The organist librarian

Liz and I are safely back from a delightful holiday in Ireland. We set off on Monday and parked the car at a garage near Gatwick. All went smoothly and our Ryanair flight even gained 15 minutes on the flight to Shannon. We picked up a small silver Peugeot hire car and set off for the delights of the Castle Oaks Hotel, Castleconnell. A beautiful bedroom, swim, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi before sumptuous 4 course dinner - the best Irish beef and smoked salmon. The next morning we were in the pool again before a full Irish breakfast complete with white and black puddings. Killahoe has a fine cathedral which encloses a High Cross and Ogham stone. We drove to the Cliffs of Moher. Magnificent views over the sea and bay. The new visitors centre built into the hillside had opened a fortnight before and the audio-visuals were excellent. We were lucky with the weather here. It does look as though there will be charges levied to enter the area. We paid 5 euros to park the car. We stopped at Ki...

At St Andrew's this morning we celebrated Ron Atkinson's retirement after many years as a Reader. He is now 80 and was the original boy soloist in Oldroyd's "Mass of the Quiet hour" at St Michael's, West Croydon. He describes Oldroyd as a tough character, rather remote and posh. Naturally we sang the Oldroyd setting. The choir were well focused in William Harris's "Holy is the true light". A useful meeting with Fr Michael Seed SA about ecumenical and interfaith work in Westminster as compared to Southwark. At St John's we sang Stanford in A and Mendelssohn "He watching over Israel, slumbers not nor sleeps". The words have particular poignancy for us - "Shouldst thou walking in grief languish, He will quicken thee". We visited Grandma who is better but still not herself. I sorted and filed the vast pile of music in the study. It is interesting to read of the support the Catenians gave to Joee Bloggs to go to the World Youth...

Another forthcoming event! Saturday March 10th at 3 p.m. Syrian Orthodox Vespers in Westminster Cathedral The celebrant will be HE Archbishop MOR Athanasius Toma Dowod, Patriarchal Vicar of the Syrian Orthodox Church.

Something about Mary An interesting evening which unfortunately I cannot attend.

Tintern Statue - forthcoming events Father Michael Seed SA has asked me to attend the lecture at Westminster Abbey and I plan to go.

Here's a photo of me showing Ann's class in Sydney what an organ pipe is. This pipe was presented to Dad by the Hobart Guild of Organists and now hangs in our hall along with 2 metal pipes Peter Sanders gave me. I encouraged the kids to go and hear and see the 64 foot pipe in Sydney Town Hall which I have played! What a sound! and how much we need to encourage the young to discover the delights of the organ!

Here are Louise and Tom (Maher).We are so happy for them both. The wedding will be very special and it will be at Our Lady and St Edmund, Chiswick.

Here are Mum and Dad on their 40th wedding anniversary. Herbert (Bert) and Olive were married for 65 years and they were not to be parted for long. Mum died within a week of Dad. Liz, Bruce and I travelled to Sydney for Dad's funeral and we saw Mum 3 times. The double funeral was very beautiful and Dad had chosen the music so carefully. The photos show the two lying side by side in Christ Church St Laurence and at the crematorium with Father John Spooner who knew them both so well. I miss them so much. Even though we lived 1000s of miles apart, we were so very close through letters, emails and phone calls. Dad would comment on the recordings I sent him and he was so encouraging. It would be great to find someone to do something similar. Another photo is of the family together at Ann and Paul's after the funeral drinking champagne. The interment of ashes and requiem Mass at St John's Upper Norwood were very beautiful with a magnificent choir of friends. Lots of Bairstow and ...

On 8 February I went to a fascinating study evening at Heythrop College organised by the Association of Heythrop Alumni and advertised in The Tablet. Dr Jonathan Gorsky and Dr Mohammad Shomali spoke about "interreligious dialogue from our own perspective". It was wonderful to hear Jew, Muslim and Christians all sharing their common heritage and how much we had in common. It was stated that the best way to do interfaith work is to get to know one community and a graduate student spoke of his love for the Suni community which he had not previously known.

My diary shows a busy week. Catenian circle council meeting on Monday. Tuesday to the closing of an exhibition at the Pump House gallery in Battersea Park. The idea here was for 5 artists to take over the gallery as a studio and interact with the public. It wasn't until I chatted to one of them that I began to see the point! His interest is birds and he linked the silent attack of the sparrowhawk with the silent attack of the V2 bomber in the area. Then I went to the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual month event at Putney library. I met and invited Louise Tondeur to our library reading group. They will love her dry humour. We saw an interesting but overlong presentation of cuttings about gays in the 1950s and 1960s - some shocking stuff! The press were very homophobic. Liz passed her audition for the Verdi requiem concert. The conductor has insisted that everyone be auditioned specially for this concert! As we could probably sing the Verdi requiem in our sleep, words fail me! Today I start...

