The organist librarian

  An interesting day. Live radio interview on VoiceofIslam about the papacy. Funeral of our neighbour Dennis Taylor. Kings gallery excellent Edwardian exhibition. Our carpets cleaned. Conclusion of Mansfield Park on BBC4. Sat Interesting talks at Crystal Palace concert stage on history of the park, music at CP and dinosaurs. Liz went to meet Louise. Mass at Anerley. Feeble homily on Trinity from Fr John. Fascinating programme on Orthodox Jewish wedding nights. Trinity Sunday an excellent sermon by Fr John at the St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood . We sang Tchaikovsky Hymn to the Trinity. To Southwark Cathedral for a grand diocesan evensong. Stainer I saw the Lord, Brewer in D. We bumped into the Dean on his way to the retreat association conference in Derbyshire. Father's day. Monday to Brigstock Rd ear wax removed at last! Spidir facilitators zoom. Swim and aerobics. Booked RSC and Stratford September. Chat to Ann in Bergen. Red excellent play about Rothko and his assistant. ...

 Thursday May 22 we set off for Bognor Regis and found the air Bnb eventually. Very nice house and garden. Only one en suite. Picked up Ann and Paul at the station. Shopping.  Friday to Weald and Downland museum which is lovely. Bought flour and bread. To Chichester cathedral for evensong the choir on great form. Top line is mixed. Organ not used at all Parry My soul there is a country, Holst Nunc dimittis and Bevan Magnificat. Excellent 950th anniversary exhibition. Louise arrived.  Saturday Ann went shopping with Louise. To Hotham Park cafe. To Bognor carnival parade and carnival. Very white!  Sunday Sung Eucharist at Holy Cross North Bersted. Lovely family lunch at pub. Monday Dennis was late coming down. We went to Ferring Beach for brunch. It was very windy. To Northdown gardens - what grows on chalk.  Tuesday met at 9 at Hotham Park and got a photo of everyone! Louise headed for home. We were booked on Chichester shop canal cruise and it poured! To Chiches...

 Tuesday swim and to quiet time. Decided not to go to St Paul's for Sons of clergy service - too hot and too noisy beforehand. Parkinson episodes. Wed. Swim Liz to SJ. Practice and met Dave. Sion Nick King on Jonah.  Walkure from ROH at cinema was fantastic. Singing and acting. Having young singers meant that we got the childhood and lifelong trauma of Siegmund and Sieglinde and Brunnhilde as a teenager. Hunding was terrifying and Christopher Maltman as Wotan beautifully sung. Best of all Pappano and the orchestra on fire! Thursd art was cancelled without warning. Liz went to West Norwood in search of her red coat. Aerobics. Part of Cheltenham meeting. Kumi Choi played at St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood . The Bach was quite unusual with lots of reeds. She is a very accomplished player. A most interesting day in Salford. The launch of the songbook at the Lowry celebrating Laudato Si’ with the children singing in 3 parts and Sir John Rutter conducting his song. It was terr...

 To All  Saints Shirley arrived 9am got in at 9.30 a.m. Went OK and got a clap. Peruvian Gloria is normally unaccompanied in verse 2 Yvonne went up a tone or half a tone so I stopped trying to accompany. I'm not that clever!  Sadly this church will become a chapel of ease. I played Mascagni Easter hymn, Bach Christ lag, Alan Gray Easter hymn and Hallelujah chorus at the end. The organ is a 2 manual Bishop. This was also Revd Yvonne Clarke’s last service there. How disappointing that only 2 hymns were sung from St George’s cathedral on Songs of Praise and Praise to the holiest is NOT an Easter hymn! The Serbian choir were terrific! Very impressed by St Mary Redcliffe great singing especially the Neil Cox setting and the Jonathan Dove. Joe Cryan and Clare Alsop were not mentioned in the credits and should have been! Unimpressed by Canterbury cathedral radio broadcast. Lovely evensong at SJ Stanford in C and Te Deum in B flat. Ledger This joyful Eastertide. Antiques roadshow...

  Wednesday 9th April swim and practice at Beckenham. Good work on the VE painting. Vicky from Alzheimers society came for 90 minutes. We are doing all the right things and very reassured by her. I missed the Sion centre talk. SM Duncan who leads group 7 spoke very well and the group was interesting. The question of how I show Christ in my life feels presumptuous but I think when I am happiest and singing well I do show something from the heart. Thursday 10th April 2025 to art and final touches to the VE painting and finished the giraffe. To aerobics. Home for lunch and then to Twickenham via Richmond. Lovely walk across Marble Hill park to the house and the guides were very nice. Lady in the breakfast room explained about tea and how expensive it was. Cups had no handles so the slops were drunk by the staff or sold on to others! Got bus to St Mary's unversity and met Jeremy and Richard humanist. James Holland was chairing it. The leader of our group who heads Richmond interfaith w...

