The organist librarian

Up early so Walsingham and Blackfriars. Saw the rest of Lise Davidson's superb recital.  2 good recitals Piers Maxim at Great Malvern and Tim Selman at Howden Minster both on you tube. Sorting cassettes. Meistersinger 2011 from Glyndebourne with Gerald Finlay. I saw this at the cinema but I must admit I fell asleep then! I can't think why because the production and singing are excellent! I found it moving and joyful. Gallery prommers, Walked 20 and exercises. Viennese night Prom with Sophie Bevan and Robert Murray singing beautifully. Supernanny and University challenge.

 Played Walton Richard III suite and New commonwealth Vaughan Williams. 14 there. Simon preached well. I still find the mask very uncomfortable and the loo floor in the hall is still filthy. Don Carlos from the Met with Alagna and Keenlyside - a lovely production. Lovely playing by Claudia Grinnell at Gillingham Methodist GMC on you tube. Mendelssohn, Couperin, Elgar, Purcell and JSB. Walk in garden and exercises. The Pettits will meet us for dinner at Bicester. Lise Davidsen recital Wagner, Grieg and Verdi. Lovely LSO Prom with Rattle exploiting the size of the hall. Gabrieli, Elgar, Beethoven, Kurtag, Dawn by Ades and Vaughan Williams 5 lovely.  Programme on Croome Park. I have noticed my walking has gone down to 10 from 30 because my right knee is playing up.  I  Adn 

 Tried a bit of Catenian rosary but it's not for me especially going into Bhangla! Mass from Blackfriars Martyrdom of St John the Baptist. Started sorting cassettes. We discussed October trip and worked out possible routes and timetable. Evensong from St Martin's in the Field Sumsion and Macdowell. Talk on Parry and talk on Tolstoy and religion with Giles Fraser. Gallery prommers. Janacek violin sonata from Edinburgh festival. Jonathan Scott played the Albert Hall organ really well. I heard him and his brother play at Bloomsbury in 2018. It was a pity the Iplayer was not in synch with radio 3. Rossini, Mascagni. Dukas, Saint-Saens and Nimrod. Watched Down to earth in Sardinia. 

 St Augustine Blackfriars. Mum died 2006. Prom of Mahler 5 Bernstein and Vienna Phil not as indulgent as expected! More work on Laudato Si'. Gallery prommers zoom. Live prom radio 3 far better presentation. BBC2 inane comments from Stephen Fry and Katie Derham. Whitacre Sleep and Copland Quiet city and Eroica well played. But why were the singers so far apart and I am not keen on the blue checkered floor and blue lights around the hall. Inaccurate to say BBC singers have not met as they sang choral evensong.  Prp oPromMore hlerenna philharmonic and Bernstein. Not as indulgent as Mahler 5 Vienna philharmonic and Bernstein. Not as  Not as indulgent as I expected!

 Blackfriars Mass. Excellent zoom for South London interfaith group 17 there and we saw videos about Lewisham and Husayn ibn Ali. I saw start of Luisa Miller from the Met (have seen it before) and Love for 3 oranges by Prokofiev from Opera North. Lecture about Matilda of Canosa. Second Laudato Si' zoom went well. We will meet every week. Prom Petrenko Rachmaninov 3 and Shostakovich cello concerto. Also heard Mozart clarinet concerto from last night Vienna Phil and Bernstein. George Clarke's National Trust. How to lose a stone in 3 weeks. Started going through cassette boxes. 

 Blackfriars Mass Blessed Dominic Barberi. Fairy Queen 2009 from Glyndebourne - a very strange production! Worked on family tree.  Watching Betrothal in a monastery by Prokofiev You tube from the Kirov with Anna Netrebko and Gergiev. This ought to be better known! Gallery prommers zoom. First LS zoom went really well. Teacher with Tourette's programme. 

Yook 36 videos to Selsdon. Got lost and eventually found the way in rain and wind.  A really interesting visit to Biggin Hill memorial museum and St George's Chapel. I had been there once but had forgotten the fine stained glass and wood furnishings. Coffee and cake in the cafe.  Delicious lunch at Aperfield Inn Biggin Hill. Zoom Gallery Prommers. Bromley circle zoom did not happen! Prom was Gustav Mahler youth orcgestra 2009 with Jonathan Nott. Ligeti, Mahler, Schoenberg, Strauss. Worked on family tree. Yorkshire Farm and Supernanny USA. 

