88-year-old man passes Grade 8 piano, 67yrs after Grade 7
In a remarkable feat, an 88-year-old retired reverend from England's Kilham, East Yorkshire, has passed his Grade 8 piano exam—the highest practical graded music exam in the UK—with distinction. Ray Eveleigh achieved the feat nearly seven decades after he passed his Grade 7 piano exam. Eveleigh's extraordinary journey has caught the attention of local media outlets including BBC radio and television, as well as newspapers.
'Don't want to spend my life dozing in an armchair'
When approached about his achievement, the senior musician said, per The Guardian, "I'm surprised that it caught attention with so much publicity, because there is so much news around..." But he explained how the piano has kept him going. "You know, sometimes, obviously at my age, I get very tired. And sometimes I think: 'This is no good. I don't want to spend my life dozing in an armchair. Come on, Eveleigh, get up and play the piano.'"
Eveleigh's musical journey and preparation for the exam
Not an ideal student, Eveleigh's love for music was rekindled at Cardiff University, where he met his wife Brenda, a soprano at the Royal College of Music and Drama. Brenda's requirement for an accompanist made Eveleigh take music more seriously. And, it was inspired by Brenda and their musician daughter Jenny Bray that Eveleigh decided to attempt the Grade 8 exam. He prepared for the tough test over six months with online lessons from teacher Ann Martin-Davis.
'The art of playing music...is a long-term thing'
Eveleigh encouraged others to nurture their creativity in any form. He believes that everyone has talents and creativity in fields like art/writing. For the young, he emphasized the importance of persistence in artistic endeavors despite frustrations. "The art of playing music or painting or writing poetry or writing novels is a long-term thing. You don't get immediate satisfaction," he said. "But I would say that it's the most worthwhile task in life, to make music and do it well."
