The organist librarian

 Wrote talk on interfaith work and powerpoint. Evensong St Michael Cornhill. London faith and belief community awards online - the group's second appearance still no cash. Peter Graystone on Painting God some controversial choices. Only connect, University challenge. 

 Wonderful St Martin's walk along Long Water Hampton Court. St John's Mass.  Serving a Wounded World in Interreligious Solidarity a very interesting session with Arundel and Brighton on this new document from Vatican and World Council of churches. Good to see friends there! The GCCM Advent retreat did not engage. |Excellent South African. Stirred puddings and found Advent stuff. Liz went to sleep. Hyacinth dropped by and saw garden. Made Advent wreath while listening to St John's Cambridge. To St John's for Advent carols. I do not like socially distanced singing partly because I cannot hear others and I could not hear what Adrian was saying and said so. I moved next to Fr Andrew. It makes no sense if the professionals are there to boost us to have them not sitting with us! That soprano was there again and on the recording all you hear is her and it's shrill on top notes. Frankly unhappy. We sang Fleming, Guerrero, Mendelssohn and Stanford Te Deum. It was a long stan...

 Blackfriars, St Martin's. Excellent zoom with Collette and Rita. Meditation. To Lidl and Post Office and got petrol. Liz moving slowly. ACN presentation no sound but did hear Fr Dominic at Farm Street. ACN from Scotland. Dennis and family came and brought birthday cake. Henry on good form. Repair shop.  Took Liz early for blood test. Dr Ojo rang. Faith action received Free churches report on social cohesion. SLIFG heard a fantastic lecture by Chris Hewer on Hussein. Committee followed. Laudato Si animators meeting. Dialogue at Laudato Si' institute Oxford on economics - I am no economist. Marina and Peter Donohoe on Rachmaninov fascinating. So a lot of zooms today! Martin Renshaw on a day in the parish church and lots of sung services. Master chef professional.  Excellent interview with Brian Pearce. Blackfriars, St Martin's, Walsingham. Liz has to see haemotologist. Finished uploading videos.  Just caught up on the LLF Advent wreath you tube recording. Good to see ...

 Monday started with St Martin's and it was very clear today then Blackfriars. I looked it up. I definitely lunched with Helene at St Benet's hall and I think we visited the chapel at Blackfriars but possibly not as I do not think they have an organ. Worked on uploading videos. Eleni played Liszt and Reger at Cornhill. Excellent Women and liturgy session. I wasn't going to go to Beckenham circle but I am glad I did because Phil Brown said a lot of sensible things. Only connect and University challenge. Tuesday Blackfriars, St Martin's and Walsingham then Helen Gimson rang. Bruce knew her son Will at Bath courses! Henry came and put out washing, played track, 4 games of Quack quack, ate 2 oranges. Liz tired again. Quiet time. Peter won Bake Off - I said he would! Excellent Craigmyle lecture by Sir James Macmillan. Most interesting Eucharistic take on Tristan Act 1. He rates that and the St Matthew Passion the most spiritual works. Poulenc Dialogues and Messiaen got high ...

 Lovely walk with Richard at Chiswick House. Beautiful retreat on Vermeer at Belmont with Mass and Vespers. What a treat! Sr Wendy We should not look at at the Light but live in the light. Poulenc Dialogues of the Carmelites from the Met. Loaded more videos. Family calendars came. Strictly. two more episodes of The Crown. Radio 3 tribute to Stephen Cleobury.  Sunday Christ the King so played Crown Imperial. 3 in choir and sang Tony Hemson's Alpha and Omega and Cleobury's arrangement of Let all mortal flesh. At practice afterwards started to discuss carol service and Jerry blocked all suggestions - church needs to be cleaned, Alan would need to be involved (he was available) the final straw was Friday is my day off. So I just said "That's it, no carol service". Several people thanked me for the music so I guess they picked up I as not happy. Home to David Grealy playing Langlais. Young chorister semi-final for 5 girls on SoP. Awful vibrato from one of them. Alice f...

 A most interesting interview with Sarah Thorley about SLIFG. Watched films on Paddington. Liz had Alpha. Bake off extra slice and Come dine with me. 

Excellent zoom on London food policies. 30% of waste in London is food waste. This has got to change. The St Cecilia event was sadly very disappointing. Where were the hymns and prayers we love or the inspiring address? Couldn't Ronald Corp have done something? The Westminster cathedral choir sang beautifully and good to see Ian and Javed but the introduction was perfunctory and the credits called it the Abbey! Gloucester cathedral choir sang well and got a big puff from Harry Christophers. Meditatio session.. Working my way through uploading videos onto You tube and came to me playing at Addiscombe and Liz singing beautifully. It's so lovely to see the kids when they were small. What a happy family!   Sion centre on Women in the Bible with Rabbi Alexandra Wright. Bill Heubsch on Fratelli tutti excellent. Thursday Knackering LSI group zoom but enjoyed Gallery Prommers and Adrian Tring was chatty. Good to see him, Fratelli tutti and CSAN and CAFOD was good with Anna Reynolds. T...

