The organist librarian

Thornton Heath pool has reopened after someone drove a 4 by 4 through 2 plateglass windows and nearly into the large pool itself! They opened too early after the clearup and someone cut their foot. The new company start on Nov 1 and OAPs are to swim for free! I have an annual season lasting to January and so does Liz. She gets her freedom pass on Nov 14th! I have been doing 34 lengths each morning so I'm a bit slower than usual having had a gap of nearly 2 weeks.

St John's marked All Souls early this year and we sang most of the Faure Requiem which is always a joy especially for the tenors. We lit candles in memory of those we loved. Mum and Dad were on the list as "Wood" - oops! Liz has 2 big pumpkins and we enjoyed pork chop and pumpkin this evening. Watched "Classical star" which is fascinating and we can now watch BBC TV programmes on the internet. The Irish seem to go overboard about Hallowe'en!

6 and a half million abortions in the last 40 years. The hymn by Fr Francis Gordon set to Gordon Slater's "St Botolph" is very fine. Begotten of His Love Divine Before Creation's dawn Let God's own Son our hearts incline To cherish the unborn. For clothed like us in human clay Of heav'nly glory shorn, Th'eternal Word, incarnate, lay In Mary's womb, unborn. "Take heed", said He, "that you forswear These little ones to scorn" - Created by God's will to bear His image, though unborn. For every artist, saint and sage, Whose works our world adorn With virtues each succeeding age, Like Him, were once unborn. Eternal Son, Incarnate Word, The Child of Christmas morn, In mercy let our prayer be heard For those as yet unborn! Throughout this service I was thinking about the child that Liz miscarried. A boy or a girl? I know I was very upset that I could not get to the hospital that night as I had to play at a Christmas service and relieve...

Our last day was an interesting drive from the Station House hotel where the wedding reception will be and we had enjoyed outstanding food and accomodation, to Dublin airport. At dinner I had filo pastry with 3 Irish cheeses, seabass, citrus sorbet and delicious bread and a terrine of icecream made with brown bread and mint! Breakfast was equally good.On Thursday we drove around Sligo and Rosse Point and up the coast to where Lord Mountbatten was assassinated. The weather broke after 3 lovely days and we drove to the hill of Tara (very wet). The plane was 30 minutes late so as we were late back we didn't go to the St Chad's centenary service. Saturday to Justice and Peace group at the cathedral (only 4 came) but Brother Volodomir of the Antioch community gave an inspiring talk about active ecumenism and the Sword of the Spirit movement. Then to the ecumenical service in the cathedral to mark the 40th anniversary of the Abortion act. Very well attended and some fine music includ...

3 very different meals first the annual clergy supper at which we had a great time talking about music to Fr Robert Sugg. I sang at his ordination and his repertoire ranged from Saint-saens symphony No 3 to "Nearer my God to thee"! A good meal too - shank of lamb, profiteroles. Philip took a group out to lunch at an Oxted pub and we enjoyed the food and the company. The Dublin circle had an excellent meal with plenty of red wine having been warned off the Guinness! There were 2 brothers as visiting gentlemen so I took the opportunity to stress the joys of visiting circles including Sydney ones!

This blogger is enjoying a holiday in Ireland! We stayed with Joe and Breda in Dublin. Monday was wet but we drove to the National botanical garden and had coffee there. Evensong at St Patrick's National cathedral was sung by the girls and men - Sumsion responses, Leighton service and Victoria Ave Maria. We had tea at Brownthomas and I went to the Catenian circle and dinner at the Royal Dublin hotel. I made a short speech about visiting other circles particularly Sydney and got a little lost on returning by bus to Finglas. The weather has been excellent. We drove to Sligo and visited Maynooth university to see Pugin's magnificent chapel. At Mullingar cathedral of Christ the King we saw the mosaics by Boris Anrep who did mosaics at Westminster Cathedral. The building was opened on the day the second world war started. Our b and b has magnificent views of the mountains around Drumcliff which is Yeats country. It is good to see Dennis and we had dinner with him at the Waterfront h...

2 new staff started today and at last the children's librarian post is advertised! Andreas took tai chi and had us doing all sorts of interesting exercises! Much more vigorous than Geoff! Watched some TV bits Michael Palin and Proms concerts. Photos from Saturday's session with Alex and the Black History month display in children's featuring black Shakespearean actors.

