The organist librarian

Thursday chorus rehearsal and Liz back from Ireland. Friday to choir practice - some moans about Warlock instead of Ord for "Adam lay ybounden". Saturday 30 people came to hear Jimmy Burns talk about his book about his father "Papa spy". An excellent audience and he sold lots of copies. I drove to Coulsdon and hit lots of football traffic only just getting to church in time in the rain for Songs of Praise for St Andrew's day. An eclectic collection including Jerusalem and Blessed assurance and an old Methodist hymn about Emmaus! Choir sang "O come ye servants" and "Cantate domino" well. Andrew Nunn from Southwark cathedral preached well. An excellent fish and chip supper with apple pie and a good quiz. Took Marie and Caroline home. Advent Sunday we sang "I look from afar" and I played Lloyd Webber on "Helmsley". Ella announced she was giving up choir. Molly making great strides. No time to practise organ as went to 12 noon...

I have been dipping into the biography of Tavener. Watched Don Carlos on Iplayer, spoke to Dennis for his birthday and watched play on Gracie Fields and documentary on her life. My Dad was very keen on her. Johannian came with my full article about the school reunion and a photo of me with eyes shut! To Terence's to have tea and watch the Westminster Abbey Remembrance for World War 1 service attended by the Queen. Excellent sermon from Rowan Williams and an effective new anthem "The Peace which passeth understanding" by Tavener. Ian Bostridge sang Britten's Agnus Dei so well. To Vic and Albert and enjoyed the Islamic gallery - once again the musical instruments were closed off. To cafe bar above Natural History museum ice rink for a cappuccino. Lovely carousel but no stalls this time! To Holy Trinity behind the Albert hall for chorus carols rehearsal. Ridiculous to have people trying to sing Bach without scores. John Rutter Gloria is fun and much influenced by Walton...

Played for Vincent's funeral at St Chad's organ had been tuned but some notes not working! 4 hymns Fr William gave us a warm welcome and the Carmelite priest spoke well and helped Ben do the eulogy. I felt for him! To work and DS came about mid term PRP. To Cathedral hall for talk on prayer by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware from Oxford. A good talk on the Jesus prayer and silent meditation. I would have liked to ask how silent prayer fits in the Orthodox tradition with other practices like prostrations and kissing icons but no time. Met Andrea Kelly from Mount Street and Pam was there. Chatted to Miriam, Maureen and Michael. Liz off to Ireland OK and Dennis pleasantly surprised. Watched Don Carlos on Iplayer.

To Coulsdon where it seems the scaffolding fence is only held by a tie so we do have access to the vestry door! Liz late back from M & S. To St John's for Adrian's recital - 35 there. Centenaries Purcell, Handel, Haydn, Mendelssohn 6, Leighton Fanfare, Sidney Campbell Canterbury Improvisation No.2, Basil Harwood Paean - a good programme. At evensong we sang Stanford in A and Vaughan Williams Let all the world. Kit played Air of Wesley at the end. Adrian told story about Campbell and Gerald Knight. GHK commented on a hood "synthetic nylon" to which Campbell retorted "synthetic doctorate"! Watched Antiques roadshow and history of Christianity part 3 about the Orthodox church (gorgeous vestments and icons and churches) and Embarassing old bodies. Monday to BDT - some discussion about Balham as MR is retiring end of January. To Rosemary and Lyn's for a delightful dinner where we were joined by Louise and Tom. Bruce came for funeral tomorrow.

The reading group had a great discussion about "Native son" by Richard Wright. I'm surprised I had not come across this amazing book before. It certainly paints a bleak picture of racist America in the 1940s and has a powerful message for today. It was a shame Celine was not there to give a black perspective and later in the day when I told Pat Kahn about Doris I asked her about her American perspective on the book. Vespers and Mass for Christ the King with smoke. Fr Alexander sings really well and has a natural authority - so good to have a young priest. The choir from Limerick did not impress alas! We did sing "How shall we sing that majesty" which Fr Alexander wrote about in the newsletter. He would have preferred "Coe Fen" to "Kingsfold". Started with "Hail redeemer King divine". To swing party in the hall for the friends. Good to see Mark, Connie, Hannah, Andrew there. Anna sang beautifully - she sings at Harrods. The Irish ban...

