The organist librarian

Bought a new lamp for the hall at Peter Jones and they did not have the mobile phone I wanted. Coffee and fruit tart with Liz. 2 great proms. Cadogan Hall Armida quartet playing Schubert and Mozart with Lise Berthaud viola in a fine new work by Sally Beamish. Excellent discussion on 1989 in Leipzig and Berlin and Leipzig Gewandhaus in Beethoven programme conducted by 85 year old Herbert Blomstedt with Sir Andras Schiff. Lots of drunken carnival goers on train home which was delayed.

Liz decided to stay home. Bychkov conducted BBC SO in Thomas Larchner (outstayed his welcome) Wagner Wesendonck lieder well sung by Elisabeth Kulman I  was greatly amused by the comment at the preProm talk that Richard Strauss was so middle-class he would shop at Waitrose. Where would composers get their food? Britten Aldeburgh stores and Fortnum and Mason. Elgar Worcester and delivered. Vaughan Williams Dorking and delivered - good English beef. Wagner - no shopping for him - everything paid for by somebody else! German composers - German shops Chopin and Szymanowski - Polish delicatessan n.  Alpine symphony with a terrific storm featuring the organ! An hour to get home.  Watched Prom with Barenboim and Argerich playing a 10 minute encore! 

Can't believe Mum died 10 years ago today. I played Vierne Berceuse which I played at the crematorium for Mum and Dad. Also Willan on St Peter and Ronald Watson's Elegy in memoriam Herbert Howells which quotes the tune Michael ( we sang All my hope). At the end Janacek Fanfare from Sinfonietta (ironically John the server who heard me practising this was not there!). Richard Broadberry celebrated - amazing for 85! Berceuse by Andrew Moore as we were 5 minutes late starting.  The visiting organist last night played nothing at offertory and did not play many of the responses - I wonder if something was missing from the console or his information?

Spoke to  Bruce Woodhouse  and  Dennis Woodhouse .Caught up on Iplayer San Paolo orchestra prom. It seems BBC4 changed so Mozart from memory not recorded but the other Mozart prom did record!  Served at Mass and got to the Prom in time for the amazing new work and Tchaikovsky 4. Watched Bake off extra! CBSO new conductor is very dynamic. Barbara Hannigan has an amazing voice. 

A lovely day at Leith Hill Place beyond Dorking. Have long wanted to visit Ralph Vaughan Williams' childhood home and there is an excellent soundscape presentation and delicious home baked scones and cakes! Played Vaughan Williams on the Broadwood piano. The pre Prom talk on Mozart's Requiem was excellent - not so sure that the singers among the players worked so well in the hall. Enjoyed the clarinet concerto and bass aria and now watching it on TV. Everybody looks a bit spread out and the result is some singers singing too loud.

Woke late and electrician cmae and fixed perspex next to cooker - at last! To art and drew an arrangement and borrowed an excellent book on drawing hands and feet - one of my weaknesses! To interfaith lunch and Fr David brought Fr Matthias (studying in Rome) and Teresa. Emily Howard's music did not impress at the talk and Prom. What is all this stuff about maths and computing? The tuba piece should have made us laugh but we sat there po-faced while the young man near me tried not to laugh! It sounded like Mary King's puppy imitation! John East and Colin Hartley were there but spoke to neither as once again had to go back for seat reservation tickets. Petrenko conducted Rachmaninov 3 and Shostakovich cello concerto no. 1. RLPO. Alexey Stadler stood in for the concerto and played brilliantly. Home to watch Alice Coote singing Mahler at the prom.

It's hot - flopped out in Tshirt and shorts watching Ben Fogle Great animal migration!  My back has been playing up despite rest. Sao Paolo symphony orchestra are doing fantastic work - makes our English orchestras educational programmes look very thin! They played really well especially the strings for Marin Alsop. Nobre, Rachmaninov and Villa-Lobos and 2 encores. Gabriela Montero played the Grieg piano concerto and improvised an encore on Land of hope and glory. She was back for the survey of Brazilian popular music with the Sao Paolo jazz Symphony orchestra and strings of Sao Paolo Symphony Orchestra. We stayed until 11 and enjoyed it. Home at 12.20.