 St Bartholomew. Blackfriars and Upper Norwood. Now Hansel and Gretel 1982 from the Met with Frederika von Stade. Listened to Saul from the Proms and worked on family tree with the material from Denmark. Gallery Prommers zoom. Sibelius violin concerto from Prom. University challenge. A Suitable boy came to is end - so well done! After all the fuss the Last Night is unchanged! 

   Only 14 at church Simon Ellison for 3 weeks as Gartons are in Greece. Played Dad's suite, Pilgrims chorus and Darke Meditation. Spent some time going through cupboards next to console and found some good music there which I had not seen. After an extensive search through music cupboards I have the following to consider: Ketelbey In a monastery garden. Delibes Lakme flower duet. Tchaikovsky Waltz of the flowers. Alain Le jardin suspendu. Nevin Narcissus. Vaughan Williams Greensleeves. Haydn Wood Pastoral song. Pearson All creatures great and small theme. Fleming on Noel nouvelet. Thiman on Thornnbury would make a good ending. I also have Flor Peeters and Gordon Slater on "All creatures of our God and king". So quite a light and charming programme so far. I need an hour. We had delicious beef and Yorkshires and plum pudding for lunch. A feast of music today. Barber of Seville from the Met with Kathleen Battle. Susan Graham prom, Saint-Saens 3. Finished reading ...

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gsK_5keOdQYAZqp_ORqb_HllSpziTzjU/view?usp=sharing Me singing If with all your hearts from Elijah accompanied by Adrian Adams 1999

 An excellent day following the Belmont Abbey retreat Holiness in the home with Mass at noon. Dom Brendan had made 3 excellent videos.  Vierne 1 from St Patrick's cathedral Dublin played very well by David Leigh. Unfortunately the pedal got lost in the softer passages. Gallery prommers zoom. Ian Bostridge is 55 - rehearsing with Pappano on you tube. Prom is Don Carlos with Haitink 1996 with Borodina and Hvorostovsky.

 St Pius X. Blackfriars Mass. Zoom with Rosie Parker about Nov interfaith event online.  2013 Curlew River from the Barbican with Ian Bostridge at his finest and an interesting interview with him. St Patrick's cathedral Dublin lunchtime recitals. Organ and guitar worked well online. Eoghan Desmond sings beautifully. Labelled and listed 36 videos to be transferred to memory stick. Liz found a place in Selsdon £10 each. Prom with Thomas Daugaard conducting Tchaikovsky, Lingard and Sibelius. Liz went to check Dennis's house and got fish and chips but she did not tell me and I had had peanuts and soup! Watched programme on Kwame Kwai-Ardeh at Young Vic. 

 Fr Timothy Radcliffe at Blackfriars has some excellent points about exam results and St Bernard. Video player no 2 installed and watched ordination of Marcel last night. However it is now not accepting videos well so deciding which ones to have copied to hard drive. 35 in all. Excellent CCT lecture on Death and the Maiden images from the Lutheran reformation and onwards. Academy of Ancient music concert in Voces 8 series. Read another chapter of Laudato Si'. Saw the rest of Brett Dean's Hamlet from Glyndebourne. Colin Davis conducting Sibelius and Tippett. Michael Mosley on Losing a stone. Ethiopian history and art. 

 Blackfriars Oxford. Jo's funeral from St Canice's Finglas - managed to video it on phone and camera. Society for ecumenical studies Covid 19 and the universal church. 4 long complicated presentations - just a bit too much information! 4th session of Laudato Si' training. My UK email group now has 12. 1984 Francesca da Rimini from Met with Scotto, Domingo, McNeil and Levine. BY changing the scart I got the video player to work at last!

 Started at Walsingham and Blackfriars. Nice to have Louise here overnight. The St Thomas Hospital visit went smoothly wearing mask. Some people not wearing them on bus. The EMG was not too uncomfortable and waited for physiotherapist Ally who spent a lot of time checking me over and gave me some more exercises. She hopes to come to Bowley close in September. "Albion" from the Almeida excellent and a commentary on the state of this country. Gallery prommers zoom  1994 Prom European Community youth orchestra and Giulini Brahms 2 and 4 beautiful. Interview with the maestro was brief. Yorkshire Farm. Video player in dining room has given up so moved one from lounge but can't get video to play through screen so far. 

