A sunny Sunday

Our weather has been so miserable is was great to have some sunshine today and I even managed some time sitting in the garden which is looking particularly lovely at the moment after all the rain! Liz reports that James MacMillan's music was sung at the cathedral. At Coulsdon we were celebrating Music Sunday. We sang Stanford in C and F which has a beautiful Agnus Dei. The anthem was "How goodly are thy tents" by Ouseley. There wasn't time after the communion anthem to sing "When in our music God is glorified" to Stanford's "Engelberg". I played Parry on "Rockingham" and Willan on "Darwall's 148th" - both fine voluntaries. After a Generations rehearsal there was sherry in the hall to celebrate Linda Williams' forthcoming ordination and departure. Her preaching is much more confident and she tells me she knows the churches I visited yesterday! The Tour de France went through that part of Kent today and we saw some of it on TV. Visited Grandma in hospital and Liz went in the afternoon and I picked her up there. At evensong we sang Walmisley in D minor (top favourite) and Stainer's "How beautiful upon the mountains". I began with several pieces from the little organ book in honour of Parry and ended with Sibelius' Finlandia which was Dad's favourite. He died 10 years ago today and we still miss him so much. He was such a kind man.
On TV watched programmes on British music, Jerusalem and the Women's Institute in Swaledale.