The organist librarian

Spoke to Ann, up early and did blog and printed off music for chorus which in fact was incorrect so a waste of time and paper and ink! To dentist and now have 2 top teeth without a gap! £150. Finished off tar on gutter and roof and no sign of leaks. To St Michael's for interesting recital by Maxine Thevenot a Canadian who plays in Albuquerque New Mexico - Preston, Vierne, Mulet, Demessieux and Canadian Denis Bedard. It was good that she introduced the pieces from the loft. Home for stir fry and then to Hinsley room. 9 came for talk by Ross Kempsell about World Youth day in Sydney last July. He said he would speak for 20 minutes but in fact spoke for nearly 2 hours - he was brilliant and so interesting! His mum came too. To chorus to rehearse music for first "Merlin" recording with Debbie Miles-Johnston. To Victoria to meet Mark and Mariana who is charming and glamourous - pizza express. Very nice!

Photos by John Scott. Sunday we sang Byrd 4 part mass and we both had solos. Best of all Mawby Ave verum. Quite a lot of people at Eucharist 10 a.m. Dean was at pains to explain restrictions on not sharing chalice and no contact at the Peace - where will it all end? Coffee afterwards and then tenor John Scott gave us a fascinating architectural tour about Pearson and he lent me an interesting article. To Real Ale house and had local bitter and shared roast lunch with Liz - too full after big breakfast! Evensong featured Holst Nunc Dimittis, a lovely chant by Robert Walker for unaccompanied psalm and Arvo Part Beatitudes. Boellmann Toccata at end from Vickie (who is moving to Hamilton for 2 years). Taxi to station where we enjoyed cream scones on the platform and then a 6 hour 6 p.m. train trip to Paddington. Got tube and train to East Croydon and taxi home by 1 a.m. Listened to Prom - Holst First choral symphony (very fine) Delius Brigg Fair and Enigma variations.

At breakfast met the choir of St Michael's Bedford Park directed by Jonathan Dods - they are a happy and friendly group. Rehearsed in the Truro school music school. I am doing second tenor which is really too low for me. Bought calendars in cathedral shop. We had free time so walked around Truro visiting the library (not impressed but being rebuilt) and the excellent Royal Cornwall museum featuring a special exhibition of fabulous contraptions. Loved the special soup spoon to stop Edwardian gentlemen getting soup in their moustache! Some lovely pottery and pictures on the theme of light. Joined Liz and Louise for lemon meringue ice cream cake and tea at Victorian tea rooms while they had a cream tea. To buy a new watch strap and look around Waterstones. Sung Eucharist for St James Day - Rubbra Missa St Dominic setting is lovely and plainchant sentences. To an excellent meal at Saffron - had gurnard and steak beautifully cooked and lots of wine, tiramisu cream. Enjoyed chatting to t...

Friday was Dennis and Ann Marie's first wedding anniversary so sent them a card. I finished at 2 and spent time checking out on Iplayer last night's prom. To Paddington and met Louise for 6 hour train ride to Paddington. Lovely scenery especially around Exeter where the train goes along the coast line. Listened to the Prom on my headphones and mobile phone - an East meets West programme featuring the Japanese Sho. Debussy, Ravel, Sarasate and Takemitsu. Finished reading "Baking cakes in Kigali" by Gaile Martin which is a delight - very like Precious Ramotswe. Met up with Liz at Truro school - she had enjoyed being with Martine in Barnstaple for the week.

To Town Hall for Unison meeting about discrimination at shortlisting stage. To the Albert Hall to queue for prom. Given a numbered place so able to go to Royal College of Music for chat between Stephen Johnson, Piers Burton-Page (he used to come to Southfields library) and Rob Cowan about British music. Bax Tintagel for the Proms and Malcolm Arnold! The importance of hearing music live rather than just on CD was stressed and promming proved this. I was lucky to get a chair in the arena - pays to come early! I chatted to a nice man who had heard the Moeran Symphony performed. I did not know it but loved it! The Finzi Grand Fantasia and toccata for piano and orchestra was another unknown and ideal for the Proms. Best of all was Elgar 2 which was very moving - I felt goosebumps. Vasily Sinaisky conducted the BBC Philharmonic. On return home (452 and train straight away at Battersea Park) found only Moeran recorded on HDD!

David came and held ladder and got 3rd coat of tar on roof. We had coffee adn enjoyed a chat - his old school sounds horrendous! To St Michael's for recital by Carl Jackson - a good programme Preston, Ireland, Pomp and circumstance No.4, Mathias Berceuse, Langlais. Then to cathedral to sort out dates for interfaith group - will be on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. Sat in garden and read until 4 p.m. when 12 people came for the talk on Buddhism by Brian Appleyard. He spoke without notes. To St Mary le Bow on district line to hear Timothy Radcliffe on the Our Father and justice - excellent but could not hear every word. Back to cathedral for Martin Baker's recital and a good audience. Franck No. 1, Mendelssohn, Reger, Cochereau and Tournemire. Excellent. Home listening to prom celebrating 800 years of Cambridge including Stanford in A, Jonathan Harvey, Judith Weir, Saint-Saens 3 with Thomas Trotter.

Sunday we sang Howard Goodall's The lord is my shepherd and the matching exercise down the scale No, No, No then Yes on bottom note! I sang short tenor sol while playing and Karen did the main solo well. It is the Vicar of Dibley tune of course. Evensong went really well. Proms continue to delight with Handel's opera Partenope featuring Andreas Scholl - I listened online following the libretto. Monday Mahler 9 conducted by Haitink and MacMillan 7 last words - both marvellous. Spoke to Dennis. Tuesday to Alvering library closing down party - lots of faces form the past including Gill and Chris Mason, Jan, Jeremy, Barry, Ron, Bill, Pat, Laurence - had a great chat. Today spoke to Ann and going on roof with David holding ladder to finish the tarring 3rd coat. Arranged gardeners for Mum on Monday. Liz enjoying Barnstaple.

Borrowed John's ladder and checked the kitchen roof with hose. Put two layers of bitumen on sections but had to delay 3rd coat because of showers. Hoovered and cleared up. Saturday to vespers and Mass and bought cards at St Paul's. On the way home listened to The Creation from the Proms. Mark Padmore was excellent. Sunday we sang Goodall's "The Lord is my shepherd" and at evensong the Shera setting and Bob Chilcott's Irish blessing. I played Arthur Milner's variations and a vesper voluntary by Elgar.The day thou gavest and God that madest earth and heaven. In the morning we sang "From thee all skill and science flow". Handel's opera Partenope from the Proms with the libretto online while finishing loading photos from the holiday in Scotland. I am on Proms discussion board. Liz had been to osteopath and sang at evensong at Bedford Park.

On our last morning we visited Culloden battlefield which the Queen was to visit the following week, dropped Peter at home and headed for the airport at Inverness

Back at Peter's

Cromarty firth and Inverness cathedral and castle

A tour of Tain distillery. Glenmorangie whisky is the most popular single malt.