The organist librarian

Swam 20. To art and finished the Venic painting. I am pleased with it. To interfaith lunch and Sam who gave is the tour of Grangewood park told us about the Great North Wood project. I got passionate about the latest Conversations meeting and the closure of libraries in Lambeth! Not bad for 69! Home to email from Fr Jerry and very happy - will arrange meeting at Caterham with Jill. Coast of Tasmania.

We had a brilliant day taking the boys to the London Wetland centre and we have joined up as we will be returning! Loads to do and we did the search for clues to earn a chocolate. Applied to St John Caterham as organist and choirmaster. We saw ducklings! Ciaran fell over and knocked his head but he was OK. 

We really enjoyed "Eddie the eagle". I went to the National Portrait gallery Russian show - great to see Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky,Dostoevsky portraits. Catenian provincial executive group at Swanley. Cancelled dinner dance and quiet day - nil response! Watched canal journey in Sweden, steam locos and Pathe news.

Ventured out to Bromley Parish church and saw evidence of tree branches down. Paul Derrett have us a most entertaining programme. Purcell Mansfield's Toccata a la gigue reminded me of the Teddy Bears' Picnic and it was good to have a tribute to Richard Popplewell. We also heard Buxtehude, Bach, Campra, Reger, SS Wesley, Lemare and Flor Peeters. A jolly encore Capriccietto by Leonard Butler. Liz went to fetch Hannah to visit Claire. Watched Brontes, Shakespeare's grave and Don Giovanni. Easter Sunday morning from St Alban's impressive. University challenge, Island parish and a fascinating programme on the Easter rising.

The Triduum marathon is completed! I played for the 8 p.m. vigil at Anerley RC 3 hymns and Hallelujah chorus. 2 baptised, 1 received, 3 confirmations. It was much appreciated by Fr Sunith and Fr Stuart who sang superbly. So nice to have  Dennis Woodhouse  with us for dinner of pork and apple frangipane tart and at Mass. Home by 10.30 and straight to bed! Clocks forward and woke at 3.30 a.m. I was at St John Caterham by 5 a.m. magnificent full moon. It's 10 miles by car. The rain which had meant everything was indoors last night held off for the kindling of the new fire outside at 5.45 a.m. and we were launched on all 6 readings and Mawby psalms ably sung by Jill and Peregrine. Finished with Hallelujah chorus and off to a cooked breakfast. 10 a.m. at St John Caterham and an Easter egg well earned! Bach Christ lag in todesbanden, Christopher Tambling O filii and Rosalie Bonighton Easter hymn. Greening setting and Shephard "Sing choirs of heaven". New vestments blessed and ...

Lie-in and finished the Tablet. Discovered George McKay Brown The Harrowing of Hell on Peter Tyler's blogspot. To Amerley to practise on the Wyvern and saw Fr Stuart. He gave me a bottle of wine! More coming to OJ dinner and John Thing rang about it. Father Brown X 3. Sorted all organ music into order. Dennis came for dinner and we had pork and almond tart. Delicious. Easter from King's.

Played for 3 hours Good Friday at St John Caterham. The meditations from the crib to the cross with pictures were beautiful and so different from the preaching on the 7 words from my youth! I particularly liked the prayers which I did not know and seeing Cana, Jerusalem and the Oberammergau scene again. Brought back many wonderful memories. Now watching the BBC programme about Judas.  "O Lord Jesus, I will embrace you who became a little child for me. In my weakness I clasp you who became weak for me. A mere man, I embrace the God made man, the God Who became a man as poor as I am, and came into Jerusalem seated on a humble donkey. I embrace you, O Lord, because your lowly state is my greatness, and your weakness is my strength. The foolishness of God is my wisdom." St Aelred of Rievaulx. We sang Is it nothing to you unaccompanied but the sopranos seemed unsure despte there being 4 of them. Psalm 22 went well. Listened to concert from King's and part of St John Passion c...

Swam 20. Saw a mouse last night in the lounge - Liz saw it in the dining room the other evening so reset 3 traps. To art and worked on Venice picture. To Streatham only to find interfaith lunch is next week! Watched Mary Berry's Easter feast, art of Scandinavia and Songs of Praise. Also had a lie-down! Liz baking Hot cross buns. Played for Maundy Thursday liturgy at St John Caterham. William Wordsworth on Nicht so traurig (actually composed at Hindhead) and Groves on Pange lingua and Adoro te. We sang A new commandment by Peter Aston. Train at 6 and home at 10! Watched last Royal Navy school. News from Brussels still bad. 

