The organist librarian

Fr Chase started homily at Fisher House "I don't know much about pottery." Maybe watch The great pottery throw down"? It was a good homily! 15 circuits of the garden today. Liz did 3 miles on the exercise bike! Old fashioned Rigoletto from the Met 1977 a young Domingo.  Zoomed out! Shtisel discussion from Oz with 1000s. South London interfaith group prayers and committee. My first as chair. Organists committee. Pax Christi no-violence. Prommers. Now Benediction for Westminster Lourdes Pilgrimage from Willesden. Evening prayer from Pinner. Prom is Mark Elder and the Hall. Berlioz, Sea pictures with Alice Coote, Helen Grime and the Eroica. 2014 we were there. Why are they not repeating the TV version? Alice Coote sang beautifully. Princess Anne at 70. Friday Fisher House Mass. Very hot. Liz has stripped wallpaper off downstairs loo ready for the work to start eventually. Stations of the Cross Lourdes virtual pilgrimage. Trovatore from Met with Dmitri Hvorostovsky, (wha...

Prayers no sound from Walsingham. Not a great start knocked over a cup of tea on the kitchen bench! International Mass for virtual Lourdes Pilgrimage from Westminster cathedral. Wonderful homily from the Cardinal. Zoom Faith action coffee house Faith, integration and belonging was interesting. St John Upper Norwood. Meditatio zoom. I hit 12 stone today so in honour of Sir Tom 10 times round the garden today increasing each day! Tosca from the Met - this is the new production which caused so much fuss. Karita Mattila as Tosca. George a very scary Scarpia. The start of the Laudato Si' training was most informative. Joana's story of the loss of most of her family in the Philippines was so moving and her fight for Climate Justice very inspiring! 9 at Prommers zoom. The response to the Musical chairs website has been great. It seems we did not go to the 2015 Prom Boston SO Nelsons Mahler 6. I have been pretty scathing about Brett Dean in the past! 

Fisher House Mass with Fr Chase - Liz laughs about my American priest but he's great! Love it when he fluffs and laughs about it. Gandhi annual memorial lecture on economics by Graeme Nuttall. It's pertinent but needs reading properly. Lucia from the Met - I am not keen but the mad scene is well done. Natalie Dessay and Joseph Calleja. Sleeping Beauty from Royal Ballet. Come dine with me. Lovely rosary from Pimlico with candles in front of photos of people and singing! Zoom with Prommers. Mozart Piano concerto 24 played by Murray Perahia in 2008 with Chicago SO conducted by Haitink. We were not at this concert! Shostakovich 4. Evening prayer with 2 young ladies in Pinner. Bake off the professionals final.

Westminster virtual Lourdes pilgrimage with welcome film, video from 2011, evening prayer led by 2 young ladies with singing in Pinner. Aquero lovely paintings and singing including David Knight. Fisher House Fr Mark is ill and off until Easter. Fanciulla from Met - this was cancelled at cinema. Jonas, Westbrook and Lucacs all excellent. 9 at Promemrs zoom. Flute prom Martinu, Prokofiev. End Of Mazeppa. Norrington in 1989 Beethoven 2 Schubert 9.As expected Norrington was too fast in the slow movement of Schubert 9 and the whole thing began to sound trite. It should be grand and GREAT as Sir Adrian Boult did it!

A Sunday off as we were going to Lourdes. Walsingham, Upper Norwood with hymns (soft singing into masks or humming!) virtual Lourdes Pilgrimage Mass from Pinner with Bishop John Sheringham outdoors. Zoom with Caterham - seems David Dibbs played Meistersinger loud at the end against my instructions! Sat in the garden a lovely day. BBC singers prom Holst, Birtwistle from 2013. Finished Wendy Mitchell's "Somebody I used to know". Highly recommended if you want to understand Alzheimer's and its onset. Rosenkavalier from the Met with the gorgeous Renee and Susan Graham. Thomas Allen in Act 2.  Looking up the Edo de Waart Rosenkavalier from the Met and I came across a review of Rattle's performance where the critic took a side swipe at Levine, Renee and the production I am watching. Critics! Zoom with gallery prommers 11 there. Enjoying John Wilson 2013 prom. What a finale! I noted in 2017 that Pygmalion's Monteverdi Vespers was a bit of an endurance test - I pre...

