The organist librarian

Swam, Mass, to East Dulwich picturehouse only to find Met Fanciulla del West not being shown so refund and complimentary tickets. Was looking forward to Jonas Kauffman. To excellent Ribera exhibition at Dulwich gallery. To St Paul's cathedral for Jesus's women disciples which was fascinating and well attended. Rahul won Bakeoff! Chorister of the year on radio 2. Saw ambulance and police and John next door had died. Went in to see Darren. 

To Trinity House for day on supervision wih Antonia Lynn. I went to Guys to get the new right ear mould. Quite a good day and discussion about the refresher course and met Odette who does the bookings. Watched Art of France and Tracey Emin programme. 

Watched programme on ballet during the blitz and after the War. SS Simon and Jude. We sang Holy is the true light. I played Parry Elegy and Simon Preston Alleluyas. He is 80 this year. Fabulous Walkure live from ROH orchestra brilliant and thrilling singing Skelton, Stimme, Lundgren, Connolly, all of them! The football match caused mayhem. I parked at Selhurst and collected the car after the cinema. The train from Caterham came in on platform 3 instead of the usual platform 1 - took 5 minutes to exit Norwood Junction station. The traffic was horrendous with people doing stupid maneouvres. I was lucky and got straight on the train at Thornton Heath. Liz was at King's and stayed at Dennis's. Watched Simon Reeve on the Med. Finished Varden's excellent book on loneliness. 

Had a lie-in. Sparkling playing from Jonathan Allsopp at Bloomsbury Baptist. Hollins, Bach Passacaglia, Bliss. Fr John at Mass. Des was a waste of space again. Watched Still open all hours. 

To Catenian clergy supper at the golfclub. It was lovely that Fr Michael Donaghy came. Not good that he was not sitting at our table! Henry, Louise and the boys staying the night. The boys really enjoyed Go Wild at Parkwood scout centre especially the whittling and sausages cooked on the fire! Louise got fish and chips and the whole family (apart from Bruce) tucked in! I went to choir practice and Trevor was asked to sing tenor. In the Faure I asked Max about excelsis and Treor chimed in! It all felt rather unmusical. 

Swam, Mass, coffee (I think the list for the Christmas lunch was not well handled - it made it feel like that one was an extra and we will not be going.I went last year.) Petrol. Quiet day watching Repair shop and listening to evensongs from Blackburn and Armagh. Catherine Ennis played well at the cathedral with a good audience. A treat to have the Parry and Reger Sonata No. 2. Even Thomas Trotter was there! The Apprentice was good.

Henry came early today and enjoyed himself. We went to East Dulwich picturehouse to see Samson and Delilah conducted by Mark Elder from the Met. It was simply fabulous. Great singing from Alagna, Garanca and Naouri, terrific sets and production, the chorus were amazing! Finished reading Simon Reeve's excellent autobiography "Step by step: the life in my journeys" Highly recommended! Watched repair shop, evensong from Chester.

To Mass at Our Lady of the Annunciation Addiscombe and what a pleasure to have Fr Dennis celebrating! Coffee with Tom Tannion and he is taking the public speaking trophy to Provincial Council meeting tomorrow. To Southwark cathedral to hear part of Graham Thorpe's recital (Chuckerbutty played at the cathedral in the 20s!) and then to SPIDIR committee at Trinity House. I avoided becoming secretary and am to organise a course of refresher days in autumn, winter 2019. Watched Apprentice and Great British bake off also Simon Reeve on the Med. 

Listened to evensong from Durham cathedral and Choir and Organ. To evensong. Terence has had his op and is on a crutch. Coll reg and Tallis O nata lux. Bob sang the solo in the absence of Dave. One alto part was missing. Fr John played the organ rather loudly! Maz conducting everything very flamboyantly rather annoys! Programme on George Benjamin. BBC4 showed his new opera Lessons in love and violence from the Royal Opera House - quite extraordinary. 

