Gordon first started attending BSO concerts with his first wife, Pauline, in October 1984 when the couple moved to Lymington, Hampshire. As great lovers of the Orchestra, Gordon and Pauline held the same seats in the gallery of Poole’s concert hall for every week of each BSO concert season until 2002.

Sadly, Pauline passed away in 2003 but Gordon continued to attend the Orchestra’s concerts with an elderly neighbour and his love of orchestral music remained strong.

When Gordon remarried to long-time friend, Christine, at the age of ninety, he was happy to have a companion to attend concerts with again.

For Gordon, what makes classical music so special is “the pure pleasure of listening” and “how [the musicians] can produce these wonderful sounds”.

He says he appreciates music from “Mozart and Beethoven…to some of the more modern music” but has “no particular preference”. For him so much of it is about “marvelling at the expertise of the musicians”.

100-year old Gordon sits in a cafe at Lighthouse, Poole to celebrate his birthday ahead of concert

Gordon enjoys pre-concert tea and cake at Lighthouse, Poole

Growing up in Glasgow, Gordon joined the Royal Navy as a young man when World War II broke out and is a D-day veteran, proudly holding a Legion of Honour. He came to music later in life, saying that he “never had the opportunity” to listen to classical music as a child.

Since moving to Lymington, Gordon has also been a keen champion of the arts and was part of the team that set up the thriving St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery in Lymington, which now holds a national reputation.

Of his life Gordon says; “I’ve always said: a life well lived” and credits that ‘life well lived’ now to things like “friends like this who bring me out”, referring to the two neighbours who brought him and his now wife, Christine, along to the concert this week.

CEO of the BSO, Dougie Scarfe OBE and BSO musicians Jesper Svedberg, Vicky Berry and Hannah Renton all popped down to wish Gordon many happy returns on his special day.

We were delighted to play music for Gordon during the very special week of his 100th birthday. Happy Birthday, Gordon!