  Excellent zoom on London food policies. 30% of waste in London is food waste. This has got to change. The St Cecilia event was sadly very disappointing. Where were the hymns and prayers we love or the inspiring address? Couldn't Ronald Corp have done something? The Westminster cathedral choir sang beautifully and good to see Ian and Javed but the introduction was perfunctory and the credits called it the Abbey! Gloucester cathedral choir sang well and got a big puff from Harry Christophers. Meditatio session. Blackfriars good sermon, Found family videos on You tube on TV!.  Sion centre on Women in the Bible with Rabbi Alexandra Wright. Watched 4 in a bed. Karin rang and eventually I had to tell her that she was talking too much both to me and at the zoom meetings! Repair shop was good. Loaded up more videos. Dennis brought my new house shoes which are large!  From a Diocesan newsletter ... 😉 Safety Guidance for your Christmas Crib The coronavirus pandemic has had a hug...

 Blackfriars. Excellent zoom and it looks as though we will get a London Care of creation online group going! Very chuffed to see Ciaran eco-warrior on Westminster Justice and Peace website. Henry came and we had fun colouring in, helping in the garden, bear hunt, space ship and playing a game. I fell asleep! Launch of book at Laudato Si' institute Oxford kept buffering. Mark Easton excellent talk on How does the home nurture wisdom from Westminster Abbey. Bill Heubsch on Fratelli tutti excellent. Bake off and Hermine has gone! 

  Carol services? I am thinking better to live stream but can I get singers to rehearse? I do not think you can have a congregation not joining in so better to join in from home? Discussion on facebook. Blackfriars, St Martin's but sound poor, Durham.  Ireland and Bridge piano pieces with the scores on screen on you tube. Thomas Allery played well at Cornhill. Nice to hear some Alec Rowley. Vespers from Belmont Abbey and the Philharmonia playing Ravel Pavane pur une infanta one of my desert island discs! Very good visit to Dr Shaw with Dennis. I was born with spina bifida occulta in Lower spine. Diasteremaromyelia. I am doing all the right things! Am to have new inner soles and indoor shoes. Mum would be delighted. Fascinating to see scans of my spine. Oddly makes one feel happy and relaxed to know the truth. Slipped discs, polio, all nonsense. A brilliant discussion about women and liturgy between Tina Beattie and Patricia Kelly. Why can't our churches emb...

  Oscar came to sing so we managed the Campion and Elgar. I played Vierne (his anniversary this year) and Adagio from the Elgar cello concerto - it always makes me think of autumn and I heard Jacqueline De Pre play it at her last London concert and of course Shaku has made it his own! Dreadful flooding on the roads today. Liz's birthday flowers and chocs arrived in good time.  The SLIFG remembrance event for BAME soldiers and civilians had 4 great speakers and beautiful interfaith prayers. Dr David Hampshire summed it all up so well. All of those who gave their lives wanted a better world. By remembering them we can be inspired to build a better world for our children.  Excellent Thai birthday lunch delivered from South Croydon. Delicious chocolate cake and we had family zoom at 6. Good to see Bruce. Hooked on The Crown series 4. One boob St Paul's cathedral is not Gothic! 

Gardeners back and sorted out which fence panels are to be replaced. Blackfriars, St Martin's, Walsingham, St John's Upper Norwood. Uploading videos. LSI meeting watched film and I left early to watch Fr Augusto and CAFOD lady on food poverty and vaccines for all.  Lovely Requiem from Blackfriars, St Martin's morning song. Lovely chat to my spiritual director. So good to talk to Clare. We did  a dummy run on zoom. Children in need. Working on video 5.  Great start to the day St Martin's prayer walk round Little Venice, Durham cathedral and Blackfriars. Patrick came and moved 2 heavy pots. Fortunately I had cleaned and covered items as it rained. New shed after Christmas but we can manage till then. I am not going to erect it. They have done a lovely job but there were some misunderstandings. We could have ordered the shed months ago for a start and there was concrete mess but that will wash off. I need to sort the water butt. The CAFOD day was excellent and well organis...

  Up early and at dentist at 9. Fr Timothy preached at Blackfriars. Gold crown stuck back into place. All very well sanitised and PPE. Henry came for 3 and a half hours and enjoyed making flapjacks. Dennis gave me a nice birthday present - a signed book on church music by Aquilina.  Iolanta with Netrebko from the Met. Durham cathedral evensong Walmisley in D minor. The soldier's tale by Stravinsky LMP classical club from Royal Hospital Chelsea. It was written during 1918 pandemic for 7 players and narrator. Gardeners back and sorted out which fence panels are to be replaced. Blackfriars, St Martin's, Walsingham, St John's Upper Norwood - John Pritchard isolating although he is negative for COVID! Uploading videos. They worked all day and it looks great! 2 minute silence Faith Action Coffee zoom on second lockdown. Watched the Abbey service the choir were superb Harris, RVW, Stanford. Why did we have to have that awful woman crooning Abide with me - a breath afte...

