The organist librarian

Tuesday had my final dental treatment and Judy suggested I go to the Mayday eye clinic as a floater had appeared in my left eye on Sunday. It was thoroughly checked by Dr Hun and nothing was found so now I must get used to the floater whizzing around my eye! The Sharing in his life group had a good discussion and I served at Mass. James has joined the team and really looks the part! I also saw Sarah and got the fliers for "Understanding Islam" copied. Liz is to do sacristy duty on 3 days. She is busy redecorating at Grandma's while she is in King's with a urinary infection and bleeding again. She is getting much better care there than at Mayday.At Chorus Robert rehearsed for Classic carols including his own rather good arrangement of "Silent night" which is one carol I loathe! Thursday to King's to see Grandma and chorus where we rehearsed Elgar Te Deum and Vivaldi Gloria. The rehearsal was taken at short notice by a young man with beard and heavy rimmed...

Friday practice Karen came to go through solo for the wedding so we lost valuable time. Everyone laughed as I asked David to sing the Advent responsory slower! To Manders organ works off Hackney Road for their open day. 2 excellent DVDs to watch and much to see including metal shop, woodworking and design room. Saw the new movable console for St Paul's Cathedral which is even bigger than Liverpool Anglican cathedral's! Also the new organ for St Giles Cripplegate and photos of several I have played. Bus and fast train home for lunch and to Coulsdon for Pink/Wood wedding. Bride was right on time wearing a white bolero as it was wet. Photos in church. Karen sang the Caccini Ave Maria beautifully.One typo Handel became Handal at least it wasn't Handle! To St Joseph's St Mary Cray for Catenian mass. Not many there but we sang Credo 3 and Haugen setting and 3 hymns. Fr Bill made me very welcome and said he had lost touch with Daniel French. Marcel now an Anglican! Sad that we...

To Westminster Abbey for the annual St Cecilia service. We were in the nave so saw little. Splendid Purcell Hear my prayer, Palestrina, new Gabriel Jackson piece very lovely, Elgar "Give unto the Lord" and Lift high the cross to Nicholson's tune. Buxtehude Toccata in F at the end. Saw Tom from chorus and Martin Ball and we went to Nicholson's grave. Also Clementi's and Sir William McKie. To Tate modern to see the crack in the floor - rather scary since I had a fall recently. Louise Bourgeois some very fine carving but rather obsessed by genitalia and spiders and secret rooms - bit creepy. All the world's a stage would be worth visiting again. Members room has fine view of St Paul's. Interfaith group 3 came and they stayed for Sharing in his life session 4. Lively discussion about ecumenism and other faiths. Nobody turned up for Justice and Peace meeting - Holy Land pilgrimage this week. Served at Pax Christi mass for Franz Jaegerstatter - Bishop McMahon, B...

Disaster! Jeff has been given the boot for tai chi classes so much upset and we hope we can continue. He has been doing it for 8 years and not making any money out of it. To Blackheath to rehearse Carmina Burana with Fruhbeck who is now 74. Lots of lugging chairs onto the stage and back off again and the result was many could not see him. Mark worked hard to pull things into shape.Orff does not thrill me but people like it. It's very wearing on the voice. Tuesday afternoon to the Festival Hall and things were much better and the concert went well apart from some wayward altos and basses! Khachaturian piano concerto was stunning - what technique! French pianist rather camp but brilliant! We enjoyed going to Giraffe for a meal with smoothies, burritos and cuscus - very healthy. The Hall river frontage is so much better.

David Frost used all the prayers I sent him on Sunday morning to mark the RSCM 80th and 60 years since Sir Sydney Nicholson died. We sang the RSCM prayer by John Harper, Nicholson in G and "When in our music God is glorified" to Stanford's "Engelburg". I played Martin How's Elegy in memory of Gerald Knight. We took photos for the recruitment leaflet.