To meditation centre for an excellent day with Margaret Lawlor on the paintings of Sieger Koder and she introduces some fine poetry. To the Estorick for figurative Italian art. The gallery is besieged by roadworks. Liz never made it to the cathedral. Lots of servers plus 3 priests. I forgot to get a tray but Fr Andrew didn't mind. Made them practise processing again. Paul De Blic is a handful. Gave out letters about emails and rota and all the birthday chocs gone. Reading Simon Reeve's book and enjoyed programme on the Med. Played Stanford on Gartan and Wyton March St Patrick's breastplate. We sang "Christ has no body".

Up at 7 Uber at 8.05 to East Croydon and straight onto train to Gatwick. Coffee and pastry at Wetherspoons where you can fill flasks. Slight delay on tarmac Easyjet. Smooth flight and picked up car Vauxhall Corsa. Drove to b and b where we stayed before. Alas they are selling it. Picked up Bruce and Emma and back to car hire so Bruce can drive us around. To St Peter's garden centre for tea and lemon meringue pie. Bought calendars excellent choice. Back for rest. To Wildfire grill in town. This is discount month I had melons, steak, profiteroles and cider, Liz had belly of pork. Delicious £55 for both of us. Watched programme on 4 year olds with elderly. Tuesday showers excellent breakfast. To Jersey Zoo saw Andean bear, keeper talks on macaques, gorillas, orangutans. Gibbon. Madagascar teal , cranes, bats, howler monkey, After lunch Visayan warty pigs, meerkats, reptiles, Kirindy forest lemurs. Komodo Dragon has gone. Coatis. 3rd visit and really enjoyed it.Slept. To Bass and Lob...

To mark the centenary of the Raf I played Walton Spitfire prelude, RAF March past Walford Davies a great tune and Dambusters March by Eric Coates. We sang L. J.White Prayer of St Richard of Chichester who I found out yesterday was originally from Droitwich. Went on buses and back on train after rehearsal. Wrote out trumpet part. At evensong we sang Walmisley in D minor and Wood Expectans expectavi. Disposer supreme fitted the first reading about the fall of Jericho's walls exactly.

To Worcester for the Society of St Gregory AGM. Delays on tube meant we missed our train and had to pay. Stayed at Travelodge and visited Greyfriars House NT and the Commandery where we learnt a lot about the Civil War. Evensong at the cathedral lovely Poulenc Tenebrae. James Lancelot is temporarily in charge. It seems Peter Nardone left under a cloud. Sadly no organ. Excellent drink at the Cardinal's hat and delicious Italian meal. Fr Brian from St George's great company. Excellent lecture from Alan Smith on Elgar and St George's. Fr Paul Gunter gave a most interesting Crichton memorial lecture. What a treat to play for Mass despite a difficult rehearsal - very hard to hear what was being said. Daquise is not great! I played the Vesper voluntaries using the stops Elgar used. 1 and a half hours from Paddington to home via Tulse Hill. This is in fact the first time in all these years that SSG has asked me to play anything and it is all thanks to Alan Smith. 

Swam, Mass, art, to the tip with garden stuff, broken breadmaker and frame. I no sooner got back and Liz said you forgot the old mobiles. There must be some charity which collects them? She had been to dentist to get tooth fixed disturbed during her medical procedure. To the Abbey for joint evensong. Parry Hear my words stunning. Marenzio Magnificat. The Messiaen was not a good accompaniment to visiting the shrine of St Edward. I love the new Hockney window and the memorial to Stephen Hawking. Ben Bloor played superbly at Servite priory Fulham 50th anniversary of the organ. Pity so few came.

First outing with Henry was to Kelsey Park and he loved it. Good session with my spiritual director. To Mantegna and Bellini at National gallery. 5 p.m.a good time to go as not so crowded. Scriptural reasoning in the Jerusalem chamber at the Abbey. Michael Redman and Ken were there. Final preparations for public speaking heat including a late entry. Josh Anderson played well at St Michael's. A very successful heat of the Catenian public speaking competition with some good speakers and judges. Bishop Thomas Grant school did all they could to make us welcome. Well done St Gregory's Tunbridge Wells first and second prizes. I found my suit was ringing wt. We started late thanks to Coloma, the refreshments came out at the first and not the second break, the judges took ages. I personally thought the young man who came second should have won but that's the way it goes. 

