Awards for two British Columbia music-makers

By Barb Brouwer

SALMON ARM, BC — Two mainstays of the Salmon Arm music scene
were given much-deserved recognition on the weekend.

Tom Brighouse and Jim Johnston received awards from the BC
Choral Federation – Brighouse the Herbert Kent Award for long-term
participation in choirs and choral singing, and Johnston, the Joyce
O. Maguire Award for outstanding, long-term service as a choral
accompanist.

The two were nominated by Stephen Plant, current BCCF North
Okanagan rep, who in a letter of nomination described Brighouse as
Salmon Arm’s Mr. Music for more than 50 years.

“Known for his quick wit and his unflappable cool, Tom is also
admired for his infectious passion for music-making, which has
touched many lives in the community,” wrote Plant.

With his usual wit, Brighouse describes his musical roots in
Lancashire, England where a red-haired lady taught him piano for
two years until she died.

The village postmaster, a Welshman with very large hands, took
over for another couple of years.