3 organs
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 the organ in St Margaret's Upper Norwood has been sold to a church in Lincolnshire. Jonathan demonstrated with variations on an original theme by Flor Peeters. I played there for some years and the church was closed some years ago. I was at the last service held there. I got the 15 bus to Trafalgar Square and walked through St James Park with it's sea fo daffodils. I went to Marks and Spencers for tea and waited ages to be served. When the young man finally did serve me, he apologised so I said "You must have had a long day, what time did you start?" He said 10am and he was a student. When I texted Liz to join me she said order me some tea but by that time the staff said they shut at 5 p.m. so no tea for Liz!
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 the organ in St Margaret's Upper Norwood has been sold to a church in Lincolnshire. Jonathan demonstrated with variations on an original theme by Flor Peeters. I played there for some years and the church was closed some years ago. I was at the last service held there. I got the 15 bus to Trafalgar Square and walked through St James Park with it's sea fo daffodils. I went to Marks and Spencers for tea and waited ages to be served. When the young man finally did serve me, he apologised so I said "You must have had a long day, what time did you start?" He said 10am and he was a student. When I texted Liz to join me she said order me some tea but by that time the staff said they shut at 5 p.m. so no tea for Liz!
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