St James' Day Fisher house, Upper Norwood, zoom with Hurtado centre. Falstaff from the Met!! Mgr Mark has to take sick leave. Tribute to Canon Christopher came. Very well done.  Watching Falstaff with the score - a masterpiece and the humour! I sang Bardolpho in 1984 at the Miller centre Caterham with Croydon opera group and the wonderful Bob Bouffler at the piano. Happy memories! The cast was led by Colin Morris. I am still in touch with Keith Chaundy, Veronica Gilbert, David Smith but what happened to Rupert Barnes, Diana Compton, Mary Dunnell, Charles Adcock and Ann Rowley? Got in touch with Colin on Facebook.  Mirella Freni and Marilyn Horne superb comic timing and singing. The whole cast are great. Working my way through Mazeppa opera by Tchaikovsky. Kirov 2009 on you tube no subtitles. Gergiev not using a score! Zoom about wagner my mike will not work so used phone. Barenboim's Walkure from 2013 with Bryn Terfel and Nina Stemme - fabulous. 

I had a dream about the blind organist David Aprahamian Liddle and wondered how he got that name. His website is charming and I can recall Felix Aprahamian at recitals and his comments in Musical Times. David chose to make Aprahamian his second name. Fisher House Mass. Today's opera from the Met is Gounod Romeo et Juliette conducted by Domingo with Alagna and Netrebko and Robert Lloyd as the Friar! The Tablet last week has an excellent article on the drive in Turkey to convert to mosques. I was alarmed to read that the Kariye museum is now a mosque I visited in 2008 and the Byzantine mosaics are superb. Hagia Sophia is by no means the first - there has been much destruction of precious heritage. Good to see Adrian and Lynn Baker at zoom. My mic would not work. Leigh and Peter did not get invite. Good to see Adrian and Lynn Baker at zoom. My mic would not work. Leigh and Peter did not get invite. LMP Vivaldi 4 seasons with Jennifer Pike in Oxford. LSO have done a live...

Fisher house. Macbeth from the Met an excellent modern production from 2008 - not the one we saw! Interesting session on the naught bits in churches. Amadeus from the National theatre -  tour de force by Lucian and Adam Gillen. Come dine with me.  9 at zoom for prommers. Janssons in 2004 conducting Bavarian SO Dvorak 8 and Ein Heldenleben. Sheffield cathedral choir gone and Nigel McClintock going into counselling. Heating man came again - new gas pipe needed and boiler. System is old. 

Fisher House did not bother with Met as it was Barber of Seville. Being Beethoven part 2. Come dine with me. Henry came from 11 to 2.30 garden, trampoline, bear hunt, listening to stories, piano. Seem reluctant to go. He has grown a lot. His portrait and Ciaran's on show. 7 at zoom and Janey Maxwell for the first time. Prom Knussen, Debussy, Tavener Protecting veil with Stephen Isserlis. Did not enjoy Minna Keal symphony at all. Listened to In the land of Uz by Judith Weir from 2017 prom Southwark cathedral Adrian Thompson BBC singers Nash ensemble Stephen Farr organ last concert by David Hill as BBC singers chief conductor. Now back to 1638 on family tree one 7th great grandfather Henry Oadhams in Warwickshire! So many of that family lived long lives!  Wednesday. Fisher house. |Email re St John's disappeared. Meditatio session.  Tannhauser from the Met seems very brown! Tatiana Troyanos, Richard Cassilly and Eva Marton on great form despite the gloomy sets and very old-f...

Updated LinkedIn which many think a nuisance! Chair of South London interfaith group. Jonas Kaufmann recital from Met too much chatter! Cannot get it on TV firestick so watching on laptop. St Michael Cornhill zoom David Briggs Sorcerer's apprentice and improvisation with lovely photos from France. His daughters are composers in London! Asked David Briggs about Alec Wyton and his music is still played at St John the Divine. When I played there Raymond Nyugen had not heard of him. Sad to hear of attacks on organs in New York and France. Lovely visuals accompanying the improvisation. Jonathan Rennert does it again! Prom 2015 Jeremy Denk playing Scriabin, Bartok and Beethoven's last piano sonata. Incredibly difficult triple trills in one passage. Finished The power of One by Bryce Courtenay disturbing ending. 10 at the zoom tonight - not happy about the BBC4 Beethoven speeds from Mirga! Liz at UCM zoom. Rest of Prokofiev The Gambler very heavy brass and start of Tchaikovsky M...

