The organist librarian

Sunday to cathedral at 1 p.m. to meet Fr Michael Seed and Brother Volodomir Bezulowsky. Thomas and Madeline Wilson unable to come to dinner after all. Thomas had to do Holy Week booklets at short notice - we've all been there! Monday the Annunciation to the start of Mass and then to Heythrop college for a fine talk by the Archbishop of Joss, Central Nigeria chaired by the Archbishop of Southwark. Fr John O'Toole introduced me to several people notably Claire Blackden, Interfaith officer of CTE. I met Alfred Agius of Westminster Interfaith at last. I will write more about this talk. Tuesday to Selkirk pub, Tooting for Gary Ramsay's farewell. Great to see old colleagues again and when telling about Mum and Dad, I affirmed the family's faith in the resurrection. Wednesday Skype to Ann, to Coulsdon to see Vickie and practise the organ. Lent Group discussed the woman taken in adultery story. Good idea that instead of talking about the Holy Week services we attend we should t...

To the dentist to get a gum shield to stop me grinding my teeth at night! Went through the St Luke Passion with Adrian. To the Hinsley Room for meeting of Lent group. At Mass the men sang a long but beautiful motet by Byrd. To Justice and Peace group meeting with Richard Nesbitt and he too picked up on the Ambassadors for Christ theme we had been discussing at Lent group. This passage reminds me of Fr Anthony Barrett who chose it for his ordination. He really was an ambassador for Christ and is now in the U.S. There was much discussion of the Gospel of John and Liz went to see it at St John's, Upper Norwood. A lovely day - clear but colder. Spoke to Ann briefly on Skype. The J and P group are looking for a banner maker!

Last night I had a life changing experience. Brad Sherrill gave a dramatised performance of St John's Gospel which has long been my favourite gospel. It was an astonishing feat to remember and relate the whole of a gospel. I'm told there were more present this year than heard him dramatise St Mark's gospel last year. At first it was hard to relate to the American pronunciation of words like "Gaad" and the different translation but his intensity and the way he involved us by getting us to join hands (illustrating the vine) or lifting my hand to demonstrate flesh. Certain moments sent a thrill down my spine - the raising of Lazarus, the paralytic standing, the man born blind, the simple pouring of water. In fact it was images like water, stones, the table, the cross which hit home. I had not thought how much of the gospel is teaching and a great deal about testimony and testifying to the truth. And how much humour Brad brought to it! And what is missing is as impor...

On Monday straight from work to council meeting. Eileen gave us a lovely meal which was a treat washed down by Guinness and good red wine - alas today's circle lunch isn't happening as no-one can come!

At last our new casual assistants can start and George came today. He startled us all by saying that he had run a nightclub. The closest we got to that before was David going on a drinking outing! Are libraries like nightclubs? Well they open long hours and attract all sorts of people. I suppose the main difference is income!

On Saturday Martin Ball and I organised an outing for the Bromley and Croydon organists assoication. We started with the magnificent Lewis organ in Southwark cathedral where I played Franck and Brahms. Peter Wright gave us a short talk and superb demonstration. Some of us listened to the rehearsal of a large choir from Tennessee. They were all young but seemed to convey nothing of what they were singing about with their faces. The men sang in the back of the throat and never smiled! The conductor messed about with photographs and sorting out the pianist! Then had my picnic with Martin on a bench outside the cathedral and walked to St Borolph Aldgate with arguably the oldest parish church organ in England. Perfect for Stanley and Walond. The last organ was the 1957 Walker at All Hallows by the Tower which was rebuilt after the War. Here I played Buxtehude's Passacgalia. It was good to meet Jonathan Melling the organist originally from Wigan and Laurence Elvin of Bishops who told me ...

At last I have watched the BBC series "The Retreat" and found it moving. This is the Muslim equivalent of the Worth Abbey programme set in Andalusia. Ramadan is daunting and makes our Lenten efforts seem paltry. My Lent so far has been very mixed with some excellent reading material and the Lent group. There's the preparations for Holy Week especially the St Luke Passion. The feeling of sadness every day especially today on Mothering Sunday when we enjoyed a lovely lunch of beef and Louise and Grandma were with us. The pilgrimage to Greece last year was a moving experience and like so many activities where one is working and worshipping with others uplifting. Singing in the chorus and working in a community are aspects of this communal activity. Society of St Gregory summer schools are like this too - hard work but very rewarding! It was heartening today to think about women in Zimbabwe and try to do something to support them - the USPG and Christian Aid daily prayers hel...

Another treat from BBC2 sensitively presented by Michael Portillo. Pity is ended at 2.30 a.m. but I only dropped off in Act 1 and have recorded it in HDD. Riveting production from Keith Warner and stunning direction by Antonio Pappano. Lisa Gasteen and John Tomlinson on brilliant form! Even the Norns were interesting! One of them was Catherine Wyn-Rogers who has sung with the Chorus many times.