Friday and wet and windy - woke late. I am using a large black umbrella as my German one has finally given up the ghost. The German ones are so much better than cheap Chinese ones - much sturdier! Finished reading "Basil Hume 10 years on" and enjoying dipping into "John and Myfanwy Piper" by Frances Spalding which has stunning illustrations e.g. the windows at Robinson college. To the cathedral for farewell to Bishop Bernard off to Birmingham. The Archbishop quoted the song "We don't want to lose you but we know you have to go" although it was hard to hear his homily and hot on top of the heater. The full choir sang Rubbra Missa St Dominica, Berkeley's Psalm 23 and we had 2 fine Newman hymns "Firmly I believe" and "Lead kindly light". Elgar Imeprial March. Cardinal and lots of clergy and bishops present and ecumenical reps as well. I was communion torch with Michael and dashed to get the Coulsdon South train which I just caught....

Wednesday to St Paul's cathedral for the festival of St Cecilia. Nasty fanfare trumpets from the back of the nave. Alistair from the cathedral was there as part of the worshipful company of musicians and we also saw Sr Stella. Sitting halfway down the nave, the combined choirs of Westminster Abbey, Cathedral and St Paul's were too far to the left and the new console too prominent. The boys were on the floor and couldn't be seen at all. Excellent new anthem by Cecilia McDowell and Stanford For lo I raise up. Sermon on music in difficult times by the Revd Dr Carolyn Hammond Dean of Gonville and Caius Cambridge. 3 good hymns "Thy hand O God" (Basil Harwood's anniversary) God is love and There's a wideness to Coverdale Maurice Bevan's tune. Chris Hollis told me later that Martin Baker could not hear the organ from the console! Canon Christopher and Fr Swavek spotted us! To Southwark Bridge to find 344 bus stop not working and works on the bridge. Eventua...

Elizabeth came in last week to tell me that Doris had breast cancer and leukaemia so I will visit her later today. Fiona Jarrett came in. She is back in the U.K. as the recession has hit the U.S. so badly. She still works for Virgin airlines where 1000 were made redundant. Zia spotted a cutting about Maureen and Eugene in the local paper.

Saturday to cathedral hall for Towards Advent event for Catholics opened by the Archbishop and Cardinal Vaughan school choir conducted by Charles Cole. We set up the Society of St Gregory stall and all the old magazines went and a lot of leaflets although some people read the leaflet and then put it back. I suggested taking it to their parish. It was very wet so numbers were down. I went to a talk on Christianity in Iraq by the Catholic woman of the year and Liz went to Joanna Bogle's talk on English Catholic heroines. Saw John East and lots of folk we know. Tea at M & S and then vespers and Mass which was a confirmation done by Bishop Alan Hopes very well indeed. Paul M looked after things. Dennis took us to the Jugged Hare in Vauxhall Bridge Road for a nice meal. I had jugged hare pie and bread and butter pudding. Sunday Liz to cathedral and to Coulsdon where we sang Campion's exquisite "Never weather beaten sail" which Sarah and Norman West enjoyed as they sang...

Keeping up the 40 lengths each day and tai chi on Monday too. Wednesday to Hinsley room for cathedral interfaith group at 10.55 so we could observe the 2 minute silence. Rabbi Mark Solomon was excellent and dealt well with interruptions - 18 came and some new faces. Some were a bit too vociferous - good that Jon Dal Din and Sr Hilda came. To Croydon for Biobank online questionnaire and tests on my health - quite interesting and it took 2 hours. To St Ethelburga's in the City for 6.30 - 12 there. Workshop on non-violence building on the example of Jesus and Martin Luther King. David Witton excellent and lots of Power Point but it would have been good to let us talk a bit! My first event there - Chris Hewer gave me a tour - it is a lovely space. Thursday Liz to chorus for MacMillan. Friday the 13th a grim wet day. Bad flood from public toilet in library. RA showed no common sense at all as flooded last night and she got wrong number for emergency services. Choir practice started on s...

