The organist librarian

19/9 it poured. To the Cloisters msueum - all mediaeval, chapels and cloisters. Wonderful tapestries, beautiful sculptures and ivories. To Cathedral of St John the Divine for recital by Raymond Neugen - Sowerby, Howells, Bach - excellent and a huge sound. Martin Ball was there! He is charming and liked the Wyton and Moore I played. he did not know the Wyton which was written for that organ an Aeolian Skinner. Big echo. Lunch nearby opposite hospital. To the Metropolitan museum Byzantine, mediaeval and Japanese - musical instruments closed. Pancakes and tea at diner Nectar 82. To the preview of Jerusalem 1000-1400 every people under heaven at the Met - lovely to walk through the empty galleries apart from staff. Superb collection of objects from all over the place. Lovely to see Barbara - it took 6 years to set up, she works at the Cloisters. Alas the book costs 74 dollars! She was delighted to see us. Mixed crowd lots of Jewish, Franciscans. Bought lovely local beer at Whole Foods. So...

18/9 10.15 mass celebrated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan who seemed in a hurry. Lots of screens, organ and choir loud, cantor not good. Met Michael assistant organist and will be in touch. Baguette and coffee at Cafe Bouchon. Lego shop. Paley centre for media Startrek gallery and cartoon films. Joey Falco playing at St Patrick's Demessiux, Howells, Franck. very large acoustic and huge sounds. Met him and he has not been to London. To Museum of modern art Matisse, Picasso, Kai Althoff, collection of junk! Bruce Connery It 's all true disturbing films, maybe was well named. Ate at Xian Famous foods tasty and cheaper. To St Thomas 5th avenue met Prof Marcia in the queue inter cultural studies at New York university. superb concert St Thomas choir, orchestra of St Luke's cond by Sir Simon Rattle with Daniel Hyde. lark ascending, Elgar serenade, Faure requiem Daniel Moore exc soloist. Daniel played Bach on new Dobson organ. What a treat and thought of Lyn -funeral today and Lpuise ...

17/9 to Queens on 7 line lovely day Queens museum panorama of City of New York, modern art, William Grupper cartoons, Duke Riley.Flushing Meadows tennis centre, Tiffanys lamps.walked to New York hall of science a paradise for kids and adults. Going places, vision, mirrors, anatomy, all sorts. Amazing Connected world . Is there life beyond earth? Seeing the light. Went past Medicins sans frontiers outside display for UN refugee conference due to go to Battery point next week. abandoned going to MOMI 12 and went to Our Lady of Carmel church where Mass was just finishing - singer with organ. home for dinner lovely evening on balcony.

16/9 bagels for breakfast on balcony. To Bowling Green to get on ferry past Statue of Liberty to Ellis Island fascinating. treasures from home, citizenship ceremony taking place in main hall with national anthem. Immigration process. Audio guide good. Ferry back to NY and walked to Museum of Jewish heritage which is excellent. Beautiful objects, holocaust distressing but well presented. Killing of children awful. Post WWII Jewry. Andy Goldsworthy Living stones. Had nice cake. Skyscraper museum interesting bonus. Singapore green cities. Whitney museum of American art is an amazing space. 2 floors of portraits incl Hopper, John's, Warhol and fine sculpture on outside areas. Stuart Davis artists from 20s lovely colours. Sophia Al-Marvin's Black Friday unimpressed. Met Brennon as we got back at 8. Tired. High Line is great! 

15/9 breakfast on balcony. Brennon fixed TV and showed us how to use coffee machine. To Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Botanical gardens herb gardens with painters at work, tropical, temperate, desert, orchids in Steinhardt conservatory. lovely Japanese garden, bonsai, fragrance garden and Shakespeare garden. Brooklyn museum is huge. Period rooms and houses, modern art, feminist art The Dinner party by Judy Chicago. European art incl Monets, Rodin, Egyptian and Assyrian reliefs. Conneting cultures. soda lovely day outside. shopping at Joe Brown's and whole Food market which costs more. back 6.45 right knee tired. fell asleep 9.30 after pasta, wine and limoncello.

