The organist librarian

The official photos are fantastic see http://www.contemporaryweddings.net/louise&tom.html Nice singing from Louise and Tom on the phone message!

Steak for birthday lunch and crumble! To Croydon Parish church for 4pm ordination of 4 deacons including Linda Williams from St Andrew's. Good turnout of Coulsdon parishioners (I sat next to Vickie) and St Matthew's folk too. Martin Goodlad was there too. 4 good hymns to sing but no Veni Creator! Bishop Nick on good form. Holdup after offertory hymn and we could have sung another communion hymn. Penny Brown preached well. To Grandma's to move broken fridge into garage - new one coming tomorrow. Bruce rang and missed me so sent a face book wall message. Dennis rang from Dublin. Off to watch Antiques roadshow and Michael Palin - hope to stay awake!

My favourite hymns at the service. "When morning gilds the skies", "Father hear the prayer we offer" (sung at our wedding) and "Immortal love for ever full". I love the line "who know with John His smile of love". Stanford in C and F and "Holy is the true light" by Harris. Played Dad's minuet on "Bishopthorpe" from Master Blacket's suite and Karg-Elert "Nun danket" (played at our wedding). Barry Stronge told me Peter Warner had died unexpectedly - cancer of the pancreas - sad news. He was a gifted book illustrator especially of animals and musician. Nice cards from Liz, Ann and Vickie and 2 excellent books of daily meditations from Liz. To 12 noon Mass at John the Baptist Purley. 4 hymn sandwich and the organ well played by Philip but the people do not sing!

Saturday at 6 p.m. and the feast of St Michael and all Angels marked by Teresa Munro celebrating her first Eucharist. Her sister joined us in the choir to sing alto and her sons were the impressive readers at the service. We began with "For all the saints" and the Peter Jones Gloria. The setting was the yellow card one so everyone could join in and the singing was splendid. We have a gospel to proclaim, Angel voices ever singing and Thine be the glory were the other splendid hymns. Christine Spurway preached. At communion the choir sang "Christ has no body now but yours" by David Ogden and "Strengthen for service Lord the hands" both at Teresa's request. I played the Dorian fugue. An excellent meal of chicken in sauce ("ordination chicken") and salads with wine and strawberry cream cake. I just missed the train so got buses home. Liz was at the cathedral where the choir of St Michael's school, Finchley sang and she took Dennis's medic...

Thursday to St George's hospital whcih turned out to be an impression for a new right ear hearing aid mould. Then to Kensington Gardens to read the Tablet in sunshine before the rehearsal at the Royal Albert Hall for the Classic FM 15th birthday concert. This was packed and featured fireworks and a birthday cake which nobody cut and free coffee from the sponsors. David Parry conducted the Philharmonia with aplomb and various Classic FM presenters introduced the items. We began with "Zadok the priest" the first music played on the station. Nicola Benedetti played The Lark ascending superbly and looked wonderful! Alfie Boe sang O solo mio and Nessun dorma. Natalie Klein played the Elgar cello concerto beautifully. I enjoyed singing the Grand march from Aida and the Benedictus of Carl Jenkins. We also sang Faure's In paradisum. There was a new arrangement of Happy birthday and the encore was the Hallelujah chorus! Dorio and Sheila Melfi were in the audience and it was a ...

A quiet day and in the evening to the cathedral for the grand organ festival which was quite well attended including some leading organists. Matthew Martin the assistant director of music played very well beginning with the mighty Bach Passacaglia followed by the Byrd Fantasia in G. The Patrick Gowers Toccata was dramatic and effective. The Karg-Elert Partita in E major and Alain Intermezzo were both enjoyable and the rousing climax was Reger's Fantasie uber "Ein feste burg". A most enjoyable evening but I forgot again to take a cushion! Ann-Marie passed her Irish driving test at last and we had a chat about the wedding next year.

