Mr. McNeil Warner is a well-known figure in the local community and his list of achievements is considerable. As an educator, he taught at Ord Road and Central Schools, served as assistant principal at the Prospect Secondary School for Boys and principal at Robert Crawford. He was twice seconded to the Ministry of Education and initiated the day release, community school and Police cadet schemes in schools.

He has served on the boards of numerous Government and private boards ranging from education to the Bermuda Festival, National Trust and Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club management committee.

He was also the first chairman of Crime Stoppers Bermuda.

A member of Christ Church, Devonshire, he has also served its vestry as well as the synod of the Anglican Church of Bermuda. In addition, he is a past director of the Board of Christian Education at the annual conference of the AME Church in Bermuda.

Mr. Warner holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Central State University in Ohio, and Master of Arts degree from the University of Maryland.

The following feature focuses on his sixty years as a church organist.

He was just 15 years old when a telephone call came early one Sunday morning which would change the course of his sabbaths for a lifetime.

Mrs. Minnie Tucker, organist at Bethel AME Church, was ill and she wanted the teenager to fill in for her at both the morning and evening services.

It was a tall order for any youngster, and McNeil Warner recalls that he "started to shake then and there'', but since his mother had been the principal fund-raiser for the church's new pipe organ, he felt somewhat obliged to accept.

Granted, the lad had been studying piano with Mrs. Cecily Caisey, during which time he had successfully passed several Royal Schools of Music examinations, and had also experimented on the new organ, but he had never actually played for a whole congregation before.

Nonetheless, he gave it his best shot and did so well that the thought occurred: "Maybe I should study the organ''. For their part, the church trustees were so impressed that they invited the young neophyte to become Bethel's assistant organist.

Thus it was that Mr. Warner began studying the organ after school, first with Mr. Ottiwell Burch, organist at Richard Allen AME Church in St. George's, and then with Mr. John Bridge, organist at the Anglican Cathedral. Later he would continue his studies with Professor Henry Garcia at Central State University in Ohio.

At Bethel, he was assigned to play for both services on the third Sunday of every month -- an arrangement which continued until he left to attend Central State University in Ohio. Little did he realise that through these first steps, he would be setting the course for a lifetime link between himself and church music.

In fact, last Sunday the 75-year-old celebrated his 60th anniversary as a church organist. In the intervening years he has played for various denominations, and services of all descriptions, including funerals, weddings and christenings.

At both Bethel and Christ Church Devonshire, he has played a key role in fund-raising by inviting foreign artists to perform in benefit concerts.

Tracing his path as an organist, Mr. Warner says: "After I returned from college I assisted at Bethel from 1940-1958, and then became the official organist from 1958-61 after Mrs. Tucker became ill. I was also in charge of the choir, and during my tenure it was reputed to be one of the best in Bermuda.'' Not least, one suspects, because it included his American-born wife, Florence, who had trained at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York.

"She was a great asset,'' Mr. Warner admits. "She first came to Bermuda in 1964 to give a recital, and we married in 1966. In fact, November 12 was a double anniversary -- my 60th as a church organist, and our 34th as husband and wife.'' In 1964 Mr. Warner was appointed Minister of Music at Bethel by its American pastor, the Rev. Joseph Whalen, whose son, Joseph Jr., is here as minister of the Central Methodist Circuit.

"It was a new concept in Bermuda,'' Mr. Warner notes.

This arrangement continued until 1987 when the ensuing minister's wife turned out to be an organist and, for economic reasons, took over his duties.

"I didn't mind because at the time because I was also playing at St.

Patrick's,'' Mr. Warner explains. "I did the Saturday night and the early Sunday morning masses there, and prior to her arrival I would also go back to Bethel for its services.'' In 1987, in addition to playing at St. Patrick's, he also became the organist at Christ Church, Devonshire -- a post he still holds, and one which he says keeps him very busy because of the large number of weddings which take place there, as well as funerals. He also trains the choir.

Of all the organist's church experiences there are only two which really annoy him: brides who are late, and people who treat his post-service postlude as background music to their chatter.

"There have been times when the bride has been an hour late, and on one occasion I left the church. The bride knows the time of her wedding day before anyone else, so there is no excuse,'' he says. "Normally, I start playing five to ten minutes before she arrives, and I tell people I'm not paid to give an organ recital. Sometimes, even after the bride has arrived very late, she then stands around outside with the wedding party having pictures taken.'' As for the organ postlude, the organist says: "It does annoy me that people stand around in the church talking over the music instead of going outside.

Definitely they are not listening, so I just stop sometimes.'' The organ interlude, which Canon Francis, rector of Christ Church, Devonshire, introduced during the service, is also taken seriously.

"I think it is a time for people to reflect, and I try to play something which they will relate to: negro spirituals or a familiar hymn,'' Mr. Warner explains. "Lots of times you hear the congregation humming along, and often people say, `That piece was really for me this morning'. You never know what people go through during the course of the week, and they come to church for solace and strength, which is gratifying.'' Despite his long years of experience, Mr. Warner still practices regularly in order to keep his dexterity sharp.

"A lot of work is required of organists,'' he assures. "It's not just a matter of sitting down at the instrument. The organ sets the tone for a service, and you have to be very conscious of that.''