A fine Sunday

Liz visited her Mum awaiting another procedure. No choir at Coulsdon so Vicky and Teresa acted as cantors for the Peter Jones Gloria. They hit top G twice and all was well. We celebrated Mary Magdalene with "Love's redeeeming work is done" and "Thine be the glory". I should have played "I know that my redeemer liveth" - ah well Eric Smith's meditations, Gordon Slater's "Easter Alleluya" and a Stanley Trumpet tune went well. I drove straight to Aylesford and arrived in good time for the Provincial president's Mass. Very good turnout of Catenians filling the relic chapel. Fr Jeff Cridland gave a good homily on the importance of such organisations in the church. Ann Shufflebottom did her best on the dreadful organ (she tells me she offered them money for a new organ and they turned it down!). Good to see Canon Bill Clements again. Anderson Gloria and Credo 3 got very slow. Drinks and picnic with the Cartons and Almeidas with wine and glorious sunshine. Alas I forgot my hat so used my big golf umbrella but I caught the sun. We had tea and cake at 4 and then I drove to Three Bridges to pick up Liz. We were at Worth Abbey in good time for the excellent concert by the Palestrina choir of Dublin. Some lovely Colin Mawby and Palestrina. The tenors have a lovely light sound and 4 boys sing alto. Britten's Missa brevis from memory and the Flor Peeters Missa Sancti Josephi lovely. Stanford Postlude on the Wyvern which did not sound as good as I remembered. Good to see Dom Philip Gaisford and Fr Charles. We were home by 11.15 p.m. and I was worn out. Liz drove home. We bought the choir's new CD.