Liz came to Caterham with me. Earlier sung morning prayer from Walsingham and in the car we heard Leeds cathedral choirs for Year of the word. I recorded Elgar on my phone. I played Chanson de Matin. 2 Enigma variations, Mendelssohn 6 slow movement and Smith Meditation. Oscar turned up early expecting to sing Brian was surprised. I was more relaxed and chatted to Jerry = he is keen to sing again. We then went to The Fox Coulsdon common - it felt very safe and we enjoyed calimari, roast beef and chocolate brownie. £64. Watched Figaro from the Met it was very funny 2014, set in the 1930s. Zoom 9 there. TV Beethoveniana dancing nice but I don't see the point. Birmingham SO Mirta Be 5, Stravinsky violin con, stupid Barry Canada piece(I hated this before), lovely encores. Air on the G string. Missa solemnis conducted Harnoncourt - not much legato, one soprano in chorus sticking out, soprano soloist had some strange notes. Prefer Giulini. Sad to learn Balatsch died in May aged 92.  Mondy...

Lounge nets washed and windows cleaned. They were filthy. Cenerentola from Met very funny but did not see second half. Lovely live concert from St John's Proud songsters including |Emma and Robin. Wagner, Finzi, Mahler. Alas the sound kept going. Zoom with 7 and Marilyn there. She recommended Philharmonia at Battersea Arts centre on you tube. Sheku playing Saint-Saens and RVW Fantasia on a theme of Thomas Tallis conducted by John Wilson. Proms Strauss Till Eulenspiegel and Leonore from 1996 conducted John E|liot Gardiner. 

Lovely singing from Walsingham convent and now Fisher House Mass. Squirrel raiding flower boxes and sparrow washing in bird bath.  Ro Lounets washed and windows cle s a romp

Fisher House. Heating engineer came at 8 seems a valve is letting through hot water at 4.40 although central heating is off. Wozzeck from the Met worth hanging on for the third act. Prokofiev The Gambler first part conducted by Gergiev. Spent time sorting out Proms calendar up to August. They now say singing will be allowed in pubs but still not in church! Nets washed once we found out how to get them down!  The zoom before the First night eventually worked and we had 11 enjoying seeing each other again. Some of us actually found out each other's names for the first time! The Farringdon was OKish - will watch it on TV on Sunday. Beethoven Piano concerto 3 beautifully played. Following the score and of course yelled at the applause after the first movement - idiots! I had forgotten that we were not there for the first par tof the season last year as we were on the Arctic cruise then Bali Oz and NZ! Birtwhistle just as bad as when we first heard it at the Last Night! Mahler 3 conduct...

Up early so Dominicans Oxford and Fisher House. St John's celebrating St Swithun - the epistle of James has much to say about patience and prayer. John Pettit recommended "The power of one" by Bryce Courtenay. I love it and laughed till I cried. It is also horrifying. If you want to understand racism and South Africa read it. The film is a travesty of the first section about Barberton. Traviata from the Met with Cotrubas and the young Domingo. Cornell MacNeil. James Levine looks so young. Been in the garden putting down bark under the birch tree where the bindweed has attacked the holly, swept patio so it is sure to rain. Got water features going. A delightful harp concert live from Stanley Halls by Keziah Thomas who we have heard play several times at St John's. 

Fisher House Mass. More work on family tree - Bodinnars and Georges. I have seen Manon Lescaut from the Met at the cinema in 2016. It's worth seeing again. Alagna was terrific. Bandra circle zoom now an hour late and when it happened it was short. I tried to play my recording of "If with all your hearts" on my phone but the sound quality was poor. Big shock Richard Sutton's contract is ended. Rang John Pritchard. Johannesburg circle 74 present including Zimbabwe brothers. The covid situation there is dire.Bake off, Yorkshire farm, Prince Harry ideal TV when you're zoomed out.  

 I woke early. I have been dreaming a lot and this time Tim Dean featured! It was all about refusing communion to one man who was kneeling and I protested! Started watching Tristan from the Met early as it's so long with a break for Mass from Fisher House. Fabulous Tristan from the Met - I so well remember hearing this at Bayreuth in 1972 and being completely overwhelmed by it. The next night I went to a Bach organ recital and it was like a cold shower after all that heat and passion! Most interesting Faiths United zoom on Faiths and business and what faith communities can do to help and we heard of some schemes to get young people into work - Prince's Trust, Ismaili foundation. I was very impressed by the speakers especially Dame Helena Morrissey DBE is the founder of the 30 Per Cent Club, which campaigns for greater female representation on company boards, and a mother of nine children. Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE DL is President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), ...