Liz and I enjoyed Marguerite - funny and sad French film about a rich lady who thinks she can sing and nobody will tell her how awful she is. We had an excellent meal at Gastro opposite Clapham Picturehouse mullet, duck, 3 d essert selection £20 each. To Acton and oil painting on metal at Chiswick Park - layer No. 2. Liz to school.  Had a good day with Tamar, lunch at Watermans and playing with water at Steam museum. Ice cream cone too! Liz to tenebrae at St John's - I felt tired. Masterchef. Saw Linda on TV at the Albert Hall! Grantchester was good and saw the rest of the Battle for Christianity,

A dashcam would be a good idea. Setting off for the pool a black Mercedes pulled out from my right in our road and I hooted him narrowly missing him. Swam 20 despite the water being so hot. Tragedy at Brussels airport. Ibraham and David Rosen and Philip Moore are to get Lambeth awards. We would normally be at the Chrism Mass today. Liza and Kevin had a little girl born at peace yesterday evening at 21 weeks. She was baptised Tulip May Marshall and they were able to hold her and say their goodbyes. Tulip had a serious heart defect and Edwards Syndrome. As you can imagine we are all devastated...I bought some tulips. So sad.

Swam 20, mosaic and tai chi. Liz went to Mass. Told Mother Roxanne and Fiona about Caterham. The hymns for Good Friday first two hours are nearly all worship songs. I am puzzled as to how High the church is - there is no Lady statue for a start but the liturgy is Catholic! I suppose A and M does offer a wider variety of hymns.  To Croydon Vue to see Boris Godunov live from Royal Opera House. Bryn Terfel, the chorus and Pappano stunning. Quite demanding having no interval but the intensity worked. Joy and Geoff were there. Island parish from Unst.

Enjoyed singing at St John Upper Norwood and returned for a free community lunch! Plainchant Passion, Morley Nolo mortem, Wills Missa Passiona Christi. Watched mediaeval mind and Dr Thorne. Played for evensong at St John Caterham. Bach Herzlich, Brahms Herzliebster Jesu, Lasceux Fugue G minor. I lost my place in the Magnificat to chant B. A pleasure to meet the widow of Christopher Jones who wrote the words of the final hymn Faith overcomes and taught many of the bishops including Justin Welby and Bishop Libby. Highwood is the perfect tune for it. More on jigsaw and watched canal journey in Sweden. Liz sang at St John's in evening. Watched Indian summers and the Mediaeval mind series.Sent Indian journal to Xavier.

Set out to go to St John's coffee morning but discovered front tyre needed checking. It was resealed. Liz went to Lourdes Mass. To Chorus 2016 at South Bank centre and heard Choir with no name, Bexley and Gospel Oak groups. Plenty of enthusiasm, not my style of music. the conductor even got me moving arms and singing! One guy was wearing a deerstalker! Drawing at National Gallery - the Michelangelo entombment. Listened to some speeches at Trafalgar Square Refugees welcome demo. Foyles and then to Tim Harper's excellent recital at Bloomsbury Baptist. Vespers and Mass for Palm Sunday at the cathedral.

Swam 20 and did some reading around the Stations and the Coexist site. To Caterham for choir practice Jill and 4 singers. We went through everything for Holy Week - lots of sightreading. There are some good ideas Psalm 22 to chant on Good Friday and all the psalms at the Vigil! Train at 7 back at 10! Had a quiet day and watched Father Brown, Great interior design challenge and Mary Berry's Easter feast. Dear John, This Easter, Premier Christianity has embarked on a dramatic new project called The Stations. The Stations is a photography project created in collaboration with creative director, Marksteen Adamson, reflecting on the Stations of the Cross and the suffering of Jesus through images and stories of today's refugees. The traditional ‘stations of the cross’ are a series of 14 images depicting the stages of Christ’s journey on Good Friday. This unique photographic study is a parallel journey retold through the lives a...

Second Catenian funeral of the week Paul Morris at Beckenham - such a gentleman. 2 free exhibitons about graffiti and elms not impressive. St Stephen Wallbrook has a most moving station based on the Turin shroud and photos of Syrian refugees.  Visited Tower of London for the station Crucifixion by Guy Reid and met Marcin Mazur  . To National Gallery for the last station and Michelangelo's Entombment and the Botticini altarpiece. Very powerful photos at St Martins in fields of refugees. To South London circle for mass for Ros David's wife Mgr Vlad and meeting. I suppose it is inevitable that the two funerals this week get compared. Pat's was personal with an excellent homiy although John tells me Orpington people cannot understand Fr Vella and he can preach for 45 minutes! Ashley Beck tends to the formal although there were some lighter touches like the aisles in Waitrose. Nice to meet Molly at the reception.  Like Show More Reactions ...