 2100   Part of Laudato Si' training Dear Grandad, In 2020 I was 10. We all shared the miseries of lockdown and the joy of seeing each other again after  long gaps. I remember you giving me a large pile of books which you had been clearing out including some of your precious school prizes. You particularly pointed out the books about nature and animals. Sadly some of those beautiful species are now no longer with us. You also pointed out the books about Greek myths, history and art. You were keen to pass on your knowledge and experience. I know you wanted a better world for your children and 3 grandsons.  I remember when I was younger you said in the car one day “I never stop learning, Ciaran”. I asked “Grandad, do you think you keep on learning after you die?” to which you replied “Yes, I think you do. After all that is what purgatory is all about. A chance to relearn”. I also remember telling you that I did not want you to die to which you replied “I want you ...

Mass from Blackfriars. Luisa Miller from the Met with Scotto, Domingo and Milnes. 1977. Completed Laudato Si 'Letter from the future.  Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak in Eze is just magic. Glorious singing and setting. Watched part 1 of Brett Dean's Hamlet from Glyndebourne free on You tube this week. I saw it before on TV. Prom is BBC Phil with Nosada Mahler 7 and Knussen Symphony 2. Watched University challenge and Supernanny USA. First part of Albion from the Almeida. 

 Confirmed the organ was not played at the wedding yesterday and it was great to have it in tune. Played Bach/Gounod and Schubert Ave Maria, Griffiths on Maria zu lieben and Dandrieu Ave Maris stella and recorded them too. JAM on the Marsh Paul Mealor piano concerto premiere - it's gorgeous and romantic. Judith Bingham. LMP conducted by Michael Bawtree. We were at the Fretwork and Stile Antico 2016 prom and good to hear it again. Watched 4 episodes of A suitable boy - it's excellent. Good to chat to Dennis and Bruce. Enjoyed the Prom with Barenboim and Argerich. 

 St Maximilian Kolbe Mass Blackfriars Oxford. Enjoying 2003 prom Dido and Aeneas with Sarah Connolly and Christopher Purves. Watching BBC The great Australian dream. One for Ann Lennox and Paul Lennox! About an aboriginal in the Swans team. Having a big clear out again and lots of VHS tapes to chuck. It seems they cannot be put in recycling as they do not take hard plastic. The same would apply to cassettes of which we have 100s! I Fagiolini concert from Voces 8 foundation series of Monteverdi. Glorious sounds! Daniel Cook on you tube playing at Jam on the Marsh St Leonard Hythe includes Bingham and Arthur Milner. I have a delightful Fantasy-Variations on a Northumbria folk song by Milner. Watching Disney The Flood about the Okavango.

 Jo died in Finglas - sad news indeed but good that the family were with him at home.  The VJ commemoration was beautifully done and what a good idea to have it at the National arboretum which we ought to visit! The Prince of Wales gave a wonderful speech and it was so representative of all races. Lovely singing too. Mass from Blackfriars. Tristan from the Met wonderful production Deborah Voight, Robert Dean Smith, James Levine at his best. Very moving King Marke from Matti Salminen. Went up to my study for prommers zoom in hopes of a distant glimpse of Red Arrows but flights were cancelled,  Prom 2014 is Salome which I heard on the radio. Deutsche oper Nina Stemme and Donald Runnicles. Excellent VJ 7th from Horse guards with Bryn Terfel and Willard White. 

 Started the day with the lovely singing of the Walsingham nuns and Mass from Blackfriars Oxford.    just finished reading The Joyful environmentalist by my good friend Isabel Losada. 5 star review and highly recommended. She answers so many questions about climate crisis. The funniest bits are about Extinction rebellion and the Tory voter who announced that her husband puts out the recycling so they are doing enough!!!  Zoom bible study on Elijah. Irritated by John Parkes again who did not want to discuss the Old Testament and will not shut up. Lesley hardly spoke again. The Gartons are going away for 3 weeks!  Excellent Facebook talk on English stained glass. Giulio Cesare 2005 from Glyndebourne is a delight. The Met used this production. Rain! Our neighbour saw a fan in our porch I thought was broken. He offered to take it to the tip. David has just returned it as he has fixed it! Bravo and perfect timing David! Zoom Prommers. You just know that Mac...