On Wednesday heard a lovely idea. A monk said that when aspen leaves move on a tree God is waving to him and so he waves back! We have sung today about "valleys standing so thick with corn that even they are singing" and "the trees of the field shall clap their hands" - both ideas from the psalms!

I bought a Fairtrade Divine chocolate Advent calendar from Ann's stall after morning service along with my usual Tropical muesli and youghurt covered raisins. It reminded me of the children demanding chocolates in Advent even when grown up!

Ann and I talking to Geoff Weaver the director of the RSCM Bath course. The winners of the 10 pin bowling 2007! The RSCM seems in poor shape these days. The Southwark events are not well attended and in fact the next big one has just been cancelled. There do not seem to be many young people in choirs. Somehow this great organisation seems to have lost its way. Some favourite prayers. O God, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven: Be ever present with your servants who seek through art and music to perfect the praises offered by your people on earth; and grant to them even now glimpses of your beauty, and make them worthy at length to behold it unveiled for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. A prayer of John Donne Bring us, O Lord God, at our last awakening into the house and gate of heaven, to enter into that gate and dwell in that house, where there shall be no darkness nor dazzling, but one equal light; no noise nor silence, but one equal music, no fears nor hopes,...

At Coulsdon there was a baptism and we sang Darke in E and "The Lord hath been mindful of us" by Wesley. The hymns included "Oft in danger, oft in woe" and "How sweet the name of Jesus sounds". My playing of Elgar's "Chanson de Matin" and Pomp and Circumstance March No.4. Liz acted as cantor at vespers at short notice last night - she had served at the big Polish Mass. She cooked a nice lunch of mackerel with orange and onion, mushrooms and courgettes. At evensong there were 6 in the choir and I sang bass and acted as cantor. We sang John Harper's RSCM Choristers' Prayer, Rutter's "I will sing with the spirit" and Dyson in C minor which is in unison. The choir sat on one side of the chancel and the small congregation on the console side.Teresa included one of the prayers for musicians I had provided. I played Francis Jackson's voluntary on "East Acklam" as we sang "For the fruits of His creation" ...

A varied day indeed! Although it was my day off I went to the library for the reading group extra session with Alex Wheatle local author of "Island Songs". This was his second visit and 18 people came and thoroughly enjoyed meeting him. Calix looked after the group after I had done the introductions and all the feedback forms were very positive! After a picnic lunch (as usual) I went to Culvert Road and eventually found the 2 artists in large metal boxes (ex-garages?) next to the railway line. Chito Salarza recycles bottletops to make a surface and then covers it. He gave me a picture taken form a photo at the Thames Festival! Nick Watson does rather good prints of birds but uses newspaper in the frames which does not add to their appeal! I then crossed over the railway line to find Rosemarie Gwilliam's studio. She gave me a glass of white wine and her work is most impressive especially a fine pastel of the power station seen from the water. The original was stolen from F...

Apologies to anyone who felt excluded by the new restrictions. This was not my intention and I am happy to invite anyone to read my blog. I suppose Dennis is right that giving out too much information could be a problem.

The security guard arrived at the library today and he seems fine. This measure has been introduced until November and I think we may have turned a corner on this one with the kids one of whom wanted to know why she could not use the computer. I pointed out that apologising now was a bit late and the consequence of her rudeness was that she would have to wait until her parents had responded to our letter which has been held up the postal strike. To chorus where Mark brought great enthusiasm to Carmina Burana. Friday was a peaceful day with autumn glow in the evening in the park after a murky start and choir practice not very well attended. Still we went through all the music for this month.

A quiet Wednesday catching up on watching HDDs from the Proms, Songs of Praise and Antiques Roadshow and a splendid new work by Jonathan Dove for the 60th birthday of Radio 3. To St Michael's for the recital by David Davies sub-organist of Guildford cathedral. This was a good programe including works by David Johnson and Seth Bingham reflecting the organist's time in America. Also Bach, Bruhns and de Grigny. The latter was unexpectedly loud. Howells's Siciliano for a high ceremony is unusual. He finished with Fidelis and Fanfare by Percy Whitlock. To chorus where Mark Griffiths rehearsed Carmina Burana excellently. His instructions are clear and helpful. Had a chat to him in the break about the Fidelio in Oxford - he sang at Christ Church for 2 terms.

