HOUSTON – A Houston Symphony musician with a special connection to former first lady Barbara Bush gave KPRC2 a preview of his performance planned for her funeral on Saturday.
Mark Hughes attended 9 a.m. service at St. Martin's Episcopal church for years. One day he ran into the Bush's and the chemistry just grew, he said.
Hughes is principal trumpet with the Houston Symphony and he's also a parishioner at St. Martin's church.
Over the years he's gotten to know Barbara Bush. They were both were in a needlepoint group together -- The Saintly Stitchers. Hughes has many neat stories.
Whenever someone would finish a big project, Hughes would bring his trumpet and play a fanfare.
He shared a photo with Channel 2 from when he played for Bush after she finished a huge project. On occasion, he said, Bush would invite the members of the group to her home in College Station.
Hughes said he has gotten personal tours of the apartment and the museum. He said Bush was always nice, straightforward and witty.
"When she would be in Kennebunkport for the summer she would write letters to be read at the meetings when we would meet once a week to stitch," Hughes said. "Unfortunately with my schedule, I usually go to stitching in the summer than the winter year because of my teaching schedule at UH and I teach on Mondays. Well, she would write letters and address it to 'all the women and stitchers and that gentleman if he bothers to show up.'"
One of the last times Hughes saw Bush was over the holiday season in 2017. She and former president George H.W. Bush attended a Houston Symphony Annual Messiah concert.
Saturday, he'll perform for her one last time and he said he is honored.
Mark will perform with a brass quintet made up of Houston Symphony principal musicians and a timpanist from the orchestra.