Liz had 5 celebrations in all! On Thursday I took her to Tree House South Croydon where we enjoyed sea bass and hot chocolate fondant. Liz had a Japanese fish mani mani. She kept saying Bagattis would be nice and I've contacted Croydon Park hotel about Sunday! Friday friends came for eats and mulled wine and drinks and I hot back from choir practice to enjoy seeing Grainne, Sophie, Clare, Lyn, Rosemary, Gill and later Adrian and Terence. Saturday we served at Mass which was RCIA so finished late. I said to Liz I have to deliver you in South Croydon at 8.30 so just time to change and we got the bus OK. Louise, Tom and Bruce were at Bagattis and AnnMarie and Dennis brought Grandma. It was so lovely to hace everyone together. Liz got a voucher for the Sanctuary, lots of flowers and a watch from Bruce. The food was excellent - I had sardines and risotto. Restaurant full and very noisy - nice birthday cake arranged by Louise. Sunday Louise organised lunch - Dennis had flown back. We had...

Today my darling wife is 60 and gets her freedom pass! I checked at the pool and we also get free swimming and a possible refund as our membership runs until January. I hid the flowers next door so they were ready when she woke up before I left for work. I have not been swimming now for 2 weeks but hope to return there tomorrow. She had some lovely cards and I gave her Isabel's little book. Isabel wrote in it "Liz Your husband is fabulous!" On the next page I wrote "But you are better!" Took Grandma to King's College hospital to see the Macular disease expert who was very nice and reassuring. We are out for dinner tonight. Wednesday was a busy day. Choosing hymns with Vickie and a salad lunch as I played for the funeral of a 96 year old at 2. To Hinsley Room for Sharing in his life group - 3 came and a lively discussion. Group decided they want to go on another week into December as we missed last week's session because of my accident. I went to All Sain...

Council meeting on Monday at Brendan's. Kevin had been to Saturday's membership roadshow and found it helpful. My mouth has healed up well. I missed tai chi as we had branch librarians meeting. Classical star on BBC2 came to a brilliant conclusion. I wanted the bassoon or guitar to win but the pianist triumphed despite all her problems! All 3 will go far! Liz listened to the Foulds concert on the internet and a recording is to be released.

Saturday evening to St Chad's South Norwood for Mass. Walked down with Mary across the road and saw Mary Crinnegan. The new marble altar is impressive (it's their centenary) but why is there a classical pediment at the base? Alas the Ghanaian parish priest is very hard to understand as he talks too fast. At the start he mentioned Remembrance Sunday but we did not pray for the dead of the wars in the prayers! Tomorrow's 10.30 a.m. Mass is for the people of the parish so what has happened to the requiem for the dead of the wars? It's odd going back to a church where you used to worship - much is familiar but some things have changed. Today we practised at 9 a.m. so left home early. The 9.30 Eucharist was attended by the Methodists and was said with hymns. We did sing the Darke Agnus Dei. I played the Last Post and Reveille for the 2 minutes silence as the guides paraded. There was a gap before the Royal British Legion service at 10.45 a.m. This started late so the Croft s...

Another quiet day with Liz at rehearsals for the Foulds. Watched at last the Royal Ballet performance of "The Sleeping Beauty" by Tchaikovsky and a 2006 prom featuring the Mendelssohn Violin concerto and Sibelius 5 one of my favourites. I love the end of this symphony. I also read several magazines and cleared up the backlog of articles to be read! Spoke to Dennis on Skype and Louis Maingard on the phone. Changed dressing on my nose which is healing well.

An orchid in Dublin Botanic gardens. A peaceful day spent listening to music from the Proms recorded on HDD and reading Alexander McCall Smith's latest delightful Isabel Dalhousie novel "The proper use of compliments". I like the way he brings in words of wisdom!

Hallowe'en is big in Ireland. I suppose this is not surprising. Here is the display in the Dublin Botanical gardens suitably counteracted by the decoration in Drumcliff Church of Ireland where Yeats is buried. For all the saints who from their labours rest .... Hobgoblin nor foul fiend can daunt his spirit; he knows he in the end shall life inherit. Then fancies fly away, he'll fear not what men say; he'll labour night and day to be a pilgrim. John Bunyan

The winter is approaching alas! "I'll walk beside you through the passing years"

A new seat with a magnificent view!

Boris Anrep made 2 mosaics for Mullingar cathedral like the ones in Westminster cathedral. The subjects are St Patrick and St Anne and St Joachim parents of the Virgin. There is also a lovely chapel devoted to St Therese of Lisieux.

The beautiful Glencar waterfall - we stayed near here with a wonderful view of the mountains each morning!

