The organist librarian

Oh bliss Oklahoma on TV remembering our canyons trip and the John Wilson Prom. Yesterday I was playing The King and I on the piano - great songs! Liz went to get her hair done. What I heard of Kings sounded lovely. At vespers at the cathedral we had Buxtehude Magnificat and Victoria O magnum mysterium. At 6 p.m. We had blessing of the crib and exchoristers singing Reger. Just spoke to the family in Oz on Facetime. Santa arrived! Carols from King's on TV. Superb tenor solo in the Darke and a Muslim woman reading the Annunciation - Yes! Love the new carol Judith Weir - it really is a carol. What I love about Christmas is how music brings back so many lovely memories especially Mum and Dad and so many wonderful Christmas celebrations in Joburg, Cornhiil, the cathedral, Addiscombe, Coulsdon, Beckenham and now Caterham not to mention Oz and India. And not to forget visiting Bethlehem 3 times! Delivered the circle records to Derrick so he can continue the history. Mi...

Fr Jerry blessed chalk so we can write above our front doors 20+C+M+B+18 the year and the Magi Casper, Melchior and Balthazar. It also stands for Christus Mansionem Benedict "May Christ bless this house". He also gave us some lovely prayers to say as we do it. My hands were so cold today I found it hard to turn pages! Peregrine sang Three Kings beautifully. I played Buxtehude and Gade on How brightly shines. Also Andrew Fletcher on Was lebet one of my favourite hymns O worship the Lord. I have enjoyed serving and playing for the Epiphany 2018. For some reason we tend to be away for it e.g. Sydney 2017, India 2015 and 2013, and York Minster 2012. Tree and decorations down and put away. Cribs and dining room tree stay up until Candlemas. Stunning playing and musicianship from Nicola Benedetti with the London Mozart Players at St John's. Beethoven violin concerto and Coriolan overture. She signed my score. The rapport with the conductor a joy to watch. Lots of children ther...

Sang carols at Mass at Lakeside home. Why are these places so stuffy and hot? And nothing to drink. Vespers with the Cardinal rterrific Buxtehude Magnificat and mass with Fr  Brian O'Mahony  terrific homily. Good to have ex-choristers singing. King's carols on radio as we drove up - lovely. Midnight Mass went well. We sang Away in a manger Normandy tune and Sing lullaby. Good descants played Bach In dulci jubilo Fantasia. Home just after 1. Today no choir played Andrew Gant's Paean, Noel Suisse and Jordan on Away on a manger. Buxtehude In dulci.  A lovely Christmas Day - superb lunch with all the family, the Queen excellent, musical crackers contained bells so we played carols, sang our favourites round the piano, loved Call the midwife.

Epiphany only 14 in church. Played Bach The old year now away is fled, Andrew Fletcher on Dix, Paul Bryan on Stuttgart, Buxtehude and Gade How brightly shines. Fr Leon very chatty. Home in pouring rain - match against Chelsea so glad bollards were out!  Saw Songs of Praise old ones with Cardinal and Abp Welby. Aled Jones on Father Brown. Denis came for pork which was delicious.  War and Peace on BBC1 excellent. This afternoon I was playing my part on the piano in "Amahl and the night visitors" Caspar's big moment "This is my box"! Still open all hours and David Attenborough on the Great Barrier Reef. Old photos onto ancestry.com and a great reaction from Shirley, Barbara and Jill.  Housekeeping at Croydon Park hotel found my little wooden cross and Liz fetched it! Thanks to all!

Slept badly.  Played Archer and  George Thalben-Ball  on Gopsal, Moore on Bread of heaven and preludes on Nun komm der heiden Heiland by Bach, Walther and Buxtehude. 15 in church. Chatter before and after service. I stopped playing and had a break - let them finish their chat. Watched Sr Rita to the rescue programmes. To evensong and sang Purcell, Played the organ (Bairstow and Buxtehude) and a very nice organists dinner in the vicarage with money going to St John's appeal and the pianola. Booked for Malta.

I played Buxtehude Fugue in C and Toccata and Fugue in F, Percy Whitlock on Werde munther and Thalben-Ball on St Bernard. A nother good day of weather for Open House. Depressing to tour Central Hill estate and Cressingham Gardens and learn that Lambeth council want to demolish these estates especially the latter which is very well designed and built next to Brockwell Park. Why should this housing be replaced by homes for the rich?  Tea and chocolate cake at the South London botanical institute which has a fine garden, visited an excellent loft conversion in Herne Hill Road using recycled materials and an archway at Loughborough Junction made into an attractive landscape architect's office and workshop the Edible Bus stop. Downton abbey is back. Antiques roadshow. Jerry Hall Who do you think you are?

