Colourful, soul-stirring tributes, musically and verbally, were paid to Captain Horace Richard Stanley Gibbons, MBE, ED, the Retired Bandmaster of the Bermuda Regiment when his funeral service was held a week ago at St Peter’s Anglican Church in St George’s.Former colleagues from the Regiment, the public school system, church leaders, family and friends eulogised him as a trail-blazing musical giant, an exemplary officer and Christian gentleman, a uniquely skilled, stimulating public school music and mathematics teacher. And over and above everything else a devoted husband for more than 72 years of Artimeza and father of their three sons and two daughters.Officiating at the service was the St Peter’s Rector, the Rev David Rath. The sermon was peached by the Pastor of Richard Allen AME Church. The Captain’s Christian walk and musical career began at Richard Allen when he was a schoolboy.Following the service, his flag-draped coffin was marched through the town for committal in the AME cemetery. The choir of Richard Allen led the congregational singing of the great hymns that characterised the Captain’s life.The Regiment Band led the march. They had formed a guard of honour on the steps of the historic church as old soldiers serving as pallbearers led the procession into the church.Special instrumental tributes were rendered by former bandmasters, Majors Kenneth Dill and his brother Barrett Dill. The Richard Allen Choir led the powerful congregational singing of the Captain’s favourite hymns and the Bermuda Militia Artillery (BMA) hymn which he had written long before the Regiment was formed.Captain Gibbons was the first Bermudian Bandmaster and Director of Music for the Bermuda Regiment. Prior to that, the local forces were serviced by expatriate British officers. The absorbing story of how Captain Gibbons set out to reverse that custom, and ensure Bermuda would never need anyone other than a Bermudian officer was related by the man he groomed to be his successor, Major Kenneth Dill.See the text of his tribute on the following page.Other tributes apart from the music were articulated, portraying Horace Gibbons as an ambitious, industrious youth, an honest, unassuming, devout Christian gentleman; a leader and public servant who freely gave of his time and talent with a refreshing, memorable wit and humour. Speakers included former principals of the old St George’s Secondary School, Rev Erskine Simmons and MP Dale Butler, as well as Rev Gilbert Hayward, Canon Thomas Nisbett, himself an old BMA, and a godson, former town councillor Lewis (Red) DeSilva. Daughter Dr. Mellisa Gibbons Tankard shared the reading of the obituary with two of her father’s grandchildren.Bandmaster Gibbons was a long-serving member of Hannibal Masonic Lodge. Members in full regalia performed their rites at the graveside.