To St John the Baptist Purley for Catenian mass for deceased brothers - only 5 of us there. Canon Jim presided and directed the irritating servers! Sat with David and met a gentleman I met at CASE conference! Picked up Liz - it was chorister for a day at cathedral so Paul was at the Mass. Caught up on HDD recordings and watched the fine Royal Albert Hall Royal British legion festival of remembrance which has been updated well. Sunday to church in suit wearing poppy and Dad's little RAF service ribbon as he always did. Both services went well and we sang Thou knowest Lord and Faure Pie Jesu in 2 parts. I had a lot to play including Last Post and Solemn melody, Nimrod, Thalben-Ball Elegy and Bach St Anne fugue. Good trumpeter at second service. At coffee asked what a modern service meant - seems it is aimed at teenagers. Picked up Liz - Bishop Moth at solemn requiem (Durufle). After an excellent M & S lunch to Southwark Cathedral for interfaith prayers for peace at 4.15. Some peo...

40 lengths on Thursday and Friday. Busy at work with survey. Fell asleep during "The history of Christianity" part 1 on BBC4. Friday to Catenian clergy supper - 70 at Addington Palace golf club but not many Norwood brothers or clergy. Picked up Fr Sixtus at St Chad's and Fr Tim Dean from the cathedral at East Croydon which was very busy because of rain! Fr Tim spoke well and enjoyed the evening which was too long thanks to a raffle. Good meal - roast beef. Home at 11.45! Woke early and lie-in - Liz fed up as I was out again this time for St Andrew's day on outreach at the very attractive Holy Trinity centre, Wallington where Freda Curtis's funeral was held. An interesting discussion in small groups and useful. Home to find a match on so parked outside Hyacinth's and tried to find reason for water overflowing onto back roof - baffling!

To spirituality day led by Mary Leigh on "Love is patient". Contemplated Holman Hunt's "Light of the world" and there is certainly more to this picture than I had realised. I always found the pre-Raphaelites too realistic but this is a fine picture. In the afternoon found St Therese's meditation on Corinthians 13 in last month's Oremus and her powerful message about being Love in the church. The recent amazing relics visit was all about Love! To Tate Britian listening to evensong from Salisbury. Wonderful Turner and the Masters exhibition with some lovely Watteaus and Claudes not to mention Rembrandts. The Turner Prize 4 were interesting if a bit disturbing - using brain matter - yuk! To Trafalgar square and had a duck wrap at Pret a manger. To ENO to meet Liz (she had been at Bow about drains and collecting paint so had brought car up). Superb production of "Turn of the screw" with Rebecca Evans and Ann Murray on fine form conducted by the eve...

Woke at 6.15 and as a result was later than expected for train and just missed the tour at New Covent Garden authority. However there is an interesting exhibition to see about their plans and we had coffee, danish, bacon butties and orange juice so no complaints there. Chatted to men from the board, Battersea society and Treasury holdings - was glad I had my suit and poppy on. Minibus to main gate and bus to library to find MH was late in because of her cat and nobody had rung me! Zia back from Pakistan with nice sweets. Cleaner doing very little again. On train and tram to Catenians - 14 of us and 8 visitors. Colin gave me a lift home and I had a long chat to David Barrett which is always interesting. Tuesday swam but it was busy and got out early to chat to Dan. I had seen Humphrey on train last night. Work on PRP and game plan. Lady gave me her seat on way home!

Book sale ending at library - about £110 which is not a lot. The Indian summer wasn't all that great although the park looks lovely. To Smoke vespers and Mass with Fr Michael Durand. Canon Christopher's attempts to sing "For all the saints" before Mass! Challoner choir murdered Rutter Deep peace although Hurford's Litany to the spirit was better but I don't think either was particularly appropriate. Fr Tim Dean is coming to the Catenian clergy supper on Friday - Canon Christopher and Fr Swavek have both been in Rome. Have been reading about the conservative Anglicans joining Rome - I can't help thinking this will make ecumenism with the C of E even more difficult and many of the hopes of the past seem to be dashed. Listening to All Saints Margaret Street evensong and benediction - can't get much higher than that! Pouring with rain and people on vintage car run to Brighton getting drenched and breaking down. Services went OK - we sang Harris "Holy ...