[3] In addition to his work at Glasgow Cathedral, he has a freelance career as a soloist and ensemble player, with appearances on BBC TV and radio, and concert performances across Europe at venues including the Philharmonie de Paris.
In 2012 he played the grand organ of the Royal Albert Hall with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and NYOS for a performance of Respighi’s Pines of Rome.
[10] Forbes graduated MMus (Distinction) in 2017 from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, also winning the Prize for Early Music.
[11] In 2022 he performed Dick Lee's Winds of Change (2022), written for Forbes and the 1876 Father Willis organ in Cottiers, Glasgow.
On 11 November 2018 he directed Glasgow Cathedral Choir in a national service commemorating the centenary of World War 1, broadcast live on BBC One.