  Lent 4 and a baptism at Beckenham Methodist. I played Brahms Herzliebster Jesu and Bach Fantasia in. C minor also Berceuse by Vierne and Andrew Moore, Fasciating that baby is baptised first then godparents are payed for and the congregation make a promise. Methodists did not use to have god parents!. A lighted candle is given! To St Michael Beckenham for an enjoyable concert by the South East London orchestra a very competent amateur orchestra and an unusual programme. The Ruth Gipps symphony no 4 is very well written. I used to play at this church and it’s 8 years since I was there. I had forgotten how large the building is! Parking is a nightmare. Brian Newman was playing horn and I was particularly impressed by Iona the harpist. Dennis and Henry came. The Peru jigsaw is finished at last! Watched Art Fund film of Van Gogh Poets and lovers. Monday Liz set for Newcastle with Louise. Dennis saw her at St Pancras. Chat to Ann. Bishop William Shomali, Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem...

 Thursday art and started on VE day painting. Aerobics and Liz came. Swam 20. To Lidl very busy. Lovely and sunny in the garden. Bruce arrived. Interview with Lord Sugar. Apprentice. Root and Branch Tony Cassidy on the Eucharist.  Friday booked car at Honda Orpington for washer bottle. Ironing done. Unacc and 10 at class and Liz came for lunch. Liz went to get her cross fixed. To Natural History museum Visions of nature some displays not working. Wildlife photographer of the year stunning as usual. I think the manatee and baby should have won. To Pret and Liz met me there. To Mountbatten Festival Royal Marines on great form. Ukranian singers and Norwegian composer. Tribute to evacuated children. Liz bought a Royal Marines bear. Home at 11.30.  A fascinating Saturday. Bruce was up early and off to Hammersmith. To St Martin in the Fields via East Croydon and London Bridge. Oscar Romero service. Martin Prendergast organised the music. Richard Carter presided and at last met ...

 Monday March 17 chat to Ann. Swim and Liz came to aerobics. We both went to Downsview Methodist and met Judith. Nice sound and I can practise there. 2 manuals built by Arthur Davies. Nice people. Looked up Welsh steam raiways, To Town Hall FTIC no Muslims there because of Ramadan. Two from council adult social care dept and Charles from Black churches. Liz went to UCM. Mastermind, chess, University challenge very close match, Thames Water, Antiques roadshow.  Tuesday Swim  Fidelio from the Met fabulous singing especially Lise Davidson and Rene Pape and the chorus. It is 47 years since the Philharmonia Chorus performed this in Orange with Jon Vickers and Gundula Janowitz conducted by Zubin Mehta. It feels like yesterday emotionally. Liz was in the audience as she was expecting Dennis Woodhouse . I said then that it was THE performance above all others and I still think the same after so many concerts! CAFOD reception about global debt relief at Speaker’s house. The Speake...

  Beckenham Methodist Bishop and White. I played Bach O mensch bewein, Andriessen Aus der tiefe, Franck Prelude and Fughetta. It was the first time the congregation had been told in the newsletter what the music was and it was much appreciated. Had a lovely chat to Dennis the minister. First thing I noticed was the flowers! Porj for dinner. Watched Giovanna d'Arco from Parma not Verdi's greatest and the costumes in yellow were ridiculous. Crufts won by whippet. Pottery throwdown James a worthy winner. Looked up places near Bognor for Paul and the Chichester theatre. Liz did not go to Messy church. Monday short chat to Ann. They have seen the play at Chichester theatre. Liz set off to go packing medals but ended up at Horniman and nails. Swim. Colette's meeting reflections. Transcript does not appear. Phoenix centre found talk hard to follow. Chat about UNACC and cuts. SM reflection time. Mastermind, Chess masters, University challenge, Stacey. Tuesday awake in night again....

 Monday sunny but cold. Woke up late and chat to Ann. Aerobics and swim. Watched Prom TV Andrew Davis recreating Sargent's 500th Prom. Wrote article abut iftar and draft letter to Bishop Nicholas. Mastermind, Only connect final, University challenge, Mona Lisa (seen it before).  Tuesday up late. Swim. Quiet time in the sunshine and Liz came after she had been at the surgery. Nice chat to Jan. Lovely chat to Clare. Myles Allen on carbon offsetting. Simon Shama on Romantics. Cleaned hoover - no wonder it was not picking up stuff. Hymns for Sunday. We had lemon and blueberry pancakes. Ash Wednesday  Lovely service at St John Waterloo before the No Faith in fossil fuels 24 hour vigil outside the Department of Energy and Net Zero. I liked the Margaret Rizza items - good tenor parts. We enjoyed lunch at Central Methodist Hall cafe with the animators. A rare chance to meet up! Lovely Ash Wednesday Mass at St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood Byrd 4 part mass, Purcell Miserere,...

  My first Sunday at Beckenham Methodist went well once I actually got in! I played Ley on Down Ampney, two Harold Darke pieces, Eric Smith and Andrew Moore and it was much appreciated. Lots of Davids in the congregation and very friendly. The steward arrived 40 minutes after I got there. David has now told me the code. We went to Wibberleys for Death cafe - the best turnout yet and interesting chats. Sorted out boxes knocked over in front garden (fox?) and swept kitchen. Miss Austen, Antiques roadshow, pottery throwdown and Call the midwife. Monday chat to Ann. Liz to GP infection and she went to UNACC and the lake. The road was closed at Waldegrave so did a big dteour round Crystal Palace to get to Penge East station. I went to the Ukranian Catholic cathedral for interfaith service for 3rd anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. The singing and playing was very moving and Rabbi Jonathan spoke really well. I did have a short chat and saw Bishop Jim Currie. Nice eats and chatting t...