Woke late.  Watched Gergeiev and Gershwin proms on TV and university challenge and Come dine with me.  A very interesting discussion on the Devil with Revd Richard Coles and Imtiaz Dharker. A well attended Prom Prokofiev 3, Tchaikovsky Hamlet and Rachmaninov variations on a theme of Paganini played by Stephen Hough and BBC SO conducted by Alexander Vedernikov. It's been so hot today just flopped about in T shirt and shorts and sorted email network and chose some anthems! 

Brilliant virtuosic playing from Louis Lortie at the Cadogan Hall. Catching up on Proms Extra. The bay where we usually sit in the gallery was transformed! Ann now in South Africa and Louise and Tom and the boys with Bruce in Jersey.  To Beckenham meeting which was held outside. Watched The Zoo and Versailles - fell asleep downstairs. 

Swam 21 despite the slower ones -Liz came! Have woken twice to dreams about funerals the first I was asked to play for Jenny Moore, the second Louise was to play the cello in a Chopin Funeral march but shades of Wagner Siegfried funeral music as well and she asked me to go to Girton college library to get the music but I said I will get it at Central Music library! Is the BFG at large? 

Bus from Purley again. Played Dad's suite today (can't believe he died 10 years ago today) and Mahler Adagietto from Symphony No 5 which people appreciated. Gathering Mass and Lourdes Gloria went well. Contract signed.  2 fine proms Ulster orch Tchai 5 with exciting conductor Rafael Payare and Haydn cello conc played by Narek Hakhnazaryan and a lovely encore Lamentoso. BBC Scottish Mendelssohn MND what lovely music this is! Can't say I cared for the Hellawell and Pintscher pieces much!  So far have been to 41 proms and 25 events! Like Love Haha Wow S

Swam, Bromley library for scores - got all I required and donated Alan Burtonshaw's Messiah score used to raise money for St Christopher's Hospice in 1986 to local studies library.  Conducted tour of Red House and Hall Place Bexley. Topiary, Tudor hall. Liz at Tony Hawes' funeral.  Great 8OOth meeting of Medway Towns at Gravesend!  Lovely stay at Gravesend and safely home in good time. Excellent party last night with Chris the singer and dancing. Great to meet so many good people!  Really enjoyed Mary King's workshop on Mozart Mass in C minor and chatted to the excellent pianist Caroline on the bus. Served at vespers and Mass and Mum and Dad were prayed for (10 years since they died!) Fr Martin Plunket celebrated with a Columbian priest currently in Rome. No cantor! We got to the prom and were unimpressed by the first piece. Mahler Ruckert lieder not in same order as the score! Mozart Mass was great!

Swam, Balham library for scores and Waitrose, art and did 3 large drawings. Excellent talk on Shakespeare and acting by Michael Pennington. Shakespeare prom was fun with Walton, Finzi, Sullivan, Jody Talbot, Porter and Rodgers and saw  Robin Martin  playing.

Swam.  Bravo  Benjy Bloor  for brilliant playing at St George Hanover Square and great to hear some Howells. A programme full of sunshine incl Hollins and Vierne!  The Found exhibition at the Foundling museum is worth a visit and Ironbaby by Anthony Gormley is very moving in its simplicity. A baby on the floor - a powerful comment.  Interesting works by Colin Matthews and enjoyed the Dresden bells. Das Lied von der Erde with Alice Coote followed by the 16 (actually 34) Bach and beautiful Part. Took an hour to get to Acton.  BFG with the boys. Excellent film and followed by Pizza Hut.  East West Divan with Daniel Barenboim Liszt and Wagner - great sound. The preProm talk on Wagner was a little dull.

Swam, got scores from Central music library, brilliant Prom at Cadogan hall by Stile Antico and Fretwork - beautiful singing and playing. To V and A to see Ove Arup which is well worth seeing especially Sydney Opera House, Crossrail and soundlab. Early at the hall and delightful discussion of Beethoven 8 and Prokofiev 1 which for some reason were reversed in order in the prom and no announcement made (we do not buy programmes at £4 a go!) The new pieces by Ades and Coll were interesting. A day for meeting people -  Elizabeth Butler , Bob Reiss, Graham and Mary Smith, Barry, Warren!