Saturday visit by Bromley and Croydon Organists Association of which I am President-Elect, to Bromley Methodist.Peter Sanders described the console as of the fish frier variety. The architect didn't think about the organ in the grand new church so it stands under the tower which is cold in winter and hot in summer! There is talk of a roof over the organ to counteract this. There were 28 on the visit no doubt lured by the chance to visit the college and enjoy cream tea there! I played my Dad's suite which he wrote for the reopening of the Forster and Andrews organ in St John's, Bishopthorpe, Glebe in 1994. He cleverly uses the lovely tune "Bishopthorpe" with its associations with the Archbishop's palace outside York. The March was played at the end of Mum and Dad's funeral in Sydney. I had of course not heard or played it since that sad but joyous day last year but it seemed fitting especially as the original organ in the Methodist church is Forster and And...

My second attempt at being thurifer this evening. Fr Mark was very patient as I struggled with the chains of the censer. I discovered after Mass that being right handed, I need to hold everything in my left hand and that makes life much easier. Mind you it is not an easy object to handle and takes years of practice and there is a lot to remember! My granddad Frank Woodhouse was thurifer at St Sampson's York where my Dad Herbert first learnt to play the organ. My Mum often said I had expressions like my Granddad although sadly I only saw him when I was 5 and 12 on visits from Johannesburg. My grandmother Phyllis (who's maiden name was Worley from Daventry)was a staunch Methodist like my aunt Nellie. It was from my grandmother that the musical talent came. I treasure a Bible my grandparents gave to me in 1959 soon after I was confirmed (as an Anglican). Bishop Ambrose Reeves confirmed us all in the school chapel and because he was allergic to hair oil, he wore white gloves. Shade...

Wednesday morning and a visit to Tate Britain to see the new exhibition. I am a member of the Tate. The audioguide was very well done but at 11.30 a.m. there were far too many people there. A queue for the cloakroom, a queue to get the audioguide (prebooked), a queue to see the smaller pictures - it became very wearisome and tiring. A fine exhibition but many of the pictures need to be seen close up and if everything is on timed entry why not control numbers better? I wrote as much in the comments book I was offered when I returned my audioguide. I returned home to complete the March music list in time for the March parish maagazine. It being Valentine's Day we exchanged lovely cards and I gave Liz a box of chocs which she is not supposed to eat being a weight watcher! We had an excellent dinner at home with Marks and Spencer cava with pink fruit flavouring. By the time we had drunk the whole bottle I soon dropped off! Still the joys of married life after 33 years are companionship...

On Thursday evening I travelled up to Kentish Town. There was just time to hear Fr Tim's excellent homily at the 5.30 p.m. Mass on St. Peter's comment "You are the Christ". The training session for small group leaders was held in the hall of Our Lady help of Christians which looks like a fine church from the outside in the dark! Everyone was very friendly and Mark from the Westminster agency for evangelisation gave an excellent powerpoint presentation and plenty of time for us to discuss ideas. I got Thameslink as was (now some such name as Centrerail) back to Tulse Hill and the bus home which took about 70 minutes so plenty of time to read "The Tablet"! I produced a poster for the Lent groups featuring the cover of the booklet and a lovely free prayer card we were given, This shows the Metropoiltan cross which is actually very heavy to carry! My group will be on Wednesdays in the Hinsley room from 4 to 5 p.m. Rather an odd time - I am usually listening to c...

Last Saturday saw the climax of problems with my back. Throughout the week I had had some pain in the left hand side of my lower back. I thought this might have come from the fall I had carrying the cross up the side stairs of the sanctuary. I had pain even when lying in bed and was convinced we needed a new mattress. The pain was worst in the evening and on Friday night I had a great deal of pain just after I drove off from choir practice. I had to stop the car and rest. I had been taking Ibuprofen all week and a hot water bottle helped and Ibuprofen gel. Saturday i went to work as usual and felt fine but on arrival at the cathedral I felt the first twinges. These increased during Vespers so I sat on the sanctuary for the 6pm Mass and did not serve. The cantor helped to go to communion and as we came off the sanctuary, the pain returned. On getting into the car the pain was excruciating and I was crying with pain. Liz took me to St Thomas's Hospital casualty. The triage nurse aske...