We had a family service this morning attended by the uniformed organisations. Afterwards we recorded "Shine, Jesus shine" and "There is a longing" for Rose to take to Zimbabwe. The Mothers Union welcomed Alice on a visit from Zimbabwe in her lovely blue and white MU uniform. The recording went really well and the second takes are both the better ones. How moving Anne Quigley's setting is and it is good that it speaks of fear, grief, sickness and death. These are matters which all of us have to face including children and this song helps. And Zimbabwe needs the justice and freedom of which the song speaks. Last night we had deacons Richard and Peter in rose dalmatics at Mass and what a fine pair they are! It was good to be singing "Praise to the holiest" at the start. This is one of those hymns with 3 good tunes. Catholics know Terry, Anglicans divide between Dykes and Somervell although Terry is gaining some ground! It was a favourite of Cardinal Hume...

Alexander McCall Smith's latest book "The Good husband of Zebra drive" is a real delight. It makes me smile as I read. The frontline online course has given lots of ideas about choosing books and how to help people choose.

I was delighted to see Erik in Battersea Park today. He had triple bypass surgery last year and a hip replacement in November. He is walking with a crutch and making slow progress so eventually we will see him back in the library. I was able to tell him all about the concert on Wednesday. The park is looking lovely at the moment. I swam 34 lengths this morning and at choir practice we discussed the Passion as the church cannot afford to pay a professional organist. Micky was again with us so I gave him a lift to East Croydon and we bought blank tape cassettes at Tesco Purley. Bruce made an excellent job of laying laminate in our hall last week and the edges still need to be done.

Last night we sang Verdi's Requiem in Westminster Cathedral. This was the 50th anniversary concert of the Philharmonia Chorus. Liz has been in the chorus 39 years and I have been in it 34 years. All those journeys to the Gandhi Hall! The cathedral was packed and security was tight as the Prince of Wales who is our Patron attended the concert. Riccardo Muti last conducted us in the 80s and he was much changed at rehearsal, making jokes and smiling. He was not so happy at the lunchtime rehearsal as the cathedral remained open and he found people wandering about and talking distracting. It would have been better to close the cathedral for the rehearsal! Liz is 7th in on the front row from the left and I am on third row down from the left - look for the bald head! The 4 soloists were superb - a scintillating soprano Tatiana Serjan reaching top Bs with ease, a rich mezzo Olga Borodina, fine tenor Giuseppe Sabbatini and a Verdian bass Peter Lindroos who is the son of the famous Finnish t...

On Sunday we sang Wesley's superb "Wash me throughly" in the morning and Charles Wood's Mass in the Phrygian mode which was my audition piece at Coulsdon. Psalm 63 beautifully chanted and some fine new words to "Lift high the cross". I played Buxtehude Passacaglia in D minor and the Partita "Auf meine leben Gott". We also sang "My spirit longs for thee" to the tune "Eccles" (Goons?) I should have used "Quam dilecta" but forgot! Evensong was suitably penitential with psalms 12 and 13, Willan fauxbourdon setting and Mudd's "Let thy merciful ears". I played Bach's "O Lamm Gottes unschuldig" Orgelbuchlein prelude and "The descent from the Cross" which is the bass aria from the St Matthew Passion. At the end prelude "Herzliebster Jesu" by Brahms.

Good old BBC! 5 hours of Wagner on Saturday night on BBC2. True it started at 9 p.m. and I did drop off in the first Act but John Treleaven was a truly splendid Siegfried. The new production from Covent Garden was riveting with brilliant singing not least Sir John Tomlinson as the Wanderer. Pity Lisa Gasteen looked a bit like Hattie Jacques but she sang superbly! Can't wait for Gotterdammerung!

I played for Pat's funeral at St Dominic's, Waddon last Tuesday. He was a great character and an outstanding Catenian. Norwood Circle is not as strong now as when I first joined. Pat was always an encourager and supported me well when I was President. In later years his hearing failed and he would loudly comment in the meeting "Oh, get on with it!" At the monthly pub lunches he would be lively and argumentative until his health failed and he lost some of the old spark. The last time I saw him in Mayday Hospital he was on great form, chatting up the nurses and recalling everyone. Liz visited him too and he enjoyed that. Kitty needs our prayers and she has sent a lovely card to thank me. David Barrett gave an excellent address at the funeral and caught Pat very well. The picture shows Pat on the extreme left playing for Wimbledon against Leytonstone in the 1947 F.A. Amateur Cup final at Highbury. Note the size of the crowd!

I've had toothache and the dentist has given me antibiotics and Liz has an infection near her eye so she has cream and antibiotics. I've been wearing my hearing aids at work - my ears get a bit sore after 4 or so hours but I think this is one place where I do need them as people tend to speak softly in the library. Well at least some do!