Radio 4 at 8 from Welsh Baptist college featured "Unless a grain of wheat". I did not agree with the student he said this time felt like the Word could not be preached. St Paul says Preach at all times in and out of season. I suppose the student meant preaching in church assemblies but I have heard some brilliant sermons online! I was early at church so had time to record. Enjoyed playing Eric Smith Aria also part of Enigma variations and Mendelssohn slow movements. There were more at church today and a good sermon from Jerry Garton on silence. More traffic driving back. I am very conscious that we have lost 2 dear people this week but God has sent me a new friend via Zoom Catenians! How come William told me on Tuesday that Stephen Bullivant was speaking on Wed? John Pettit remembered my name after 61 years and got in touch. That is NOT chance and coincidence! Some of Butterfly from the Met. A stunning Chinese soprano. Anna Crawford playing the cello at St John's on you t...

Fisher House and St John's. I updated my life story about school.Eugene Onegin from the Met 2013 conducted by Gergiev. I have seen Netrebko sing this with Ticciati. The problem is she does not look young enough in the first part. The Deutsches oper production caught the youthful country feel so well. And now the audience are clapping too long! A zoom with Dhaka Catenians which is a first for me. Very long and enjoyable zoom with John Pettit. Watched Becoming on Netflix. Michelle Obama is amazing!

Fisher house Mass. An excellent SPIDIR zoom workshop for Spiritual directors. Cosi fan tutte from the Met. A really excellent zoom Bicester and Aberdeen circles. Dr Stephen Bullivant spoke eloguently about the Catholic church post-Covid and Catenians have a big role to play. We do keep in touch with people and I think this is crucial. We MUST use our databases to reach out to people now! I know lots of parishes have been doing this. Also Masses on Facebook and You tube should continue as should Catenian meetings on Zoom. Amazed to learn John Pettit the VP went to St John's college! 

Fisher House and Fr Andrew at St John's. The Zoom folk are in the wings doing noises off now congregation are allowed in church. Trovatore from Met not a favourite of mine! Pavarotti and Sherrill Milnes. Mr Asda says it is National Chocolate day which seems a good excuse to indulge! Meditatio zoom for meditation. An outstanding zoom from Sisters of Sion with Dr Nicholas King on the Jewishness of Luke's gospel. 77 there! Michael Redman, Allen Morris and I all asked questions. Being Beethoven interesting. Alan Bennett excellent. Zoom AGM of South London interfaith group. I am now chair.Lorraine Jones spoke well on Black lives matter.

A rather emotional day. I have been "at" 3 Masses. Fisher House, Skype with Ann - Melbourne in lockdown again. Mark and Sarah got home in time. La Boheme from Met and Royal Opera house! Time to try something different I think much as I love Puccini. What a beautiful tribute to Canon Christopher. The eulogy and homily were just so him. The music too "Abide with me" alluded to, Liebster Jesu of Bach, Nimrod which moved me so much (after all this music is about my friend pictured within) and Bach C minor Fantasia. Rest in peace - we will miss you so much. We both cried during Nimrod. Now I know why Canon Christopher always appeared on a Friday afternoon when I was on duty as a welcomer. He had come from the Passage. The vision of him saying Mass in Portuguese for the sisters is delightful. Who was reading at the Mass? Good to see Fr Swavek there.   Interesting BBC programmes on Sussex and Birmingham and Liverpool authors Books that made Britain series. Very concern...

Fisher House. Excellent zoom with Southampton circle at 10 a.m. so many Australian brothers could join in and Eugene Das from Mumbai. Zoom St Michael Cornhill with James McVinnie playing Glass, Tom Jenkinson and Bach Passacaglia. Beautiful playing. Sorted some more boxes and the 2 albums arrived so all photos now in albums. Watched 1980 Borg vs McEnroe Wimbledon final. La Donna del lago from Met - saw this at the cinema in 2015. Great bel canto singing Florez and Joyce DiDonato.    London Mozart players at St Giles Cripplegate with Tasmin Little - Grieg, Elgar, Copland , Lark ascending. Rosenkavalier 2014 from Glyndebourne. 