It is now Sunday and at last I can finish my account of Wednesday! I went to Heythrop College in Kensington for an open evening about MAs. Liz and I studied there for a year with Fr Tom Creagh-Fuller when we did the Archbishops' Certificate in Church Music. It has a wonderful library. There was a fine buffet and wine! Fr McDade welcomed us and we heard a talk by a graduate. It is a daunting prospect to take a part-time degree. 3 of us met with Anthony Mahony about the M.A. in interreligious studies. He lectures on Christian/Muslim relations. The whole subject fascinates me especially as I knpw so little about other faiths. Talking to Muslim staff has encouraged me to find out more and attending the Wandsworth Interfaith network last year fascinated me. The course is held on mondays 6 to 8 so by adjusting my timetabel at the library I could go then. Course notes are given out in advance so no searching the library for elusive books! I skipped the library tour to talk to a graduate w...

After the Spirituality session I went to see Mgr Mark Langham. He was very concerned about ym back which was giving me a lot of grief. I told him of the accident I had with the cross after Saturday evening Mass. I was carrying it up the side steps to the sanctuary at the Cathedral and tripped over the hem of my new cassock. I thought I had hurt my foot. But I may have jarred my back which has been dodgy in the past - I was born with slipped discs! I have since had my cassock altered and left a note for all servers advising them to go up the front stairs! Fr Mark and I discussed ecumenical and interfaith work and he is very supportive. I then went to Vespers but as my back was so bad I decided not to serve at Mass after all.

I went down to Coulsdon to see Vickie, the "vicar". Had an excellent discussion and finished off music list for March and Holy Week. Still have to do Easter season. I drove back to Brixton (I had taken Liz to school earlier and done 30 lengths of the pool!). I parked and could see no signs saying one could not park there. Having locked the keys in the car (Liz had the spare, the gritters told me I needed a permit and the fine was £85. I rang Liz on the mobile at school and the headmaster kindly went to check while I went off on the bus. Alas too late! But we will dispute this fine. Liz says there was one sign on a building, but there was nothing on the road side. I arrived at the Centre for Spirituality at 2 p.m. We heard an excellent recorded talk by Gerry Pierce. Maturity is finding a balance between the physical, the social and the transcendent. This can be applied to any situation. For instance, at work in the library the social is the strongest and the transcendent might...

We went to the Coliseum tonight to see "The Marriage of Figaro". A delightful production with some superb singing. I have sung Don Basilio twice and blacked out some teeth to make myself look as seedy as possible! At the Cathedral, the Chapter Mass was sung by the boys - the haunting Britten Missa Brevis.

I was greeted on arrival at the church today with the remark "I have left Carmen on the organ stool for you". To which I replied "Oh, does she play?" Of course this was no Spanish senorita but a fine vocal score which was kindly given to me!

This morning's service at St Andrew's Coulsdon was one of those happy occasions where everything fitted. I started by playing Healey Willan's prelude on "Nicaea" (Holy, holy, holy). The first hymn was "Be still for the glory of the Lord". After the reading from Isaiah, we sang Psalm 138 and after the Epistle we sang "Holy, holy, holy". The gospel calls on us to go out and catch people but first we must look at our sinful lives. Susan's sermon caught this idea and linked it with Isaiah's sending out from the temple. "How shall I sing that majesty" to Naylor's great tune "Coe Fen" at the offertory. William Harris's communion setting in F is simple but beautiful.At communion we sang Schubert's "Zum Sanctus" again picking up the Holy, holy, holy idea - lovely pianissimo singing from the choir. The final hymn was "I the Lord of sea and sky" with Geoff Weaver's descant. Noel Rawsthorne...

  Well here I am! I am trying to get this photograph into my profile but so far it refuses to paste so I am doing something wrong! I am wearing one of my hoods and I have a pale blue ribbon for my RSCM badge because I need to remind myself that I was once a little timid choirboy achieving my first choir badge! Bernard Weatherill the former Speaker of the House of Commons showed us the thimble he kept in his pocket to remind himself that he was once a humble tailor.

“Louise and Tom got engaged on Christmas Day. What a joy for us all after the sadness of August when my Mum and Died in Sydney within a week of each other. Wedding preparations are in full swing with dresses being chosen!” John – Feb 3, 2007 8:37:53 PM

Director of Music This is my first attempt at importing an image. The title should be Meteora monastery! We visited these amazing places on our pilgrimage in the steps of Saint Paul to Greece last year. How the monks managed to clamber up in the first place remains a mystery. Supplies are still hauled up by rope. The chapels were magnificent. All the women had to wear skirts and the men in shorts as well. Same thing happened to me years ago in Bursa in a mosque. In those days I had a beard and hair - what a sight I must have looked!

I am an organist and choir director who also has a full and happy life at work as a branch librarian. I have many activities revolving around the church and music. I am blessed with a wonderful family and many friends.