 FTIC committee, FTIL remembrance 5 faiths including Nathan and Sayeed. Women in liturgy not as good as last week. Only connect. University challenge. 

  Blackfriars, St Martin's in the Fields but sound not good. Painting a lemon while listening to Met Meistersinger. Anthony Gritten playing  Laurence Caldecote , Grunenwald at Cornhill. Plus Daniel Roth and Daniel Francis. He does not wear shoes to play. Intervened with gardeners they did not know box next to gate was going!   5  faiths remembrance. Women in liturgy r2.FT FTIC  Committee, Faiths together in Lambeth 5 faiths remembrance. Women in liturgy session 2.

Royal College of music strings playing Caroline Shaw, George Walker and Arensky. Young concert artists final very impressive. A delightful online bar mitzvah from LJS.yal College of music strings playing Caroline Shaw, George Walker and Arensky. Young concert artists final very impressive. A delightful online bar mitzvah from LJS.he morning service on Radio 4 today (driving to church) was lovely and all the traditional hymns too. Our second livestream went really well and the sound was so much better! Nimrod, Elegy of Thalben-Ball, Solemn melody Walford Davies, Pie Jesu Faure and God be in my head Walford Davies. I stayed for the private prayer and wreath laying. On the way home listened to the service from the Cenotaph. I was particularly struck by the interview with the widow who has started a charity for grieving children of soldiers, Scotty's little soldiers. The livestream came over very well. Songs of Praise from Brecon. David Grealy played Alain and Durufle superbly even cop...

  Day started with the wonderful walk in Battersea Park. Blackfriars. Could not join St John's as the email with the link has disappeared. Loaded another family video to You tube. Shovelled soil from front garden boxes into bags so gardeners can take it away. Bath Abbey remembrance on you tube is lovely. Ireland, Brahms, Finzi, Bainton.  Some work on SLIFG stuff and watched next LS video. Jonathan Scott playing a popular programme at Holy Name Manchester. John Wilson conducting Metamorphosen. Festival of remembrance quite well done.  Jon

 Friday no sign of gardeners! Locksmith fixed back door. Blackfriars, Morning song from St Martin's. Loaded first video to you tube private. Worked on emails. Lovely Dvorak conducted by Hrusa Dvorak cello and orchestra - Philharmonia.  Beautiful funeral of John Perry livestreamed from Surbiton and it was good that there was some lovely singing and a memorable tribute. We sang with John in the Bridgeman Singers and he was always fun to be with. May he sing to God in heaven. evensong from Durham cathedral. 

 Blackfriars, St Martin's morning prayer with singing. St John's. Faith action on migrants. Nothing has been said about the homeless during lockdown.  A fascinating talk by Rabbi Debbie Sion Centre zoom on ritual washing, cleansing and Covid. Women and liturgy series 1 excellent. Southwell Minster organ and Jonathan Scott at RNCM. Louise and the boys arrived and Dennis, Ann Marie and Henry. First time round our new table and we got everybody in. Ciaran sitting with the grownups and chatted about schools. Louise showed me how to upload video and share it. Sean appeared with my paintings from the "toy room"! I gave Ciaran the 10 Shakespeare plays book as they had been to the Globe. Could not lock back door!!  Slept badly but I was not woken by the burglar alarm when the garden guys opened the back door. I asked man working across road from Meridian windows and he said door had dropped- nothing wrong with lock. Blackfriars and St Martin's. Bible study on Beatitudes. ...

 Woke early Blackfriars and St Martin in the fields morning prayer. Stones, paving and bricks delivered and David kindly said they could leave them on his drive in.  t was a real joy to have Henry with us today. We had missed him so much! We took him to buy shoes and have a snack. He loved the London Mozart Players 3 little pigs and of course we had all the usual rituals including bear hunt. The activity in the garden was of course of great interest. Dennis threw a wobbly about the car seat and various other things. He looked so stressed. Watched Nelson's latest.  \good to see the last of the Living liturgy sessions on you tube. Westminster Abbey institute discussion with the excellent Cardinal Tagle on Can religion teach leaders about wisdom? The Archdeacon was excellent too - she is Black and in Hackney. Bake off and Lotte went. Educating Greater Manchester very interesting head. US election dragging on. 

 The Faure requiem went well at St John's. 6 pros joined us not very keen on one of the sopranos who is too loud. Pie Jesu well sung by Roisin. Monday wonderful All Souls day retreat at Belmont focusing on Gerontius, purgatory and St Catherine of Genoa.  Royal Academy of music Bach The European: Bach and the German Liturgy on you tube 2 Bach cantatas and  Joshua Ryan  playing Bach. Beautiful! At Cornhill Asher Oliver played well and interesting chat about the lockdown effect. Watched sung requiem with Archbishop Longley from St Chad's cathedral Birmingham. An uneasy combination of mass for deceased clergy and mass for all deceased. Victoria. Elgar setting of Newman, Faure. Only connect, University challenge, Liz Carr who do you think you are? Deliveroo story.