Woke early right knee hurting so tried cold and heat. I played Handel largo, Water music, March from Scipio and Royal fireworks (for the Royal christening) also Elgar Chanson de matin. We sang Come let us join, All things bright, He who would valiant be and There's a   wideness in God's mercy. Paul played really well and I turned over. 25 came and lovely tea. 

To Kent House. Unfortunately got off at Bromley South where I should have changed at Orpington. Anyway Brendan met me at Sevenoaks station in his BMW and we picked up Fergus (very grand house). Visited Oakwood House (lovely but expensive) Village (not so nice) Holiday Inn (disappointing) and finally Darenth Valley Golf club and his will be a good venue for a St George's Provincial Gala Dinner and Dance. Menu  Butternut Soup, Lamb noisettes, two desserts and cheese. Brendan will also book the Heartbeats. It was a miserable day so came home and had a rest watching Picasso programme - my tooth was bothering me. I went to Bloomsbury Baptist to hear Henry Fairs play Buxtehude, Hoffmann and Bruhns. He is now so fat I am amazed he can see the pedals! They locked a troublesome door which i do not think they should have done. It made my exit befofe the Nielsen awkward. Mark Doran was at mass -confirmation candidates and Fr Andrew had asked Mark to help with radio mike. There were 6 se...

A quiet day as it is half term and lovely weather. Louise was working from home and took Ciaran to football QPR camp. Liz took Seán to see Peppa Pig at the cinema but he was unwell and sick. The interfaith group welcomed Jeremy Rodell who spoke very clearly on the problem of evil. 15 came but one man walked out after the Stephen Fry quote from TV! It was a stimulating discussion on the problem of evil and a lot was said about IS. I was acolyte at 5.30 mass. The men sang and lots of servers and loads of MCs falling over each other! I got to St Michael's OK and there were 12 there. Played Buxtehude and Bach. Watched Up the women and horizon on sex.                                                                                                   ...

I found a Bachain prelude on "All for Jesus" by Malcolm Archer and played Buxtehude Fugue in C and Toccata and Fugue in F. Rehearsed psalms with Bill and Hayley. Bill says he is having cataract done before Easter. Lovely lunch from M and S which made up for last night - scallops, sea bass, chocolate dessert and cava. Watched Call the midwife and Dennis came. 

Swam 18 as I was late because of frost on the car. Wrote an articel about recent events called Bewildered? Guiding at the cathedral with Maureen who told me some interesting things. Lady on about wooden statue of Mary turned out to be a Padre Pio and anti-abortion fan and loves Our Lady of Guadelupe. Had a few questions. To St Paul's for vespers sung by Westminster cathedral choir. Guess what the servers with Paul M, Paul T, Jess, Rebecca, Jack and a blonde stranger. Saw Martin Ball and Anne Welch. Buxtehude Magnificat and Victoria O quam gloriousum. Home for dinner and beer. Watched War horse prom and Still open all hours. Luis has resigned as Provincial President elect and all offices in his 2 circles so I have offered to be PP at some stage. 

Swam 20. Liz went to assembly at Acton. To Southborough Lane to return Daniel's music bag - very nice place the Bromley Youth music trust! Much better than Croydon. To Bromley library to get more scores and then to the Parish church for ploughman's and Matthew Blaiden's excellent playing of Buxtehude, de Grigny, Saint-Saens, Alain and Ritter. This last is a big Romantic sonata in one movement which keeps feeling as though it will end and then goes on! Home to meet Jo who came to get the 12 blue boys cassocks from Beckenham to take to Sussex free of charge! To dentist and finally got the dentures which feel a bit odd but certainly make a difference. 2 top teeth on each side near the front. Prepared speech for tonight and captions for the mosaics on Friday.

Swam 21 hovered and put washing away. To Turnham Green for Jonathan's clever programme on light Handel, Buxtehude, Vierne and the Glow worm! 3 pm Barbara's funeral at Beckenham crematorium. We sang Morning has broken to a tape and Nat King Cole Unforgettable. Oddly the coffin did not disappear! It was all a bit subdued for such a happy person. To the pub on Anerley Hill for nice eats although my sausage roll was definitely off! To ACTA Westminster at Holy Apostles Pimlico. Met John Wilkins former editor of the Tablet and Martin Pendergast was there. Julian Filochowski gave us an impassioned talk on Evangelii Gaudium. There were 20 there not as many as at the previous meeting and there had been correspondence with the Cardinal.