Swam 20.  Our second session talking about our marriage for Explore at Christ the King Lewisham some good questions. Do you ever get fed up with each other? what would you do if one of you cheated? What was the attraction? To meditation at St John's and wrote it up in my journal and Liz went to the Oratory for St Matthew passion. I went to oil painting on aluminium with Nelson. Wednesday took Sean to Osterley and enjoyed the walk. Lunch at the Osterley garden centre. Picked up Liz and to Guild of St John SOuthworth talk on Bentley. Brian Cuthbertson of the Diocese of London stimulating on Laudato si' 9  came and a good discussion. Slow bus journey to Brixton 6 Buddhists and me discussing transformative action. Start by creating a blogspot to which all can contribute. Watched the excellent Richard Dimbleby lecture on Shakespeare.

Mosaic was cancelled so I was able to go with Liz to Pat Smith's funeral at Holy Innocents Orpington. A fitting tribute to a wonderful lady and a delicious lunch. Now watching the Commonwealth Day service from Westminster Abbey on BBC1 and spotting some faith leaders I know! Watched University challenge and art of Scandinavia.

Some of the council of the Archconfraternity of St Stephen meet the Cardinal. 

To * am Mass at St Mary's. Fr Celestine's homily hard to follow and screaming kids. Rather interesting to sit in the congregation at St John Caterham and get a better idea of the volume between organ and the small choir. The congregation do not sing Lamb of God at all and only a few try to join in the Sanctus. The most rousing singing was the last hymn "And can it be". We heard from Wendy Rogers about TRIO the responsibility is ours - giving needs to increase to meet their weekly shortfall! Nice cake and coffee in the hall afterwards. About 50 in church including some youngsters. I do not think the tuba tune is at all suitable for the 5th Sunday of Lent and Robert's style is rather lumpy and often too loud! Not many listen to the final voluntary and the bells keep going until 5 minutes before the service! 4 in the choir and I did not get any words in the Lole anthem. The organ was too loud in places.  Really enjoyed Spartacus from the Bolshoi at Clapham pictureho...

A great day at St John Upper Norwood. Adrian Adams directed Messiah with a choir of 100 and excellent young soloists and orchestra. Really enjoyed it and lovely to have  Louise Maher  singing with us. All to raise money for the repair fund. Good audience. We had time to come home and watch Sea ports programmes on Liverpool and Tyneside. Penny and Celia were singing. 

Swam 20. Liz went to Mass and to get shopping and in the afternoon the servers council met the Cardinal! So we both saw him this week at Archbishop's house. I went to Methodist central hall to see the simple cross in the chapel and to the Gandhi statue in Trafalgar Square then to see Sr Catherine -  a very helpful session. To Cavendish Square on the bus to see the Epstein and the Wallace collection which had  a useful guide to the Crucifixion in art even on armour! To the ctahedral and guiding with Monica, John and David. Met some nice Americans and saw Fr Christopher, Francis and Nick, also Bianca practising the school play! Then to Royal academy for the superb Giorgione friends day - not too crowded and met Rita Day and her friend. To Regent Street for art class with Nelson and did outline. Picked up Liz on her return from visiting Claire in Orpington hospital. Watched Land of hope and glory about Country Life. I now only have 3 stations left! Got a menu from Ryde for Oct 1...

Swam 20. Liz went to Crystal Palace as St Vincent's were representing Ealing at netball. Art and started Venice picture. Decided not to go to Sevenoaks meeting and watched Chester Zoo, crown prosecution service, Renaissance uncovered, masterpieces, doctors on the migrant crisis, trauma doctors.

To funeral of Daphne Phillips at St Boniface Tooting - a fine church decorations in progress. To station by Cocteau at Notre Dame de France, alas St Stephen Wallbrook shut!  Having waited till 4 30 at the Tower to see the station only to find chapel closed for a concert! St Giles Cripplegate has a fine station outside. Dulwich meeting at new Beckenham venue which is nice. Liz went for a meal with the family.