Tuesday was a long day. Swam 34 lengths - the pool was busy and not arranged as it usually is with wide fast and slow lanes. I did my best to catch up on work so I was tired by the time I got to the Festival hall. Liz sat in for the first half of Henze Bassarids suite which apparently was better to watch than to listen to. The Beethoven went well but Dohnanyi was not always clear and speeded up the finale. We were joined by Philharmonia Voices directed by Aidan Oliver and some members of the Bristol choral society so we filled the new choir stalls. Afterwards we went to the bar for the farewell to Robert Dean. He clearly enjoyed Rosa's choral item featuring some of his favourite expressions and rolled rs. He gave an excellent speech and was presented with wine and a leather bound score of Rosa's piece. It was Jean Taylor who got him to come 10 years ago and there have been some memorable concerts notably Gerontius and Mozart under his direction. We were home by 11.30 p.m. The c...

The centenary history of St Chad's is interesting. There are 2 good photos of Fr Peter Farmer RIP. There are some mistakes which is a shame and repeated pages but the photos are good and the print clear.My Tablet subscription has expired but I have obtained the missing copies from St John's and purchased the current edition at the cathedral, I have been missing the magazine! Excellent broadcast of evensong from Hereford featuring Stainer's "I saw the Lord".

Another busy day but managed to get to tai chi. Geoff away in October but class will continue. Need to practise! To party in Battersea Park and Chris Tew gave me a lift home. Met a fascinating man called Richard Jones interested in so many things not least Lebanon and Israel.

Have now starting prioritising work and I produced a listing of our current workload and prepared an email about a workshop with Nigel Groome in November. Louise and Tom came for Sunday lunch with CD of the wedding photos which are superb. Had a quiet afternoon enjoying sunshine and watched some old programmes. Songs of praise for harvest, Antiques Road show, Michael Palin in Bulgaria and Turkey. Interesting book on Olivier. Handel prom. Also cleaned kitchen floor and hoovered. Fed the birds.

Thursday to rehearsal at Henry Wood hall with Christoph von Dohnanyi. We were required to be there at 6 p.m. for the piano rehearsal and all went well. We then had a gap before the orchestral rehearsal. On Friday came news that the rehearsal at the Festival hall could not take place and the concert on the Saturday was now Verdi requiem conducted by David Parry. Fortunately we were not doing the concert as I was working. Friday night to choir practice only to find I had forgotten that it was cancelled as the choir were not singing on Sunday so I practised the organ and piano and checked on the programme up to the end of November. Dealt very firmly with difficult children on Thursday and the result was a quiet library over the following days! I missed the choir on Sunday. Most of the congregation were at Teresa's ordination at Southwark cathedral. Richard celebrated on his own with one server. I played the whole of Milner's variations on a Northumbrian tune and Willan's Chora...

Swam 28 lengths with Liz - only stopped because of rescuing car before the meters start. Long chat to Ann on Skype. To St Michael's for excellent recital by Nigel Kerry from Cambridge including some fine Langlais (Chant de Paix and Chant heroique), Franck chorale No 3 and Reger Dankpsalm. The third meeting of the catehdral interfaith group and 7 people came. An enjoyable discussion and we looked at the gospel about the centurion's servant and Alfred Agius's summaries of Catholic documents. To the National Portrait gallery and saw a display in Trafalgar Square using photos from all over the world - a lucogram or some such word. They were giving away free energy saving light bulbs but I already had too much to carry! Chorus rehearsed with Aidan Oliver for the Classic FM concert.

A busy day at work with lots of people joining and discussions about dealing with difficult children. To the power station community forum which I have been on since it started 5 years ago. The new owners are starting again so yet more delays and the building is needing remedial work. We were asked for our priorities - mine are jobs, transport, housing which must be affordable, entertainment like leisure facilities and cinemas. We did see the training centre which has trained 800 people in Health and safety in construction which is a success story. Watched Tribe on TV.

One of our favourite sites Solomon I have surpassed thee has lovely photos of Thessaloniki. Here are some photos from our pilgrimage in the steps of St Paul last year.

I found these photos from last year's birthday and Claire getting a Gold award so thought they were so nice I'd post them to mark Claire's birthday today far away in Sydney and yet so close!

To St John's for Harvest evensong - canticles by Coleridge-Taylor, Kindle a flame by Michael Fleming and "A new commandment" by Peter Nardone, all composers who lived locally. The same programme will be sung by the choir at Southwark cathedral on Saturday. Liz will go but I will be working. Watched Antiques roadshow and Michael Palin in Eastern Europe.