14/9 bagels at Swedish bagels. Got metro cards shopped at Joe Brown's pricey. Back to room which has a fridge and can use kitchen. To Times Square to get prebooked New York City passes for 7 days. Tried to book UN tour without success. Subway and spent a happy hour at the Frick gallery which has wonderful Velasquez, Holbeins, Hals, Rembrandt, Manet, Degas, Titians, Goya, Vermeer. Exc audio guide needed longer. Liz went to Central Park. Bus to Museum of the City of New York. Tiffany galleries, portraits,dolls house, activists in NY, laughed at cartoons by Jo Chast? Beautifully presents. Fashion week event being prepared. Rain but bus to Bedford Ave. Ate at Walters across road from apartment. Trout. Catfish local beer,  chocolate bread pudding. We went into St James Madison Ave and heard improvisation on the organ opposite Lauren's fashion house, loads of police. salad at Kelly's Madison Ave.

JBA flight from Gatwick 13/9 OK lunch and a snack, sat near back, not full. Watched "Love and friendship" "A bigger splash" first part "Ellie swims with dolphins" hilarious "Camping". Arrived 7.30 ages at passports then delay phoning taxi and wait for car. Too many cars outside JFK. Cost a lot. Got to Williamsburg 9.45. Brennan very nice lots of steps to apartment and then steep ones but we have nice room and own bathroom. Balcony below. Good guidebooks too. Bed at 11.15. Great views of Cape Cod and the city as we came in as it was very clear. 6th time in USA.

Having a wonderful time with excellent weather. 

Swam 20. Returned Bromley scores to Penge library and scores to Central music library. Met Tina who was impressed by Liz's dress. Part of Victoria station closed. To tai chi and 8 there ended with the line dance routine which my knee did not enjoy. Watched programme on New York food markets. Doro phone is impressive.  To Maidstone Catenian meeting for the enrolment of Peter Batty and a nice meal of salmon and Eton mess. 70  mile drive and diversions in Norwood. Watched Nadiya returning to Bangladesh.

Swam 20. Returned Bromley scores to Penge library and scores to Central music library. Met Tina who was impressed by Liz's dress. Part of Victoria station closed. To tai chi and 8 there ended with the line dance routine which my knee did not enjoy. Watched programme on New York food markets. Doro phone is impressive.  To Maidstone Catenian meeting for the enrolment of Peter Batty and a nice meal of salmon and Eton mess. 70  mile drive and diversions in Norwood. Watched Nadiya returning to Bangladesh.

Watched Antiques roadshow and Poldark part 2.

Turned out wet. Got parked near Nat History museum in good time for rehearsal which went very smoothly. Back to door 2 and interviewed by the Telegraph about the flags dispute.   We went to the recording of The Choir about Parry's Jerusalem  and I met David Owen Norris in the street and complimented hom in his famous chords on Proms Extra! Full marks to Petroc on Radio 3 for mentioning that we are gallery prommers! As Auntie Flo said it was a once in a lifetime experience and we really enjoyed it! What a wonderful concert - full of lovely music. Florez was superb and brilliant acting. Great to see 16 young singers in Serenade to Music (definitely a desert island piece and we recently saw the score and photos at Leith Hill Place where RVW grew up). Thank you to all our fellow Prommers in the gallery (which alas Katie dd not mention but Sakari did) and to all the staff at the Hall. Linda came up specially to say hello. How proud Mum and Dad would have been - they are comparing ...

Up early and to XRay at Mayday - first in at 8 a.m. The chaplaincy has moved to a new office opposite the chapel which is a lovely space. Swam  20. Spoke to Ann but the line was poor on Skype - she was n a cafe in Plettenberg Bay. Watched Bake off and All together now - series on amateur orchestras.  The feedback session about the Proms was as annoying as ever. Cotton is due to retire and a good thing too! Only two of my points were addressed - taking off footwear in the gallery including the staff and filming during the music. Both were fobbed off. The problems of queue jumping were not addressed either. David Pickard did impress! I spoke to Petroc and thanked him.  Verdi requiem and on TV. Soprano excellent. Unimpressed by the bass. I thought the young tenors were forcing and trying too hard. Excellent young sound from the yooung ladies and deep basses! So a bit of a curate's egg. Not as moved as one should be! Good to see John East and Adrian provided some lovely choc...

On underground yesterday young man wearing shorts and tank top which revealed most of his chest. He was with young woman obviously been doing something sporty. But I rather think he should have put a T shirt on. So many people are wearing flipflops and scant clothing these days!  Swam 20 and wrote my Catenian Provincial president's blog. Painted a picture of flowers at art and started an angel picture. To see the doctor and mole must come off and knee to be Xrayed - it is much better thanks to icepacks and rest! Watched Proms Extra and a bit of Bake off. Took car to Battersea Park for parking. Enjoyed the Proms poetry entries very much although one fo them bore no relation to Dukas that I could hear!  2 Proms. Beethoven violin concerto seemed rather too confidential in places. Reger and Strauss and Wagner encore from Dresden Stattskapelle all enjoyable. Why no big Reger organ work this season? The late night prom featured Handel coronation anthems. The altos trills made me la...