Just back from church. First time out since March. Driving along noticed more buses than usual, most people not wearing masks, trees need pruning badly (why could this have not been done?) not much traffic. 22 at service all spaced out. It was lovely to play again. Dom Andrew Moore pieces. Eucharist became rather medical with Jerry in mask and gloves but I suppose it's necessary. His sermon on being tired was excellent. Had I known what the gospel was I could have played "Come unto Him"! Letter from Bishops. "The Church of England is not going away". All very well but what have these bishops being doing in lock down apart from keeping clergy out of churches? Watched some of Don Pasquale from the Met with Beverly Sills, Alfredo Kraus and Haggard. Zoom Death cafe for 2 hours. Garsington opera concert. Zoom with Nelson Ferreira. Zoomed out! Songs of Praise about Florence Nightingale and Lucy Winkett on Radio 4 this morning on music and singing. Shaun the sheep movi...

I started making notes when I woke up. IAO organists congress at communion could not see altar.Crown Imperial only piece available couldn't turn over so transposed middle section somehow got it more or less right and cadenced off with a fanfare! Wood form coffins brought up to use linked to pensions not paid, wood never used. Hereford cathedral 3 choirs communion in side chapel. Family and little boy would not go to altar rail. When got there a laid table with silver cutlery and had to kneel on a bench which was very awkward. Chocolate tubes to choose from, ate a little and kept the rest. Father of family started smiling so I objected later apologised. Liz had already told the priest and organist why we were there- an anniversary of former organist.  Former managers of the cathedral Oremus German criticism defused by providing an alternative Libraries for South American tribes, Italians. Attacked shouting No No apparently I shook Liz. |Dreaming about dreaming. Susan sang in church ...

Fisher House and Upper Norwood played some more from Elijah, Carmen from the Met. Music in lockdown. I wasn't planning to watch Carmen but it was riveting! Anita and Aleksander fantastic acting and singing.Some piano playing and recorded some hymns but not done much singing. Lots of opera on you tube and the Met via Facebook on our TV via firestick. Not listened to radio much. I am not convinced about opera without visuals and subtitles. Not listened to CDs or LPs and not gone through old cassettes and videos so why keep them? Have weeded scores and cleaned out music cupboard. When the online Proms start how many will be on TV? Probably will not be able to get to libraries for scores but I do have some of my own. Back at the organ on Sunday but no singing. There are so many inconsistencies in instructions about church. If toilets are closed how do we cope? Face coverings are at least a good idea. Communion brought to each person is a better idea than lining up but that would b...

Fisher House. Good bible study on Hope and changes we'd like to see. Why has Bojo not allocated money for housing? Inequality must be addressed just as the Victorians did. Shostakovich The Nose from the Met. Remarkable work. I have now read Phil Brown's report on the Catenian survey. There are many issues but basically change is not wanted. Death in Venice from ENO cholera in the city. Beautiful production which I saw in the theatre. Merchant of Venice from RSC on BBC I player. They certainly did not stint on attacks on Jews. Antonio was absolutely right - not an easy part. Act 5 was magic. David Grealy playing Ravel at Galway cathedral. Lovely playing. Alan Bennett. Sri Lankan scenic railway, school that addressed racism. 

Fisher House and Upper Norwood. Walkure from Met the fabulous Jessye Norman who looks nothing like her brother but what singing! Hildegard Behrens, Christa Ludwig and James Morris in 1989. Could not watch it all both for time reasons and the buffering problem. National treasures Tony Pappano, Alan Bennett, Gareth Malone, London Mozart players, Ensemble 26 have all helped to keep us smiling! Sisters of Sion zoom with Rabbi Alex Wright. Good to see Allen Morris, John O'Toole, Michael Redman and Sylvia among others.  Lockdown pros. Time, quiet, opera, theatre, zooms with family, Catenians, interfaith, meditation. Painting. Online worship. Cons gaining weight, no swimming, no Eucharist, missing the organ and the people and the choir. Vivid dreams. Irritating people on Facebook. People who talk too much on a zoom! 2 Alan Bennetts both made you think about murder. Masterchef, Repair shop. Watched start of Death in Venice from ENO which  saw at the theatre. More work on fam...