We sang Oldroyd's Mass of the Quiet hour and Stanford's "O for a closer walk with God" and both went well. As it was Ann and Tony King's 40th wedding anniversary they chose the hymns and we enjoyed wine after the service. I practised and prepared for Teresa's First mass on Sept 29th. Decided to play the Dorian Fugue. To All Saints Carshalton with its magnificent Willis organ. Interesting that so many of the churches I visited this weekend are High Church ones. To the Honeywood heritage centre which is a fascinating Victorian house with lots of interesting items and displays. Then a walk in the sun round the Sutton Ecology centre and a visit to the 18th century Water Tower which has a lovely plunge bath with Delft tiles. We were given a tour round the grounds of St Philhomena's school formerly Carshalton House. Had tea with John Hawes. Final visit to 72 Carshalton Grove which demonstrates the use of insulation and recycling to cut a house's carbon footp...

Some more photos showing preparations for the wedding.

Some more pictures of the new school with the view from the roof looking towards the spire of St Mary Magdalene currently under restoration.

  Sunday lunch! Ann and Louise in celebratory mood!

Liz had spent the night at Grandma's and she is making good progress. I chatted to Ann and Dennis on Skype. Ann has fluid in her ears from the flight and has had physio for it. Claire's birthday today! Set off in glorious sunshine to visit All Saints, West Dulwich. This church had a disastrous fire. The architects took the group on a tour of the complex and explained how they had made the formerly dark church open and welcoming and created spaces in the big building for the community. I liked the simplicity and clean lines. The choir gallery is accessible by lift and in fact the disabled can get to most parts of the complex! There are plans for a Kenneth Tickell organ. We often drive past this church and know 2 members Jean and Audrey so it was great to see it. By 3 buses to Kensington High Street to visit the Armenian church of St Sarkis built in the 1920s. Small and delightful and again a warm welcome. I popped into St Mary Abbots which I sued to attend 34 years ago. It is st...

That's the introit sorted! Frikki Donaldsson Walker at the organ of St Mary's episcopal cathedral, Glasgow and Graeme of Busby's comment! Good practice tonight at church after a busy day at work.

Here are Liz and I dancing at the wedding - thanks to Geri Maher for the lovely photo!

An excellent day spent at Battersea library discussing stock and how we buy it for the library. Good to have all the branches together plus home delivery service and the prison librarians to discuss this. Nice lunch too! To the cathedral but because the course finished late I was too late to serve. The full choir were back and Fr Tim was celebrating. My favourite passage from Colossians 3 was the first reading - sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God in your hearts... always be thankful... put on love". To chorus for Robert Dean's last rehearsal with us as director. We are going to miss his happy smile and antics! Beethoven 9 yet again!

Another lovely sunny day. I waited for Ann to come on Skype but she must have been out. Liz went up to Grandma's to see the carpet man and visited the hospital twice. I got the train to Coulsdon to plan music for October and November with Vickie. Norman Harper now at St George's cathedral, Southwark gave an excellent recital at St Michael's which overran! It included a Handel concerto, Buxtehude and Bach. Then a delightful voluntary by William Russell and "Lucis creator" by Thomas Hyde and commissioned by Norman. Debussy Arabesque No. 2 worked really well on the organ and the Final from Vierne's Symphony No. 6 to a rousing conclusion. Had a chat to Martin Ball and saw Adrian and Terence. In fact it was a day for meeting people - Mary, Bob Atkinson and Trevor. I dropped in the invite to the Catenian clergy supper at St Chad's and the secretary said her son used to be in the children's choir! Omelette for lunch and I did the ironing while watching the HD...

A glorious sunny day so I sat in Battersea Park at lunchtime and read "Oremus" and "Choir and organ". Just a slight chill in the shade to say that summer is ending and autumn is coming. My "Tablet" subscription has expired so I have missed the last 3 issues. However I won a bottle of wine on the crossword and Dennis has marked it that it can only be opened when both sons are present. I wonder when that will be? In fact I am feeling a bit "after the Lord Mayor's show"! When's the next holiday - October half-term? Christmas is looming already! Louise and Tom will be in Ireland for that this year. We will sing at Windsor again. There are quite a lot of Chorus concerts coming up some of which are not very exciting! The Foulds World Requiem promises to be memorable. There are trips to Belgrade and Istanbul next year and lots of lovely Dvorak. Dennis has sorted out some books to get rid of (at last!) and has returned to Sligo. Went to York libr...