Watched Palin in Europe and enjoying his book on this too, Stephen Fry on HIV, Antiques Roadshow.

Pictures show the Queen and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at the opening of the hall in 1951. Tuesday and the Royal Gala concert marking the reopening of the Royal Festival Hall. We had to be there at 3 p.m. because of security. 600 singers from 7 choirs took part and I sat between tenors from the Billingshurst choral society and the London Philharmonic choir. Paul Daniel conducted. The concert started late. The front stalls were full of sopranos in orange and altos in green, tenors in pink tops and basses in brown. After the National anthem, we sang Zadok the priest. The Sixteen and the Adventist chorale combined in a sensational version of Purcell's Come ye sons of art. Watching Ken Burton's face was an inspiration! The London Philharmonic strings then played Elgar's Introduction and Allegro. What a fine work this is and I don't recall hearing it live before. In the interval there was champagne and I spoke to Julian Lloyd Webber about his father's music. Also...

My son has suggested that a public blog is not such a good idea so this blog should now only be available to those who have a blog who have already contacted me or by invitation by email from me. If you cannot access it any longer, email me at woodhouse@sopten.demon.co.uk

At St Andrew's we sang "Mass for Hilary" by Richard Jones who is now Jo Richards. It worked well to transpose the Sanctus down a tone to G minor. The anthem was "O Lord increase our faith" by Henry Loosemore which echoed today's gospel from Luke. Hymns included "Let all mortal flesh", "Dear Lord and Father of mankind" and "Now thank we all our God" so I ended with Flor Peeters' fine prelude on "Nun Danket". As the Refresh service was on I came home rather than waiting to practise and produced a report on Friday's choir meeting. We had a taste of Morocco for lunch. I hoovered and washed the kitchen floor. Choral evensong last Sunday was from Westminster Abbey and this week from Lichfield featuring Stanford in G and Howells Paean. The Classic FM 15th anniversary concert sounded good despite a boomy echo effect - the BBC does these broadcasts from the Albert Hall with closer miking I think to avoid this. The Verdi...

Thursday to Southwark South Western area Unity commission of which I am still vice-chair. David Barrett presented a useful paper about the future of the commission and its role and there was also an excellent paper from John Richardson of Churches together in South London. This will be our last meeting at Marie Repatrice convent, Wimbledon and next year we will meet at the Tooting Christian education centre.

The staff meetings on Thursday showed a depth of stress and unhappiness about the behaviour of children which is most worrying. Parks police are now visiting us regularly and things seem to have settled down since the fight outside on Monday. Friday had a choir meeting after practice to discuss recruitment, repertoire and other concerns. Things were a little different at Mass tonight with a wayward cantor and organ drowning out prayers at the preparation of the gifts among other things!

To Tate Britain for 10.30 a.m. visit to the Millais exhibition. Audio guide good. Some very impressive painting over a long life. Some of his paintings of children are very sentimental. I'm not a lover of the Pre-Raphaelites but I must say I was impressed by some of the pictures. Met Pauline who comes to the library every day! Liked the last room of Scottish landscapes one of which was lent by Johannesburg Art gallery! "The sound of many waters" shown here with a detail gets its title from Newman's Gerontius. The daily selection of Newman's writings by A.N.Wilson which Liz gave me for my birthday is proving excellent reading with the daily missal each morning. The spirituality day was led by Jill Benet from Centering prayer and focused on motivation and following Christ and resting in the Lord. I took a walk to Church House bookshop and bought the Psalms calendar for Ann and Paul. Also a Taize calendar and the booklet for the Week of prayer for Christian unity.

Monday to the circle meeting after a hectic day including calling the police to break up a teenage fight outside the library. Naturally ended up writing lots fo reports! At tai chi we had Andreas as instructor as Geoff is away and did lots of new exercises! Tuesday by bus to Carmelite church in Kensington High street for Mark Nash's presentation about the next lot of diocesan groups. I will be leading one on Wednesday afternoons. There were 7 there. Excellent presentation and the book looks good. Impressive kitchen!