Most interesting talk with Adrian Tinniswood on the Great Fire of London.  Barenboim did it again playing Mozart concerto and conducting Bruckner 6 superbly. Placing the double basses high at the back of the stage really worked. Prospectus said concerto 21 so brought that score but the little brochure had it changed to 27 - missed that! To Acton.  Liz went into St Vincent's school. I went to get petrol in the old car and set off for Kew but Sean was sick so we came home and he played track. He was very good and fine and I put the ice pack on my knee and rested! To cathedral Hinsley Room for the afternoon session with Fr Robin on Happy are the peacemakers. Excellent talk on the history of the Dresden Staatskapelle and Trifonov played Mozart 22 and Bruckner 3 with Thieleman. Saw Muriel. Watched a bit of opening of paralympics from Rio.

2 superb Proms. Carolyn Sampson and Iestyn Davies with Joseph Middlelton at the Cadogan hall singing Purcell arranged Britten, Mendelssohn and Quilter. Met the Rowntrees and Liz spoke to Petroc. Monday mornings have been expensive with fruit tart and cappuccino at Peter Jones. We celebrated with a delicious lunch at Cóte. Dresden staatskapelle with Barenboim playing Mozart 24 and Bruckner 3 - stunning. Fascinating talk on Capability Brown with Anna Pavord and the irrespressible Ian.  Very sad to hear of the passing of Heather Brokenshire. She had dementia and had to go in a home as Fred could not cope. 

A long day! Train from Selhurst cancelled so drove to Norwod Junction and got train there. Liz later moved the car back to Selhurst. I played Thiman on Slane and Karg-Elert Nun danket. No time to play Pilgrims chorus from Tannhauser. Fr Tim Goode is a musician and enjoyed the music! To Mary King's workshop on Semiramide choruses which was enjoyable. Dudamel conducted the first prom with great panache - Villa Lobos and Ravel and one encore. Mark Elder conducted the Rossini which had some fine singing and choruses but it does go on a bit. Finished at 11 and home after midnight! Liz stayed for an hour then went to visit Dennis and AnnMarie - they came down last night and Dennis did the Catenian form.

Canon Christopher conducted a moving Requiem mass for Abi's father who died aged only 54 - lots of school friends memories. We went to the party in the Gallery Prommers queue and Liz stayed for the Berlin Phil prom. I went to Serpentine Sackler gallery and served at Mass with Fr Brian and the 3 boys are back, Nice to see Fr  Andrew Gallagher  back with us and Fr Chris says he will be back at Christmas.

Back to swmming. Returned scores to CML and did some welcoming at the cathedral but I had to give in as my right knee was playing up. Early at the hall and it was cold and damp. No talk to go to - ticket only quiz. Berln Philharmonic with Rattle Mahler 7 amazing, Boulez Eclat autograph score which I managed to follow most of the time! Home to listen to late prom. Elliot Carter and Boulez with scores but neither appealed! 

To art and I took some flowers and small statues for all to draw. I spent time drawing hands, feet and faces. A lovely film of Tortelier taking a masterclass on Bach cello suites. The B minor Mass conducted by George Christie did not please me. Gaps between movements, no understanding of the text, oboes far too loud, little joy - this is sublime music -why so uninvolved and poorly balanced? I went to the EE shop but the problem is my old Blackberry so a new Doro has been ordered. Found my SA passport for US visa but did not find Bruce's carpentry book. Saw the Sopers, Rossas and Eleanor at the concert. Drunk next to Liz drinking wine. 

Only twice this Proms season have I had a shiver down my spine. The first was the trumpet solo in Leonore No. 2 - like a royal silver trumpet. The second the clash when the main theme returns at the end of the first movement of Bruckner 9 - thrilling. Excellent discussion of Bruckner and his symphonies. I do not think the Bach cantata worked in the hall at all (at least in the gallery). Mahler youth orchestra conducted by Philippe Jordan. Had a lovely time taking Sean to Wetland centre while Ciaran was at circus skills workshop. Very interesting discussion on Tagore and I would like to read his short stories. Bryan Northcott's concerto not great, lovely Mozart Violin concerto 5 and Zemlinsky with the wonderful Christopher Maltman. Home in 45 minutes and wached Bakeoff.