Legendary guitarist picks up MBE
Legendary guitarist and Charity Champ, Gordon Giltrap, has picked up his MBE from Buckingham Palace, for services to music following a hugely successful career spanning six decades.
Gordon was presented with his MBE at Buckingham Palace by HRH Prince Charles, and was joined on the day by his family and friends, including his wife Hilary.
Gordon has been a fantastic supporter of QEHB Charity, raising money by releasing a new album, called Heartsongs, with all proceeds going to the Charity.
Gordon said: “March 7th 2019 is a day we as a family will never forget! This wonderful honour has been so special for us and may have gone a small way towards healing the wounds of grief since the loss of Jamie at the beginning of 2018.
“I know he would have been thrilled, and maybe his spirit was with us during the events at Buckingham Palace yesterday.”
Speaking of the moment that he met Prince Charles, Gordon said: “When I had a brief chat with his Royal Highness yesterday his final words were along the lines of ‘I hope this MBE will encourage you to carry on with what you do’. I am determined to do justice to the honour that has been bestowed on me.”
Gordon was not the only musician receiving an honour at the Palace. He was joined by violinist Nicola Benedetti. Gordon said: “It was such a thrill to have met the great Nicola Benedetti and to read her words of inspiration on receiving her honour for services to music.
“One paragraph of her posting stood out and inspired me, and one I could wholeheartedly relate to was the following when speaking about music. "It shakes us out of our routine and connects us with higher purpose". Such powerful words. Music that touches the heart has what I call "a resonance of truth" when it connects us with higher purpose.”
Gordon wanted to pass along his thanks to all those who had been part of his musical journey, saying: “My heartfelt thanks go to all of you who have sent such lovely messages of congratulations. Final thanks go to my lovely family and to my beloved Hilary who has never ever stopped believing in me for the past 33 years, and to Carrie Martin without whom it would never have come to fruition.
“Whatever the future holds I hope I can continue to inspire more people to find their own voice on the guitar via my Sharing Days and Teaching Weekends and help players unlock their own creative gifts like I did so many years ago!”
Justine Davy, Head of Fundraising at QEHB Charity, said: “On behalf of everyone at the Charity I’d like to say a huge well done to Gordon on receiving his MBE. Gordon is a wonderful man, who has raised a fantastic amount of money for the Charity over the past year through the sale of his album Heartsongs.
“His MBE is recognition of his fantastic career, and is so deeply deserved. Congratulations Gordon!”