at any of them. Not as a social butterfly but on keyboards.

It is a God-given talent that the St. George's resident has been using since the age of six. Even though she's now 72, Miss Callabras has no thoughts of throwing away the keys, so to speak.

Apart from being the organist at St. Peter's church west, she is a part-time organist for Richard Allen AME church, and is also "on call'' for other churches when the regular organist is absent.

"Rev. Lowe told me, `Girl, I wish I could play like you!','' she smiles.

"It's a gift, but you know, the organ isn't really my thing. My first love is the piano.'' Nonetheless, when Miss Callabras is in church, no matter what the event, she gets right into it the spirit of the occasion and gives it her all.

"Sometimes I shed a tear or two at funerals,'' she admits.

As the church organist, of course, she has the regular commitment of Sunday morning worship, but must also be available for funerals as they occur.

Weddings give her more time to prepare, though the unexpected can occur.

"I had a bride who wanted to sing a solo to her husband while they were at the altar,'' she related. "She came down to my house the night before, hummed the tune once, and I picked it up right away. It was a pretty song too, and she sang it beautifully. I've also had to play for a husband singing a solo to his wife.'' Though Miss Callabras was born into a musical family -- her seven sisters and one brother all learned to play an instrument -- practising didn't come naturally.

"When I was six I didn't want to take music lessons, but my parents were very strict. My mother showed me a stick and said she'd switch my legs if I didn't get out the door! I thought she was hard, but I'm glad she kept after me.'' Indeed, it is thanks to her mother's persistence that Miss Callabras is able to look back on a long and varied career that shows no signs of ending.

"I've been from Somerset to St. George's and played with every orchestra in Bermuda,'' she said proudly. "There's not a hotel or guest house -- big or small -- that I haven't played in. I also played many times at Government House for cocktails, dinner and dancing.'' Incredibly, her public career began at age 13 when Miss Callabras began playing the piano for local big bands.

"There were ten to 12 people in those bands and I could play anything they put in front of me,'' she said.

Wasn't that a bit young? "No, because when I was 121 my teacher stopped the lessons. She said, `Now you're ready for the road. You can play jazz or anything','' the pianist recalled.

And of course, throughout her student days in St. George's she also played in school concerts.

"From age 13 I was just going on and on,'' is how Miss Callabras describes her development.

Looking back on her nightclub circuit career, the soft-spoken woman's eyes light up as she recalls pleasing the visitors with her touch.

"I got a name for myself because people said I played such nice, smooth music. Even though I could play anything, I liked smooth ballads, waltzes, cha-cha's, calypso and musicals best,'' she remembered. "Visitors would come looking for me year after year. Once, in a hotel, a guy said he felt like taking me home with him! I've met some lovely people. I really miss all that, you know.'' Asked how she kept such a big and varied repertoire in her head, she replied: "Once I start playing, songs just keep coming to me.'' Even now, she will sometimes sit down at her piano and play for three hours without repeating anything -- an ability that stands her in good stead at any occasion.

"That's why people give me so much credit -- I know what to play for the right occasion,'' Miss Callabras said.

Asked what she thinks of today's music, she harrumphs: "Well, they call it music but I don't know what it is. To me, modern music has no melody that you can really listen to. It's just blasting and noisy.'' And Miss Callabras doesn't like noise -- she once had to take time out to let her ears heal from the accumulated damage of playing next to drummers' bashing cymbals.

Looking back on a career whose highlights included accompanying singer Gloria Lynn on a trip to the Island, Miss Callabras feels part of the reason why local musicians have trouble getting work today is their unrealistic approach.

"I don't see how they can expect to get along in life because they demand big money and don't do the job right. They'll go to a little restaurant, for example, and want big money. Well, it doesn't work that way.'' Asked what was the worst thing that had happened in her nightclub career, Miss Callabras said: "Well . .. sometimes I'd get annoyed with the other musicians because they'd be drinking and not be playing properly, but that wasn't often.'' Trios, quartets, limbo dancers and gombeys -- Miss Callabras has been involved with them all. And that was just at night. During the day, she earned her living as a domestic and a babysitter.

"Sometimes I taught the children piano too!'' she laughs.

In fact, she still teaches piano to a few students -- one an adult -- but generally she's given it up.

"After a while, the kids got so fresh they wanted to tell me how to play! I said, `Forget it','' she explained.

So if you passing her door today and hear scales, it's not children doing what they dislike most, but Miss Callabras keeping her big fingers supple.

"As long as the good Lord keeps me moving and doing my job, I intend to keep on,'' she promised.

MUSIC MAKER -- Preparing for a service at St. Peter's church west in St.

George's, Miss Muriel Callabras pauses to reflect on a long keyboard career that includes her first love, the piano.