Papal General audience focused on Genesis 1.Blackfriars Oxford Mass. Today's the last day to see Old Vic 2016 Jekyll and Hyde dance. It's amazing! Saw scene 1 of Carmen with Alagna from the Met. Stopped to meditate with Meditatio centre but despite having the big fan on and curtains closed it's really too hot to concentrate for long! Laudato Si session 3 was good. Superb Voces 8 concert all part of the deal! Gallery prommers zoom. Prom from 2012 Andrew Manze conducting RVW 4, 5 and 6. I still remember that concert! Liz had nails done it took 2 hours and I was in the lounge in pyjamas with fan on. Late dinner! 

So hot. Blackfriars Oxford for Mass. St Clare is patron saint of TV because she saw a vision of Mass in her cell when she could not attend. A Saint for our times? The other carpets now cleaned. Had a shower but still feel hot! Manon Lescaut 2008 from Met. I think I prefer the new production. Mattila looks too old for the part. Berlin is allowing choral singing under controlled conditions! Meditation. Come dine with me. Signed up for Voces 8 package of 8 choral concerts. Gallery Prommers zoom. Welcome zoom for Friends of the Earth. Miriam Margolys in Oz. 

Walsingham Nuns, singing from St Mary's cathedral Sydney and Blackfriars Oxford. Some of Simon Keenlyside as Don Giovanni at Met. Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk by Shostakovich 2006 with Eva Maria Westbrook conducted by Mariss Janssons. This production is searing. Maybe Stalin saw his own tyranny in the opera rather than that of the Gulaks, police and clergy. The conducting is fantastic. Guess who chose one of the hottest days of the year to clean the lounge carpet? I need an ice lolly and a shower! Laudato Si' training module 2 done now catching up on Nelson Ferreira session from 2 weeks ago! Exercises and Gallery prommers zoom. The Prom is Renée Fleming's debut in 2001 with the Philharmonia and Eschenbach. Mozart, Strauss, Dvorak and Brahms. Gorgeous. University challenge and Supernanny USA. 

The still small voice from Elijah and Lift thine eyes Mendelssohn. Jerry changed the first reading to |Elijah. The other music today was slow movement Mendelssohn 6 and March from Henry V Walton. We remembered Mary Sumner founder of the Mother's Union. I was tempted to play Jerusalem but we don't want people to sing! I find my mask makes me feel very hot and stuffy so I will try a disposable one next week! Liz got me a plastic hook arrangement so it does not go over my ears. Lovely prom Benedetti trio Brahms 2015. In 2015 I wrote  Lovely Cadogan Hall prom Brahms piano trio and Sierra with Nichola Benedetti and Leonard Elschenbroich with Alexei Grynyuk. Agrippina from the Met. It was riveting at the cinema.  TV Superb Mahler 8 NYO 2002 conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. Britten Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge from prom in honour of Richard Hickox. Colin Matthews No man's land very effective. Ian Bostridge and Roderick Williams. iN 2011 I wrote To pre-Prom ...

After a very hot night nice to wake up to a call from Dennis Woodhouse, Ann- Marie Woodhouse and Henry. Great to Skype with Ann. Austen Ivereigh on Belmont Abbey zoom. Parsifal 1992 from Met. No sub titles and everything is brown. Siegfried Jerusalem, Waltraud Meier fantastic. Old favourites next week. Lovely mass with Dom Brendan and a most pertinent talk by Austen Ivereigh. Fits well with my Laudato Si' training! Watched Doughnut economics by Kate Raworth. Exercises and gallery prommers zoom. Excellent 1992 Glyndebourne Queen of Spades prom conducted by Andrew Davis with Felicity Palmer. Come dine with me, Jane Austen fans. 

Mass form Blackfriars. We have done some drawing. Now flopped out watching Come dine with me! It's too hot to do much. Last night we watched the first part of Hamilton. It is clever but very wearing on the ear. Watched Down to earth about France and Lourdes. The Rake's progress from Glyndebourne 2010. Interesting how far Stravinsky went away from Hogarth. Hockney's designs are inspired. Prom Rattle and Berlin philharmonic Rachmaninov and Firebird 2014. I was there! 33 degrees too hot and sultry.  Watched the excellent talks on English stained glass and Matilda of Canossa.