We both enjoyed the concert at St Martin Ludgate Hill. Maria Thomas played Britten and Telemann very well and good to see gallery prommers. Not enthusiastic about the bass but the flute and piano were lovely. Excellent lunch at Joe's diner. Barbara paid the bill which was a big surprise! To Museum of London to see London nights and impressed by GFWatts memorial in Postman's Park. We both went swimming this morning!  I can't say I enjoyed Roger Sayer's recital at Brompton oratory. Magnificent playing but far too much in minor keys and fiery reeds. Mendelssohn, Brahms, Reger and Reubke to finish. A lady remarked "it was all a bit modern for my taste" which is interesting as the most recent work was Reger in 1916! I do think programme notes should tell us what the chorales are about. It cannot be assumed that we know what " Herzlich mit verlangen" means. Brahms "O wie selig" is such a consoling piece which I often start with at funerals but t...

Harvest played Statham on "Monkland" and Peeters on "Wir plufgen" and we sang"Thou visitest the earth". Excellent Harvest lunch. Dennis went with Liz to King's and she has a hiatus hernia. At evensong sang Grayston Ives canticles (the Common Worship texts caused confusion) and Parry My soul there is a country. Watched Vanity Fair and Simon Reeve on the Med.

Up early. To first half of Jay Bevan's clarinet recital at St John's. Served at National Mass for servers with Bishop John Sherrington. Rebecca seemed to be everywhere. Nick asked for 2 to step down as others had been asked to do offertory. He should not have done that! Tea then back for vespers and Mass. Catching up on Repair shop and Songs of Praise and amid much crap we got Sir Bryn Terfel singing about trees! I met the new priest at the cathedral. 

Swam, Mass then an excellent meeting at Bishop Thomas Grant School about the public speaking. Abandoned going to Chiswick Park for the organ recital thanks to big gap in train service so a first look at the amazing Oceania at Royal Academy very good audio guide. Not needed to guide at cathedral as 3 on duty. Watched Grayson Perry on rituals and Great Bake off an extra slice. Enjoyed Prom of Trial by Jury. To choir practice Max does bang the piano a lot. Grayston Ives canticles and Parry.  I spent a couple of hours on public speaking programme and emails. 

Swam, Mass, art and good work on the Holocaust painting (the cakes were much enjoyed). Programme for public speaking heat drafted. Catching up on TV programmes on Cheltenham, Winchester, Norwich, Liverpool cathedral. To East Dulwich playhouse to see The Winter's Tale live from the Globe which was excellent especially Will Keen and the women!

Swam, mass and coffee and took some of Fr Stuart's castoff books. Returned scores to Central Music library. To quiet day with Sister Agatha from Sisters of Mercy, Bermondsey. Surprisingly she left at 2.40! At lunchtime heard part of Nigel Groome's recital at St Matthew Westminster - he was replacing Travis Baker. Heard some of the War Requiem rehearsal in the cathedral - boys and soloists excellent. Bach choir did not impress - poor leads. Some of the choir could not see because of tall people in front of them! David Hill has a grey beard which does nothing for him. Saw Martin Baker. Came home as Liz had returned from school unhappy. 

Swam, to Mothercare to get new baby seat fitted, Henry came, to Age UK for lunch at older people's day and our art work on display. Quiet time at St John's. Great British bake off. Red wine with dinner. Mushroom soup, hearty meat stew and potatoes. Discussed diary.

Swam. Took rest of birthday cake to mosaic and it was much enjoyed. Very little progress as I need thicker black tiles. To tai chi Tony talked all the time at one point for 15 minutes! To Guys and new mould for right ear ready Oct 29. The reason the right one did not work yesterday was wax in the tube. To British museum for Ian Hislop's interesting protests. Car seat came but I could not fit it myself. Took Dennis to Catenians. John Rayer and Brendan Ducey there. Unanimous decision to close in March - financial and falling numbers. Watched university challenge.