, bearing a brass memorial plaque, was officially unveiled and blessed by Canon David Miller following the midweek communion service.

Mike Thomas, who has been behind the project along with Isabell and Johnny Austin, said: “I’m very grateful for the support of people who knew George and from those who only heard about him through the stories of others.”

He also thanked Helston Community College for providing the brass plaque and St Michael’s Church for agreeing for the bench to be placed in the churchyard.

The bench has been made by Pete Trimble, who has a workshop at Tresprison.

The full cost of the bench has been covered by donations, with some money left over afterwards. It is now hoped that with a few extra donations a cheque for around £150 can be given to the music department at Helston Community College, to help cover the cost of tuning the grand piano there that Mr Shutter so loved playing.

The talented musician died on January 9, 2014 at the age of 79. He was known to generations of students in Helston, teaching from 1961 until the late 1980s - first at Gwealhellis School, the secondary modern, and then when it combined with the town’s grammar school and the ‘Green School’ in Penrose Road he became head of music at the newly formed Helston School.

Mr Shutter was a keen walker and bird watcher who travelled to far flung places including Tahiti, Bora Bora and Easter Island to see rare birds, butterflies and flowers.

His love of nature was only matched by his love of music. A talented and versatile musician who played the organ, harpsichord, keyboard and harp, he got involved in almost all musical projects in the town – whether it was for Helston Theatre Company, Helston Methodist Church Drama Group or as rehearsal pianist for Helston Chamber Choir – plus further afield with the Miracle Theatre Company and Duchy Singers.