We hosted the council meeting last night which went on until after 10 p.m. Recruitment is a major concern and it is good that we will be represented at the roadshow on this in November. Our 1000th meeting is in 2009 in the centenary year and will be at the Arnhem gallery attended by the Grand President.

Ladies and gentlemen It is a great pleasure to welcome you all here today and to thank you all for coming to share this wonderful day with us! Being a librarian, I naturally borrowed 4 books of wedding speeches but I need not have worried as I was given plenty of advice about what to say! Louise and Tom have gone to so much trouble to make this a wonderful start for their married life together. Louise has been under strict instructions that she could not elope as I have played the organ for so many weddings. When I announced that this was going to be my special day too, Louise was quick to remind me that this was her day! But in fact this is a great day for both of our families. Many of you have travelled a long way to be here today not least from Ireland and congratulations to Limerick on reaching the hurling final. Louise tells me that had the wedding been tomorrow the Irish contingent would be much smaller! My dear sister Ann wins the prize for coming all the way from Sydney! And I’...

Music for the wedding of Louise and Tom Organ beforehand – Prelude on “Rhosymedre” Vaughan Williams Suantraidhe arr Colin Hand (based on an Irish nuptial blessing) Entry: Trumpet voluntary Jeremiah Clarke Mass setting Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei Missa St Johannis de Deo Joseph Haydn plainchant Benedictus Hymns Dear Lord and Father of mankind Lord of all hopefulness To be a pilgrim i.e. Who would true valour see (preparation of the gifts) Psalm As the deer Bob Hurd sung by Liz Celtic alleluia Fintan O’Carroll and Christopher Walker with wedding verse sung by Liz During communion Gaelic blessing Rutter For the beauty of the earth Rutter During register Greater love Ireland soloists Kirsty and Geoff ( this was not possible so Haydn Benedictus sung by Kirsty) Recessional Toccata Widor Readings: Genesis 2: 18-24 Man and woman Colossians 3 v12 to 17 Put on love … psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace to God in your hearts Gospel John XIII v 33 to 35 and XV v 5 to 12 Love one...

This tune keeps on coming up! Adrian played it when we arrived at the church for the wedding. It was set to lovely words based on Psalm 130 for the song we sang on Sunday when Louise and Tom were with us. A children's choir sang it from Carrickfergus Castle on TV at the Last Night of the Proms. They were quite young and short of breath and inevitably their top note was not great. It is not easy to sing if you start too high. In the hymnbook it is set to "I cannot tell why he, whom angels worship, should set his love upon the sons of men" and "O brother man, fold to thy heart thy brother" which actually should go to the tune by Parry. It is often sung to "I would be true". My google search on "O Danny boy" revealed that the words and tune are not that old or traditional! I sang it to words specially composed as Barry's farewell at York library and that was much appreciated.

We had a smaller choir today so we sang Martin How's "Day by day" and William Harris's simple communion setting in F. There were 3 baptisms and my playing of "Land of hope and glory" at the end was much appreciated. Well why not reflect the Last Night of the Proms? The wedding photos were much enjoyed at coffee and the late bride and her husband came to apologise! There were various muddleups with flowers and people getting lost! I visited Grandma in hospital and Dennis and Liz went later. Liz was helping at the Tour of Britain at Crystal Palace. At evensong we sang Harris in A minor, Psalm 121 to Barry Rose's fine chant and Purcell's "Rejoice in the Lord alway". I played Arthur Milner's variations on a Northumbrian tune and Flor Peeters' voluntary on "Tallis Canon". It was Racial Justice Sunday. Watched the recording of Michael Wood in India and the South African children filmed at 7, 14 and 21. Delighted to see Yeoville ...

