A West Dorset stonemason, organist and composer has died aged 88.

Peter Jezard was director of music at St Mary's Parish Church in Bridport from 2001, with a choir of more than 20 people.

At the tender age of six in Kent, he joined a church choir and at the age of 12 took up the organ. His other skill was stone masonry and his carvings are still to be seen at Canterbury Cathedral.

He studied under Dr Sidney Campbell CVO at Sandwich and St George's Chapel, Windsor, and became the first organ scholar at Christ Church College, Canterbury, where he helped set up the music department. At Canterbury Cathedral he made his debut as a recitalist.

In the following years he taught music at schools and at RSCM courses, trained church choirs, held director of music posts at churches in Hampshire, Kent, Wiltshire, Cornwall and Bath. He founded the Chippenham Cantata and in Bridport was director of the New Elizabethan Singers.

Peter was a prolific composer with enough material to fill 186 pages of a book published at St Mary's Parish Church, Bridport, to mark his 80th birthday in 2014. This included a Fantasia for organ to mark Lieutenant Laponetiere stopping off in Bridport en route to London with news of victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.

As well as composing service settings and tunes for hymns with his characteristic organ introductions and interludes, he was the author of the words for many fine hymns, including a trilogy for three West Dorset rivers: the Brit, Asker and Symene.

Former choristers will remember his phrase for encouraging their efforts: 'that was almost musical'. In retirement he lived in Poundbury and worshiped at St Mary's Church, Dorchester.