The organist librarian

To Death cafe and evensong where we sang Byrd and Whitlock. Richard played Bossi Scherzo. Crib down. Call the midwife good. Programme on nude in art followed by study of being naked with strangers. . Grouted half of Van Gogh mosaic.I hate grouting. Peter Wright at St Michael Cornhill such musical Bach! What a joy! Vierne Feux follets with score - amazing piece! SPIDIR commitee pretty dull. 

A wonderful day! Swam, Nelson Ferreira and I put Julian Barron on the auction and he gave us lots of great advice. He thought my paintings would sell well! Coffee than Gauguin portraits at the National Gallery which we enjoyed. Tea then Pre-Raphaelite sisters at NPG which we hated but we liked Elizabeth Peyton. A delightful recital by Gerard Brooks at St John's. Great to have English music plus Bossi and Gothic Suite. The Apprentice.

No Mass today as I was due to see Dr Ojo at 10 and in fact very short wait. He took out stitches but two come out on Friday. He gave me wipes and cream. To St Michael's for  a  disappointing recital especially as I seldom get there. Saw Howard and Dorio. Why did Enrico Presti play so much unusual music with no respite? The Shostakovich, Bossi, Liszt and Respighi he played very unrepresentative of their work and so discordant. I got my glasses adjusted at Boots and got the cream for my arm. To Fairfield collection at Museum of Croydon -  a few interesting picture and items. i plan to send in my memories of the hall. Got to the hall early and it was damp so chatted. The preprom talk on orchestration by Liszt and Ravel given by David Owen Norris was excellent and enlightening and I took a fresh look at the scores.  Really enjoyed the Liszt and Mussorgsky prom especially after the preprom talk. Forget the Julian Anderson which is not a piano concerto.

To Ciaran's assembly - they all sang and spoke so well and it was sweet! All so happy! To Dr Ojo to have ears syringed and I have arthritis in right thumb. Lots of emails and practised for Sunday. Liz getting ready to go away to Walsingham, To St John;s for excellent recital by Bridget and Adrian - 65 there! Wesleys, Reger, Peeters, Bossi, Franck, Ives. Marilyn Harper, Richard Pilliner, Millingtons there

Very enjoyable visits to organs in Long Ditton, Epsom and Ewell lunch at King's Head. St Martin of Tours has a very fine organ indeed. Only heard start of Jonathan's Durufle at Ewell as i went to get train at Ewell West.  John Scott played brilliantly at Bloomsbury Baptist. Shaftesbury Ave closed so Leicester Square very crowded! The Prom was good - Bryn Terfel in Fiddler on the roof. I was surprised how much dialogue there was and I missed quite a lot of it!    Some of the weekend pass prommers pushed past us in the queue! We heard about 2 vicars of Long Ditton who survived from Edward VI to Elizabeth and the other one from Charles I to Charles II with Cromwell giving money to the church! I played some Andrew Moore and enjoyed it. Excellent steak and ale pie and Youngs bitter at lunch. Home at 11.30. Liz at Acton having served Mass and off to Lourdes in the morning. This time she is helping feed the sick as well as serving!

Swam 20. To Addiscombe for the funeral which I was dreading but in fact it was a fitting tribute. It did seem a bit odd that the organ was unused beforehand (recordings) and for some of the items e.g. Ann singing the psalm and Sanctus. Nice to see old friends from Catenians and the choir. Kit Bradley's daughters were there Hilary has retired from directing the Woodford Green choir after 25 years! Mary Endacott is in a nursing home. Jo and Paul said nothing but everyone else very friendly esp Fr Dennis. Evensong from St Albans and Come dine with me. Spoke to Sonia about the roof at the front and we will go halves on getting it done. Seems her builder has gone leaving a mess and a disaster! 4 replies so far to the Alleygate idea -  we need all 30 to agree! To the cathedral for Daniel Cook's recital - he plays really well, Willan, Elgar, Bossi and Holler. Not a very large audiece. Had a long chat to Reuben Thomas, Ben Bloor and the guys from Harrisons and Michael O'Leary.

Lie-in and finished reading"The Rabbi's daughter" by Reva Mann - rather a touching tale. To St Michael's West Croydon where Fr John was celebrating for a server and 2 people in wheelchairs. Gianfranco Nicoletti from Sicily played well - Bonnet, Bossi, Vierne, Hollins, Gray, Petrali and Quirici. Watched James Rhodes "Don't stop the music" and the lack of instrumental teaching in schools. Evensong from Hereford. Did not go to preProm Birtwistle session as he was included in Litton's BBCSO programme of Vaughan Williams and the Walton viola concerto. 

To Coulsdon and picked up Caroline and Gwen on the way. We sang Barry Stronge's introit again and Come down O love divine by Hilary Tadman-Robins (Molly's favourite). Hymns included Christ triumphant, Christ's is the world, How great thou art and O Jesus I have promised (to Beaumont tune). I played theme from Elgar's first symphony and Pomp and Circumstance No. 1. Sean doing really well - he sang Anderson Gloria perfectly. I practised and looked at some more transcriptions of orchestral items including Wagner and Saint-Saens. Dropped in grandparent card at Serpillos' cafe and quick lunch. To Battersea Park peace pagoda on a fine late summer's day for Prayers for peace arranged by Jon dal Din for World Peace week. Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim leaders and prayers, 4 of the Bahai choir sang and I had to leave so missed the rabbi. To the cathedral for Paul Carr from Birmingham blistering playing of Bossi, Dupre and Hendrie - he was pleased to see me again. Then to Westmi...

A lovely day. Ann busy with preparations for Claire's 21st. Finished reading "The lost art of gratitude" by Alexander McCall Smith which was a delight. To Hinsley room for 11 a.m. meeting of the interfaith group and 11 came. A most interesting discussion about love prompted by the Timothy Radcliffe passage I had provided. Hai Dang could not come after all. The new time clearly suits people and 3 newcomers and an enquiry by email! To St Michael's for Ben Horden's excellent recital Bach, Handel, Wesley, Bossi and Vierne. He is now at Northampton and grew up in Kettering. I could not recall the name of the choir director I knew there. Adrian was there and Tom whom I met on Saturday. Home for lunch and listened to evensong - a broadcast from St Paul's from 1962! To chorus to prepare for classic FM concert. Sopranos were not good again. Much chat about other choirs.