What are the chances of seeing a famous composer twice in a fortnight? I spotted the great man at Gatwick when we flew to Ireland and Liz saw him in the cathedral and he confirmed that he had indeed flown from Gatwick! The choir has sung "The Lamb" in previous years and we have enjoyed his music at the Proms.

The singing this morning at St Andrew's was pleasing. We chanted Psalm 27, sang Martin Shaw's setting for 3 voices and Attwood's lovely "Turn Thy face from my sins". After a delightful lunch at Louise and Tom's, we went to the organ recital at Our Lady of Grace and St Edmund, Chiswick, which is a lovely church on the main road. David Scott introduced an excellent programme of Bach, Buxtehude, Byrd and Albinoni. The organ has an impressive Continental sound ideal for Buxtehude and he played very well. There was an appreciative and large audience which is unusual these days for an organ recital. We introduced ourselves to David and explained that the wedding will take place there in August and he knows St John's, Upper Norwood and its fine organ! We were sitting with SSG member Andrew Lubienski, organist at Shepherds Bush RC and he kindly invited us home for tea where we met his wife Louise. We listened to some of a Chiswick choir recording of Gerontius whic...

Being members of the Tate, Bruce and I visited the exhibition of Gilbert and George's work. It is difficult to decide whether their work should be taken seriously or not. Is it all a massive con? Who would buy such enormous works? The later works using digital photography do not seem to be as successful as the earlier works where colour was limited. The artists say this is "art for all" but is it? They seem determined to shock or even unshock the viewer. Is their work religious? There certainly are religious items shown. Death hope life fear is a powerful work addressing major issues. Mullah is a disturbing work. But does art work if we need an explanation of the work to understand it? Maybe it works if we are left puzzling over the meaning??

Tintern Abbey is in the Wye Valley and Wordsworth has written a wonderful poem about this magnificent ruin. Fr Michael Seed asked me to attend the meeting in the Jerusalem Chamber, Westminster Abbey of the Ecumenical society of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Philip Chatfield the sculptor gave a fascinating talk with slides about his background and the work he has done particularly in Wales. He spoke of his training in Newcastle with Jonah Jones a pupil of Eric Gill's and how he inherited Gill's hammer which Jonah Jones passed on to him. Philip worked as a crew member on the brig Maria Assumpta and he was saved when the sailing ship was wrecked on the North Cornish coast in 1995. A few days after the wreck his mallet was returned to him! He scuplted a figure of Mary at St Thomas's cross, Monmouth and then a statue of Mary for St Mary's church, Monmouth. He worked in the churchyard in public. The stone was blessed at the quarry by local clergy. He was told of fragment's of ...

It was Ruth's last day with us today. We will miss her smile. She will work more hours at Alvering. Her replacement has not appeared and I am trying despite the incredible bureaucracy to get 2 casuals into post to tide me over March!

The choir rehearsed a lot of Bach's St Luke Passion for Good Friday this evening. There is some doubt that the work is by the great man himself. Mendelssohn apparently thought not. We are doing an edited version in English. It will be at 8 p.m. at St Andrew's Coulsdon.

The osteopath was very pleased that I had been doing my exercises and my right leg was stronger. He really worked hard on my hamstrings and back and says the next session could be the last for a while. The holiday had done me good and I swam 38 lengths today so that's nearly my best yet!

Saw part of Das Rheingold and Valkure on BBC 4 on the last 2 Sundays. The new production is from Covent Garden starring Bryn Terfel and Lisa Garsteen. Some interesting ideas in the production e.g. Erda on stage for the whole of Rheingold!

On Sunday afternoon there was a remarkable public meeting at the Fairfield Hall, Croydon between the Imam of Croydon, Qasim Ahmad and his friend Nick Baines, Anglican Bishop of Croydon. There was a good size audience mostly middle class white but a fair number of Muslims. It was very brave of both of them to invite open questions and there was only one extremist query. One woman asked about the status of Muslim women but this was deferred to the next encounter. Among those present were the vicar of Croydon, Colin Boswell, Fr Donald from St Michael's, West Croydon (with biretta) and Canon Collins from St Mary's RC, West Croydon. It is impossible to summarise such a wide ranging discussion. The Imam told us there were 400o people attending his mosque. The local chief of police commented that the media gave a distorted picture of Croydon.The Imam said that Islam is a way of life and Muslims pray 5 times a day. They give 2 and a half % of their savings to the poor and go on Haj onc...

The first of the Lent group meetings using the booklet "A Holy Nation" on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. went well and we had a useful discussion. The booklet is excellent. I am also reading "The Road to Emmaus" by Helen Julian CSF. This week she focuses on the Venerable Bede.Last week it was Thomas Traherne. We went to an interesting lecture about Traherne at Hereford Cathedral when we were staying at Belmont. I have never read the Bede's history of England. This photograph is of the Westminster primatial cross, which is actually very heavy to carry. I needed a crucifix for the Lent Group so I bought a simple wooden one at Knock.