Trains replaced by buses from Purley. For the Assumption played Ave Marias by Bach/Gounod and Schubert and Vernon Griffiths on Maria zu leben. We had a procession and we sang Lourdes Gloria and Gathering Mass which went really well, Simon Lindley's lovely Ave Maria. Dandrieu on Ave maris stella. Drinks in the vicarage garden and we had lunch in our garden.  An interesting interview with Charlotte Bray and we heard 3 chamber works which I rather preferred to her new cello concerto. At last a Haydn symphony played by BBC SO conduted by Oramo and a fine Mahler 5.

Lovely concert by Emma Tring at St John Upper Norwood especially the amazing Ariel by Jonathan Dove - the sea in one shh sound! Lovely to see Robin Martin  and Mary and all the kids! Liz's cakes very good! Lunch in the garden.  Magic Prom at the Sam Wanamaker playhouse with Arcangelo. The venue is perfect for Purcell, Locke, etc. Is this a Prom first? A bass trying to kiss a tenor? Hilarious. Beautiful singing too from Katherine Watson, Samuel Bodsen and Callum Thorpe conducted by Jonathan Cohen. A special mention for the percussion and theorbo! Got to the cathedral in time to do incense at vespers. Liz at Gershwin John Wilson prom - now watching it on BBC2.

Missed swim again. Watered garden and cleared up. Very hot and sunny. Lovely day at South Norwood lake with  Louise Maher   Grainne Kedves-Constantinides . and the kids. Watched TV on Georgia O'Keefe and Olympics. Interesting talk on Brahms 4 and BBC Welsh played well - Walton Partita ideal for last night, Webern and Huw Watkins' cello concerto played by Paul Watkins lovely and want to hear it again! Thomas Sondergard conducted.

Woke early but no swim as woke again at 8.20!  To art and did a drawing of courgettes and beans which Julie kindly brought from her allotment and had them for lunch in our garden!. To Central Music library to get scores and only one not found - it was in the store and staff member disappeared! Excellent talk on Dvorak 7 and a good performance by BBC Welsh. Bartok Dance suite. Malcolm Hayes' violin concerto seemed to go nowhere - a bit of a non-event! Train strike off but delayed by fire at Clapham Junction. Lou and boys came overnight.

Tuesday swam 20. Brilliant playing by  Alexander Pott  at Grosvenor chapel - Tomkins, Byrd and Bach. He makes the difficult sound easy. Spoke to his mother and a family from West Midlands.  To Tate Britain to see conceptual art - preferred Mark Wallinger and Sophie Michael's films and the Duveen dancers!  Fascinated by summer houses near Serpentine. Unimpressed by paintings at Serpentine gallery.  Excellent preProm discussion of Elgar 1 and BBC Philharmonic did not disappoint! A triumphant end. Dutilleux score hard to follow! Cannot imagine Rostropovich playing it! Simpson and Davies not really impressed. Empty hall put off my unknown works?  Lovely day at Whipsnade with the boys and Louise driving the new car! Saw baby giraffe, lemurs, sea lions, train ride, tiger, cheetahs, lions, zebras, elephants, rhino, moose, meerkats, etc.  The discussion of Henri Dutilleux is very helpful and I asked a question as I find his music bewildering and got lost in t...

Swam 21. 2 splendid Proms HKGruber and Hagan Hardenberger on trumpet and Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting Schoenberg, Dutilleux and Mahler 1. How I like a conductor who follows the composer's markings!  Reuben Thomas  you were singing? In between I picked up scores at Central music library, lunched at Cóte and visited the RGS environmental photographic exhibition and walked to the Serpentine. A wonderful talk by Eva Scholl step-sister of Anne Frank on surviving Auschwitz and what needs to be done now to combat racism and discrimination. She defended Ken Livingstone and spoke about the Palestinians. Liz slipped and graxed her elbow outside West Norwood station and I seem to have dropped my new right hand hearing aid on the bus last night. It was annoying me again and I took it out and put it in my back pocket. Parked at Kent House because of the strike but in fact our lines were unaffected as far as we could see! 