A really great day. Swam 20, did Catenian circle minutes, to Gate cinema to see Manon Lescaut from the Met. Alagna and Opolais superb and I found Richard Eyre's production much more moving than the Covent Garden production. To V and A for the Botticelli - superb pictures. Had fun sketching a donkey and a grumpy St Joseph! Liz went to Science Museum with school and servers council. To Archbishop's House for the Pope Benedict XVI lecture given by the Chief Rabbi, the Cardinal and Moulana Sayed Ali Raza Rizvi on "Living as a creative minority in the UK". Excellent and some good questions too. The Cardinal gave a superb exposition of the role of education and a framework for dealing with extremism. Good to see friends Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi, Fr John O'Toole,  Katharina Smith-Muller Interreligious Adviser , Sr Margaret Shepherd and met some interesting new people too. Sayed's friend gave me a lift to Streatham Common.   

Swam 20 and mosaic -started work on Sean's portrait.  A very fine concert at St James Piccadilly Jacob Bettinelli baritone and Veronika Krashennikova. Jacob looks Chinese. Met a Prommer,  I visited 4 of the Stations coexist project in London. St Paul's cathedral for Bill Viola's Martyrs, Salvation Army HQ for the moving Sea of colour, Temple Church triforium (evidence of homeless sleeping up there) and Bill Duffy's Cross at King's college chapel where I heard some stunning Bach on the organ! Liz went to see Spotlight. 12 at Catenians ncluding Danny and Colin. Fr Denis celebrating 60th on May 26th!

Up early to get the 8.03 train to Caterham and enjoyed practising on the 3 manual Walker at St John's. The mothering Sunday service went well and the small choir coped well with Rutter's The Lord bless you and keep you. Choir practice afterwards did not happen but I met a lot of nice people over coffee! Played Slater on St Botolph, Boellmann Angelus and Bach Fantasia in C minor. Andrew Moore's Berceuse for the distribution of flowers. Returned home to find somebody for the footbal match had parked between my bollards so parked outside Hyacinth and Jim's - no problem! Have caught up with Jonathan Vaughn  on interior design challenge and some old Songs of Praise. Liz got nice wax and real flowers. Bruce rang.  At evensong we sang Gibbons Short service and Stainer God so loved the world and Adrian played Howells De profundis psalm prelude.  Dennis Woodhouse  and  Ann- Marie Woodhouse  took us to Oscars at Croydon Park hotel for a delicious Mother's Day dinner...

A large breakfast at St John Upper Norwood and the chance to hear from residents of the Sylvan Hill hostel.  Watched Father Brown. Slow progress on jigsaw. Liz has assembled her new office chair. Cardinal Vaughan schola at Mass and they sang Rheinberger Kyrie. Johnny Vaughn on design programme at Wells. We met a nice couple on the train Spanish and German teachers. 

Up early to get to Europe House for 9 a.m. Double jeopardy: women refugees. Informative and shocking. What dangers do women refugees face? How can the challenges be met? Should we be doing more? Mary Honeyball MEP, member of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality will present her draft report on the situation of women refugees and asylum seekers in the EU. She will be joined for a panel discussion by Rahela Sidiqi, trustee of Women for Refugee Women and Dr Michelle Dimasi who works with governments on implementing effective measures to tackle refugee crises. Razia Iqbal, BBC News will moderate the discussion. To National gallery to see the Delacroix exhibition. Excellent film but why so many people? The gallery seem to be only concerned with packing them in! Then to Whitechapel gallery for Electronic Superhighway 2016-1966. Some of the videos were very interesting - others less so. No sign of Nelson Ferreira's art and I did ask! Land of hop...

Swam 20 and to art. Finished the Cusco procession picture. Liz came back from Acton.  To Highbury and Islington to discover the Estorick collection of modern Italian art and Giacomo Manzú. I copied a sketch of Ulysses done with great economy. Met Colin. To St Paul's cathedral for a fine talk on Creation by Bishop Katharine Schori. Good to see Simon Surtees and Rita. Mary Beard on Pompeii.

To quiet group at St John's 5 there. It was good to have some silent meditation. To Chiswick Park for first session with Nelson explaining painting on aluminium. 12 in the class which started and finished late. Have not done any painting yet! Wednesday to Tamar's and had lunch at Watermans. It was wet. Tom took the boys to swimming so I came home as Liz wanted to go to class assembly tomorrow. Story of China, Crown prosecution service, Born to be different, Nicholas Parsons holiday in 1939 at Studland. 

Monday to mosaic and tai chi. To Catenian council and an excellent meal at Rupees in Shirley. Pashina is very nice. Northern Ballet's 1984 by Jonathan Watkins is an amazing work. Catch it on BBC Iplayer. The score by Alex Baronowski is terrifying! Tuesday minutes and circular all done. Watched Moving on.