Musicians from around the Island and across the water bid farewell to one of their own on Sunday, playing for hours at the Portuguese American Club in Oak Bluffs in remembrance of the Geordie Gude, who died on Wednesday at his home in Chilmark.
A lifelong Islander and acclaimed harmonica player, Mr. Gude was surrounded by family and fellow musicians in his final days, both before and after returning from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston last week.
“He wanted to play music,” said Ellen Biskis, one of dozens who joined Mr. Gude in his last jam sessions at home.
“There were 45 people singing, this room full of song with Geordie in the middle, playing his harmonica all night long,” Ms. Biskis told the Gazette at Sunday’s memorial gathering.
“It was the most beautiful send-off. He was so peaceful,” she added.
On Sunday, hundreds of people and a continuous stream of live music filled the P.A. Club as artists including Willy Mason, Jemima James, Taurus Biskis and members of the Cape Cod group Brothers Rye performed, with Mr. Gude’s West Coast-based brother Padrick Peper playing harmonica.
Rose Guerin served as both organizer and performer.
As mourners exchanged embraces, musicians paid tribute to Mr. Gude with songs such as Gold, from the musical Billy Baloo, for which he played harmonica in the onstage band at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse last year.
Benjamin Lee Paterson, of Brother’s Rye, played acoustic guitar as he sang John Hartford’s lament In Tall Buildings, with its poignant refrain “Goodbye to the sunshine, goodbye to the dew, goodbye to the flowers and goodbye to you.”
A memorial display of photographs showed Mr. Gude doing what he loved: fishing, sailing and — from childhood on — playing his harmonica.
Guests at the P.A. Club were encouraged to add their hand-written thoughts.
“Your beautiful soul lives within us all,” one note read.
A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $74,000 for expenses.
During the ceremony, Mr. Goude's partner Melissa Knowles read the poem, When I Go. "It was written by my sister Amber Grey Knowles who read it to Geordie in his last couple of days at home," Melissa Knowles wrote in an email to the Gazette. "He really loved it and wanted to share it."
When I Go
It’s time for me to go my loves
The time to take to wing
My body will stay here with you
But what an empty thing.
I leave you with this simple shell
I know it hurts to see
But know it’s empty because you know:
What’s missing here is me.
So now the mystery where I’ve gone?
The skies, the moon, the sea
Perhaps a twirling shooting star
A spirit loose and free!
And what we have, those lives of lives
The whoops, and cheers, and cries
The rise at dawns, the midnight waltz,
The happy closing sighs.
What I do know is you’ll think of me
And the memory will keep me close
And keep me in the minds and hearts
Of those I love the most.
Even though you can’t see me
You’ll feel me with such ease
The harmonica’s sweet humming sound
Will tumble through the breeze.
In my hat hung up on our front door
The place we laid to rest
A tickle on the ear to think
Of things we liked the best.
I’ll see you again my dearest friends
But when your time is right
But meanwhile I’ll be right here
With the stars up in the night.
And in the first summer’s day
And the leaves that slowly fall
And the snowy track through the night woods
The owls soft late night call.
You’ll fly to me one day my dears
Through clouds, and wind, and sky
So keep in your heart I’ll see you soon
It’s not a real good bye.
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