Yeats' grave at Drumcliff and Ben Bulben mountain. The Yeats quote on his grave in this idyllic setting on "Cast but a cold eye upon life and death, Horseman ride by" . I prefer the quote illustrated in the nearby sculpture "I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams". The bottom photo is in fact in Donegal - sorry about that but what a view!

Here are some photos from Ireland this autumn. The church where the wedding will be next July in Finglas and the magnificent Pugin chapel at Maynooth seminary now a university with an active theology department.

On Wednesday I took it easy and finished reading Michael Palin's excellent "New Europe". I also went to the dentist again and Judy did the root flling. I didn't go the cathedral spirituality day or my Sharing in his life group or the servers Guild dinner but Liz did. She also went to the presentation of Guild of Church Musicians awards by the Cardinal in the Lady chapel and she served at that. Alas I missed meeting Desmond Tutu!!! Grrrrr! Always wanted to meet him! Alison Stimpson got her ACertCM. Actually had I been there I would nto have gone to tea as I would have had my group meeting any way. Such is life! Thursday to my health check and all is well. Same South African lady doctor I saw last year and she said I was OK. Then to the church to find Last Post and Reveille copy for Remembrance Sunday which turned out to be under Blair, Hugh! Practised that and the other pieces. Then to Stationers Hall for the Chorus 50th anniversary reception as by then I was feeling b...

I seem to have omitted Isabel's 3rd visit in October to the library reading group about her latest book "Men". 20 people came as it was advertised as part of the Arts Festival.

2 trainee accountants meet and one has a new bike. The other says "What a great bike! Where did you get it?" The first says "You won't believe it. Last night an attractive blonde rode up on it and took all her clothes off and said 'Take anything you want'". The second said "You did the right thing - the clothes wouldn't have fitted you!"

I went to tai chi and Jeff was back from his travels to Hong Kong, Paris, Berlin and Cambridge. Andreas had given us lots to do but Jeff seemed happy to just chat and we only did 15 minutes of a new exercise. Jeff said his Dad had a bad accident in Thornton Heath. His parked his automatic 4 by 4 which he has driven for 10 years outside the pool. When he got back in the car surged forward, hit the car in front, turned 9o degrees, went round a lamp post and through the windows of the pool. This is the pool we go to every day!

When I got to the pool at 7 a.m. I realised I had forgotten to bring some briefs so Liz kindly brought some down for me when she came for her swim. It was a lovely day and once I'd eaten lunch I set off for the park. I was just thinking I'll stop and photograph the trees against the blue sky when I tripped and fell forwards. I stopped my fall with my hands but my nose hit the pavement with lots of bleeding. I also chipped one of my front teeth. Some workmen called an ambulance and I rang the library and home. The ambulance stopped on the way to the Chelsea hospital to pick up a man who had been knocked off his moped. Liz met me there and we waited an hour to see 2 doctors who examined my nose and said it wasn't broken. We got to the dentist by 5 p.m. and Judy removed the broken tooth and said the rest of it could be saved. I'm likely to be in some pain over the next few days so I'm taking it easy and not going to spirituality day, group meeting and servers' dinn...

On Wednesday Malcolm Riley who is an expert on Percy Whitlock played the last of the series at St Michael's. He included works by Andrew Carter and one of his own composition written for Francis Jackson's 90th birthday. It was a shame the rpogramme did not give the verses of the psalms on which the Whitlock pieces were based. I returned home for lunch then went to the Cathedral for Sharing in his life group which was interesting. I served at Mass and attended the recital by Nicholas Kynaston. A strange programme of Franck, Karg-Elert and Reger. I enjoyed the Langlais pieces and Thomas invited me to the drinks afterwards where I met Stephen Disley and his father, Peter Wright, Fr Aidan Rossiter among others.

After the beauty of Faure last Sunday, we have the glories of All Saints Day and we served at Vespers and Mass celebrated by Bishop George Stack. We then went a Foulds Requiem rehearsal and "The Tablet" has an interesting article about this work which is to be broadcast live on Radio 3 on November 11th. Today there was the simple event of a bench in memory of Eugene Attram who was killed a year ago. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nobody has come forward to testify. Maureen Enyonam his mother used to work at the library and she asked me to say some prayers which I took from the Office for the Dead. It was a lovely day and the bench is in the new rose garden. We had adult confirmation this evening conducted by Bishop Bernard Longley. He is so nice.