Judy Grimm began playing the organ at Bordertown Methodist Church in 1951 and continues to play occasionally at Drysdale Uniting Church services.
By Andrew Humphries
In 1951 Robert Menzies was Prime Minister, Australia, New Zealand and the United States signed the Anzus Treaty and we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Federation.
It was also the year a nervous 15-year-old girl began playing the organ at Bordertown Methodist Church’s worship services.
Seventy-five years later, Judy Grimm continues to play the instrument she fell in love with as a child, and is the musical heart of Drysdale Uniting Church services.
Yet none of it would have happened without a conversation the then 11-year-old had with her father.
While the organ held plenty of appeal for Judy at that age, she wasn’t so keen on the type of music involved when practising, and that’s when her dad stepped in.
“I remember I had a deep and meaningful conversation with him about whether I wanted to continue learning how to play,” Judy recalls.
“I said yes I did, but only if I could learn to play hymns.”
The rest, as they say, is history and, in 1951 at the age of 15, Judy began playing at evening services at Bordertown before also taking on morning services the following year.
Perhaps modestly, Judy doesn’t see anything particularly impressive about someone so young playing in front of a congregation.
“In those days lots of people went to church and many people learnt to play the piano, so a 15-year-old organist wasn’t that unusual,” Judy says.
“I don’t think my age even came into it.
“I do recall being nervous, though, before that first time I played because I wanted to do it well.”
Judy says she has played at hundreds of weddings and funerals over the years, and at worship services in many different churches, even Cairns in Far North Queensland while on holiday with her husband Keith one year.
“I have never aspired to play anything I felt was beyond me, but there is plenty of nice music that can be played,” says organist Judy Grimm.
“Wherever we went on holiday we always went to church and, this particular Sunday, we were on holiday in Cairns when the minister’s wife asked me to play,” she says.
“I’ve certainly had quite an interesting time as an organist over the years.”
Judy and Keith moved from Bordertown to Clifton Springs in 1992, having discovered the area two years earlier when visiting during Keith’s role as District Governor with Rotary, and she has been one of the organists at Drysdale Uniting Church ever since.
One of Judy’s highlights as an organist was a visit to the Methodist Central Hall next to Westminster Abbey in London and an opportunity to have a chat with the organist after the service.
She also takes great pride in the fact she played at the large service in Bordertown in 1977 marking the formation of the Uniting Church in Australia.
“That was a wonderful event with all of the churches from the district gathered in the town hall and a choir of about 50 people from the various Methodist churches in the area singing while I played,” Judy recalls.
“I can remember the occasion vividly, even down to describing exactly what I wore that day.”
So what is it that brings Judy so much joy when she sits in front of the organ to play?
“I just love the act of worship through music and I always try to play things that are appropriate to the theme of each service,” she says.
“I still get a great deal of pleasure out of it, although I know I can’t play as well now as I used to.”
The key, she says, is playing some of the more traditional and well-known hymns and sacred music.
For many years she loved practising and playing with the Drysdale choir.
“I have never aspired to play anything I felt was beyond me, but there is plenty of nice music that can be played,” Judy says.
While she turned 90 in February, Judy plans to continue playing at Drysdale Uniting Church on an occasional basis.
“I haven’t actually said I will retire yet, and I do still play on the first Sunday of each month,” she says.
“The congregation has always been appreciative of what I do, so hopefully I can continue for some time yet.”