Swam 21. 2 splendid Proms HKGruber and Hagan Hardenberger on trumpet and Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting Schoenberg, Dutilleux and Mahler 1. How I like a conductor who follows the composer's markings!  Reuben Thomas  you were singing? In between I picked up scores at Central music library, lunched at Cóte and visited the RGS environmental photographic exhibition and walked to the Serpentine. A wonderful talk by Eva Scholl step-sister of Anne Frank on surviving Auschwitz and what needs to be done now to combat racism and discrimination. She defended Ken Livingstone and spoke about the Palestinians. Liz slipped and graxed her elbow outside West Norwood station and I seem to have dropped my new right hand hearing aid on the bus last night. It was annoying me again and I took it out and put it in my back pocket. Parked at Kent House because of the strike but in fact our lines were unaffected as far as we could see! 

Swam 21. 2 splendid Proms HKGruber and Hagan Hardenberger on trumpet and Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting Schoenberg, Dutilleux and Mahler 1. How I like a conductor who follows the composer's markings!  Reuben Thomas  you were singing? In between I picked up scores at Central music library, lunched at Cóte and visited the RGS environmental photographic exhibition and walked to the Serpentine. A wonderful talk by Eva Scholl step-sister of Anne Frank on surviving Auschwitz and what needs to be done now to combat racism and discrimination. She defended Ken Livingstone and spoke about the Palestinians. Liz slipped and graxed her elbow outside West Norwood station and I seem to have dropped my new right hand hearing aid on the bus last night. It was annoying me again and I took it out and put it in my back pocket. Parked at Kent House because of the strike but in fact our lines were unaffected as far as we could see! 

A Vaughan Williams day Rhosymedre, New commonwealth, Musette, Land of our birth also Lesley Woodgate's Pastoral song. Organ has been tuned - makes such a difference!  2 proms featuring Tchaikovsky piano concertos and Stravinsky ballets also Helen Grime (or should that be Grim?) and Prokofiev Scythian suite. Long journey home 80 minutes. 

Super Rossini Messe solennelle Prom at Greenwich conducted by David Hill. Had a good chat to the wife of the bass David Platt who is off to La Scala. Fr Brian and Fr Chris at Mass.   Watching live on BBC Iplayer the National youth orchestra playing The Planets -fab! Edward Gardner conducting. Liz at the concert. Heard Also sprach in the car. 

To Balham library after swim for scores. To Bedford Park but no organ duet recital as organ no. 2 not ready. Mass at cathedral and saw Mary Cullen. Welcoming busy and Edward Tambling playing for wedding. Bride came in to Saint Saens 3!  I saw Grace.  Interesting preProm with Helen Grime and BBC Scottish under Thomas Dausgaard. Watching it later on TV Pekka Kuusisto came over so well better than in the hall I think. Improvisatory approach worked.  Home in an hour - pity Liz missed it - two evenings running train problems.  Rosa is back! I reckon the Grime piece was composed on a filthy Scottish day. Interesting to hear Petrushka again having seen the Haitink film. 

Very pleased with new hearing aid mould. Listened to Prom talk on Henry James in Italy and wrote provincial president's blog for newsletter. Incomparable Simon Callow reading Goethe and Hoffmann at preProm talk and Brahms Piano concerto 2 with Peter Serkin. Skipped second half. Liz could not get there - no trains from West Norwood and I had a slow journey standing to London bridge. 

Liz looked after the boys while I went to the Hinsley Room to lead the cathedral spirituality day on "Blessed are the pure in heart". A daunting subject but the group of 12 liked the Alexander McCall Smith passage, Catechism and Gregory Collins quotes. I focused on Candlemas and Transfiguration and played part of Rachmaninov vespers.  Packed Prom Dvorak cello concerto and Bartok Duke Bluebeard's castle - good talk on it too - hair-raising moment when full organ blasts forth! RPO Charles Du Toit. Spoke to Ann.

Swam, turned mattress.  Colour and vision at Natural History museum fascinating - some animals can see more colours than we can! Excellent Satie cabaret prom at Cadogan and perfect for sketching! Painters' paintings at National Gallery some lovely pictures but most of it is Nat Gallery stuff which one can normally see for free!  A fine prom from BBC Phil conducted by Storgards. Schumann violin concerto, Sibelius and Nielsen 5 with stunning playing from the percussion! Jorg Widmann Armonica not to my taste. Pre-Prom talk with Sir Robin Knox-Johnston Shakespeare and the sea. Miserable night and train delayed again. First score disaster - wrong Schumann score!  John tells me Fr Martin Plunkett, a rabbi and an imam were interviewed outside the cathedral and on the TV news on Sunday - excellent!