Liz liked the card. She thought she had lost her freedom pass so went back to the golf club but it was in fact at home. She got new bulbs for the outside light but it still does not work! At family eucharist we sang For the beauty of the earth, Tell out my soul, Sing we of the blessed mother, Soul of my saviour and The church's one foundation. I played Liszt on Arcadelt Ave Maria, Buxtehude Chaconne and Bach Fantasia in C minor. We rehearsed the psalms for Holy week and there are some changes. Debbie was not there. I went from Kent House to Herne Hill and to Blackfriars to visit the Oxo tower Spirit of womanhood exhibition by women artists celebrating 10 years of the women's interfaith network. Interesting but nor particularly religious. I walked along the Thames to the hall and had another look at the organ exhibition and watched all the films. The concert was at 3 and featured Bach immaculately played by James McVinnie. I was furious that the lights were turned off so having...

I played Buxtehude and Gade on How brightly shines and we sang O worship the Lord, As with gladness, Unto us a son is born, O thou who camest and Brightest and best. Worked on Christ the Lord to Jordan came and some other pieces. Interesting programme on 17th century writers including Newton at Woolthorpe and the Puritan Josselin. Nice butternut squash curry for lunch. The St JOhn's epiphany carols had a lot of good hymns and only 4 choral items viz Howells Coll reg Nunc, Holly and the Ivy arr Walford Davies, Three kings and Gardener Tomorrow shall be with Fr John on tambourine! Home to John Smiths and Antiques roadshow and Sherlock part 2 which was very clever.

Swam 20. Did some looking up on Meister Eckhart. To Bromley library to get scores - 3 of them could not be found in stacks. Sandwich and coffee chatting to couple and gave out fliers for the Sunday series -  a couple of people asked for directions. Chris Town was there. A stunning recital by Tak who is 22 and has just graduated at the Royal College. Vierne, Muffat, Buxtehude , dancing Bach, Howells and Mulet - the last my Dad would have said "The crossing gates are open!" She is clearly a name to watch! Had very nice dinner on return home and Liz went to Chiswick. Cardiff singer of the world and a programme on Ian Banks and Father Brown. 

Bus, tubes and bus to Ally Pally and arrived early so time for a pint of John Smiths and crisps. Colin played superbly and I sat with David and Sylvia Dibbs in front row - the projection on the screens worked well. He announced his programme as organ had not been in good state. Bach, Gordon Jacob, Scarlatti, Buxtehude, Karg-Elert, Langlais, Franck, Vierne and Yon - he used some lovely softer Willis stops especially the flutes. Well worth the trip and for students it is free! Home in 1 hour 15 minutes - just lucky with buses and train.

We had snow flurries Saturday and a little this morning but the wind made it very cold.  Drove to West Dulwich and left car there. Timothy Penrose welcomed us to All Saints Dulwich and I played Oldroyd and Murrill on the organ which came from Barnes. I was at the opening recital. The church has been beautifully restored after the 2000 fire and much improved. Adrian gave me a lift to Goose Green and John Webber gave us tea and a short recital - the vicar told us the history. I had to leave after the Sweelinck. The organ is a Walker. Vespers and Mass for Palm Sunday with Canon Christopher. Watched Come dine with me episodes. Sunday took Liz to West Norwood. The Palm Sunday procession went ahead and I took my pitch pipe so they started on B flat! I then made my way back through the church ready to play Ride ride on when they arrived and all went well. I played St Matthew Passion final chorus at the end and we practised. To British Museum to see the outstanding Pompeii and Herculaneum...

Tuesday swam 24. There was no mosaic and tai chi yesterday as the new room was not ready. To Mayfair and found the library with comfortable leather armchairs so read Weller article. Drew Cantrill played well and I met Robin. Sad only 9 there. HIs programme included Sweelinck, Buxtehude and Dan Lockair, Chatted to Richard Hobson about a visit on May 4th. Came home and ater went to Clapham for the Faiths together in Lambeth meeting on Faith and sustainability with Lambeth coucnil officers giving useful advice. It was held at the Shambala meditation centre. Liz went to Acton and I read the long Bretherton article. Wednesday to Watermans and Sean really enjoyed music. The film was Flight which had a horrid start but an interesting end. Why must drug taking be shown? ackled the problem of the alcoholic and drugtaking pilot who saved so many in a crash well. To Guys campus of King's College for Lokahi foundation Cultural kitchen but little food left so to Heythrop library to start Cloon...

Swam 21. I think I have gained weight having not been at the pool for a week! To Watermans and Ciaran really enjoyed the session with Merle. To Sainsburys for fish and chips then I left to get to the Hinsley room in good time. Excellent first session on Sharing Eden with David and Natan 2 of the authors giving invaluable insights. To Marks for tea and toasted sandwich. Chat to Francis and Michael and then to Peter Ste vens recital which was excellent and a reasonable audience. Bach, Buxtehude, Franck, Fricker, Messiaen and Durufle. Rosa and Fr Dominic were there - results not posted until Friday - most annoying!