Finished watching the recording of the 10th anniversary memorial service for Diana which I thought was well done. Prince Harry and the Bishop of London both said the right things. Tim Horton and Andrew Gant conducted the choirs of the Guards chapel and the Chapels Royal and some of the music was really lovely not least the final Amen.

I should have recorded the passing of Roger Snewin who was a fine organist with a sardonic humour. His funeral was on the day of the wedding and we did not know about it until after the event. I am told the church was packed and the music was splendid. Roger was on the RSCM Southwark committee for many years and had many musical interests. He sang at St Margaret's, Lee and in the Eltham Choral society. He had been a head teacher and had an excellent boys choir. I recall visiting Our Lady of Lourdes, Lee where he played for many years and he demonstrated his simplified version of the Widor Toccata. He played the trumpet at Addiscombe Corpus Christi processions with Richard Reilly. The angels will be smiling at his jokes! On one occasion he played "Feed the birds" during communion! He was only 70 and had cancer of the lung which spread to his spine which for such an active man must have been a great trial but he bore it all with humour and patience. May he rest in peace. Th...

A fairly quiet day at the library and Oliver Brett played at Mass. We enjoyed the Last Night on TV - we have been to it several times when Liz's Dad was a steward at the Royal Albert Hall. It was an interesting programme with Joshua Bell playing the violin and Anna Netrebko singing splendidly. Alan Titchmarsh gets on one's nerves - he says very little about the music! Jiri Belohlavek is such a nice man and he coped well with conducting and giving the speech. It's annoying that the choirs in Glasgow, Carrickfergus and Wales were again not named.

Only 135 emails to read! Calix had coped well in my absence. To Dulwich Catenians meeting - Provincial President's visit and lots to eat as usual and plenty of Guinness! Friday we had senior staff meeting, visited Grandma after work and to choir practice - not many there so changed plans for evensong. Can't believe the Proms finish tomorrow! Pavarotti passed to the great choir in heaven. We were away when the Chorus sang with him in Hyde Park but we did watch it in TV. An amazing voice!

Tuesday back to swimming. Heather and Fred arrived at East Croydon from Crawley. We have not seen them for 3 years since our South African visit. They haven;t changed at all. Liz took Ann to see Grandma in hospital and she was so much better since the wedding. Liz cooked a lovely meal with a chestnut and raspberry pavlova and we enjoyed sitting in the sun and looking at old photographs. We took all 3 to East Croydon so Ann could get the bus to Heathrow. It has been a wonderful holiday and it was such a joy being together again. Liz and I visited Grandma in hospital and Ann rang from the airport. Wednesday swim and shopping. Cleared up after yesterday and did some more blog. Also Facebook for wedding photos. To St Michael's for Martin Ford's recital which was very good - Bach, Buxtehude, Durufle, Vierne, Hakim. Picked up Dennis at East Croydon and took him to Grandma's and she came home with the occupational therapist to sort out improvements to the house. Dennis went back t...

Before taking Dennis and myself to Hatton Cross so Dennis could go to Heathrow and I returned to Croydon for the Catenian meeting, we visited Bekonscot. I went there in 1959, 1981 and 1991 and it is just the same with some extras! Mum and Dad loved it.

On Monday we drove to High Wycombe for Bruce's graduation as B.A. in Furniture design and craftmanship at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, Britain's newest university. It was a formal but happy ceremony in the Swan theatre. Jeremy Myerson spoke well as did Trevor Baylis and Sir Geoffrey de Bellaigue who received honorary doctorates. We went for lunch at the Weatherspoons pub and had a look for CD recording machines. Dennis got a mike so he can talk on Skype.

Liz had collected Louise and Tom from Acton and we had a lovely lunch with champagne ending with a chocolate and cherry birthday cake for Tom's 32nd birthday. We got confetti into their flight bag but Daisy the big case proved inpenetrable. Still we tied balloons on the car and just married ribbon everywhere and used some of the peacock decorations from the wedding on the table. We sang the wedding song to the Londonderry air which I had found for the reception but never got to sing(!), "O no John!" and "I'll walk beside you" which was sung at Mum and Dad's wedding. We took them to East Croydon station and they flew off to the Maldives. We then drove to Travelodge Kew and Dennis took AnnMarie back to Harlow and then came to Kew.