Woke late. Family gone to IKEA and Beddington Park. Mass from Blackfriars Oxford with a wonderful homily from Fr Timothy Radcliffe. 1995 Simon Boccanegra from Met with Kiri Te Kanawa, Domingo, Chernov and Robert Lloyd. Lovely singing. Watched part of programme on English stained glass. Started doing my exercises. Watched videos from 1985-89. Amazing to have them. We had fish and chips - I had plaice. Watched an excellent Disney "Inside out".

Fisher House has moved Mass to 12.15 for the summer so watched Blackfriars Oxford. They use the RSV. Tales of Hoffmann from the Met which I saw at the cinema in 2015. An excellent cast including Thomas Hampson. Come dine with me from Battersea. Meditatio session but again not much concentration. 30 circuits while gallery prommers zoom. Louise got delicious dinner from Bagattis. Watched Down to earth on Netflix. Loved it! Carousel from London center.The second session of Laudato Si training with Fr Joshtrom from the Vatican was excellent. I got replies from Bishop John Arnold, Mary Colwell and Rita Day.

Fisher House had a funeral yesterday at 12 so no 8  a.m. Mass and Fr Chase says there will be  a summer break. Dominicans Oxford have singing at Mass and it's on you tube. Magic Flute 2006 from the Met. We have seen this production with a different cast. It's a delight but three times it has stopped buffering. Very useful video conference with physiotherapist who is sending me exercises to do each day. Excellent talk on plastic in the Thames. Organ recital from All Saints Orpington. Meditation but no concentration today. Lovely Met recital by Renée Fleming. 30 garden circuits in shoes. Right knee not so keen. Nice zoom with Lourdes folk. Prom is Sibelius Kullervo. It was a great concert. Watching BBC Rise and fall of the Murdoch dynasty. That man is evil married 4 times engineered Brexit and Trump and denying climate change. 

Happy 46 years Liz Woodhouse! One year when you couldn't just go out and buy a card! I got mine from Lesley at church and she posted it to me and Liza May made a lovely one for Liz. Daniel French at St Andrew South Huish ruined church.  Lovely lunch at Miller and Carter, Mitcham. Mushrooms, rump steak, profiteroles. And the bill was £18.95 under the Government scheme! Walkure 2019 from Met very imaginative first act. Stuart Skelton, Eva Maria Westbrook, Gunter Groissbock as Hunding molto scary. Interesting to read the reviews of Walkure Greer Grimsley, Goerke and Jamie Barton all impressed under Jourdan's direction. Gallery prommers discussed education. 30 circuits of the garden while Liz harvested potatoes. Now we have Marta Argerich playing Liszt. We were at that East West Divan orchestra concert. The atmosphere was electric. Super Wagner. Wathched Supernanny USA, University challenge and Yorkshire farm. The radio much better for stereo in lounge and for me hearing. I ahve c...

Music today just posted reflected our anniversary tomorrow. Bach, RVW and Karg-Elert. Oh the joys of mask wearing! I wore it for the service but tried to take it off for the communion piece. It got tangled in my hearing aid which got twisted so I couldn't get it back in so that had to wait until after the final voluntary. So operating on one hearing aid! Organists please advise on a lighter cooler mask please! I was home by 11.30. Iestyn Davies and Purcell Prom. 2009. 1983 Ernani from Met. Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, Leona Mitchell, Raimondi. There's a lot of brown again! I listened to the Radio 4 Sunday comments on the Sheffield cathedral choir sacking. Hugh Morris did the RSCM and singers no favours by supporting the Dean who was vague. Throughout my 30 circuits of the garden in glorious sunshine the house backing onto us which is rented was spewing out music and barbecue fumes. Zoom Prommers, good to hear St Bart's had a cantor singing a new Mass setting! BBC4 Chineke ...

Fisher House Mass and Mass from Lourdes for the pilgrimage. Falstaff from Glyndebourne. We saw this at the cinema back in 2009. It is full of delights. The set for Act 2 works so well and it is inspired to set it in post War Windsor. Jurowski conducts. Yorkshire Day! Part 1 of Rusalka from the Met - we saw it at the cinema. Also saw the earlier version which was so much better than the ROH travesty. 30 circuits of garden. Liz went to Dennis's but could not get in and to St John's to take food. Prom Makropulos Affair with Karita Mattila 2016 with libretto after Gallery prommers zoom.