Guyanese Online

Dr. Moses Telford: Music is his Life – By Dr. Dhanpaul Narine

Dr. Moses Telford is the personification of what a true musician should be: calm, unruffled, caring and above all talented. Over the years Dr. Telford has crossed continents and has shared his love of music with the world and the world has reciprocated by bestowing many honors on this illustrious son of Guyana.

The young Moses Telford was born at Cumberland Village on the East Canje area of Berbice in Guyana. His dad was Jacob Nathaniel Telford and his mom was Florence. Moses has a sister Elaine Elizabeth Lowe. What is remarkable is that the fore-parents of Moses migrated from England to Guyana. His great grandfather Robert Richard Telford left England for Guyana to teach and he became Headmaster of a school in Berbice. He was also an organist at St. Patrick’s Church in Canje.  

Moses said that his family was connected to the Abbensetts Plantation in Guyana. It was this plantation where the 1763 Berbice Slave Rebellion took place. Moses attended Cumberland Methodist School and he recalls that the school had many distinguished students. They included Eusi Kwayana, Stanley Hardial, M.T Lowe, who became Principal of Queens College, and Dr. Bishnodat Persaud who served in the Commonwealth Secretariat in London.

[Read more: PROFILE – Dr. Moses Telford – By Dr. Dhanpaul Narine ]