The organist librarian

Listening to the super Halle prom with Mark Elder Warner, Debussy and the Firebird. Seems the folk prom now on TV was packed and enjoyable. Got no 9 in queue for Liz.  Reading Barbara Boehm's Jerusalem in the fab National Art library Victoria and Albert museum.  Beautiful book. T shirt wringing wet after Vespers and Mass. Glad I wore my shorts. Listening to NYO Prom on phone (lost end of the Benjamin) Liz is at the concert. Shower, cold beer, cone. Ligeti, Debussy La Mer, Ravel left hand piano concerto, Mussorgsky, Benjamin. 

Yesterday h ad delicious mackerel, rice and beans. Opened a bottle of Ned Sauvignon Blanc with a screwtop and the inside cap flew off into the air! Wine tasted OK!!   Glad we took a night off from the Proms and watching it on BBC4 we would not have heard the chat in the gallery. People complain about Barenboim making speeches but it is acceptable for jazz musicians to do so? Get on and sing or play please and cut the chatter! Actually I am no fan of jazz. Watched several programmes on gay liberation anniversary.  An impressive choir and orchestra from Cracow at Mass. Transfiguration. No incense at vespers after all.  Liz at NYO prom. I got there for Ades Polaris hard to follow full score and Rite of Spring. On BBC4 tomorrow

Woke at 3 so rose and caught up on emails. Went back to bed and up at 8 a.m. I was practising before service (Walton Orb and sceptre) and Sue (?) came up to the loft and asked if I could keep the sound down as people were wanting quiet to pray. Interesting that Fr Paul and Sean were not there at that stage. Later I noted some loud chatter downstairs. Fr Aidan thanked me afterwards. I played Pilgrims chorus from Tannhauser and Water music. I said nothing but put it on Face Book and informed Paul. I think the solution is to arrive earlier and stop at 10 a.m.and insist Bill does psalm alone from the front. Both ladies missed practice of it before service. The loop still not working. To Claire's to see Grainne and Dino - kids 7 and 3 Sophia looks older. Had a good chat. Home for lunch and ironed while listening to Chichester Southern cathedrals festival evensong. Searched for my new passport but cannot find it. It cost £80! Sorted out scores and nice chicken dinner with wine and bake...

Tracy, Chris, Rebecca, Linda and Sabina at BBC. After work with 5 colleagues to BBC opposite the library. Had ale £3.40 a bit steep but nice to sit in the garden after a clammy day moving stock around and sorting out basement. National Youth orchestra Prom on HDD including Sorcerer's Apprentice and Julian Anderson's Fanfare. Liz the photographer joined us at the BBC and claimed there was smoke rising at the Prom of Scriabin Symphony No. 1. She was wondering about going to the Prom of Hansel and Gretel and had borrowed the CD from the library. We are going to Somserset House tomorrow for the relay from Glyndebourne! Hope it doesn't rain!

The second Saturday on in a row of 4 was a glorious day and I enjoyed my time in the park! Said goodbye to Gillian who is going to the new Wandsworth Town library and gave her gladioli, chocolates and card - we will miss her. She has been with us nearly a year and is excellent - no need to ask her to do a display, she just does one! The free slk painting course is going well and Pat, Ann and Jean from tai chi asked for copies of the photo. We need a couple more to make up the numbers. Lorinda came in and was pleased to see the display of recipes for Jamie Oliver's competition "My Nan's recipes". She is doing a Battersea heritage trail and I gave her some ideas. To vespers (only 3 clergy there) and Mass with 3 visiting concelebrants. On way home heard the National Youth orchestra prom Tchaikovsky first piano concerto with Stephen Hough on blistering form, Lutoslawski concerto for orchestra and Respighi Roman Festivals on BBC2. The conductor Vasily Petrenko is not much ...

A quiet Saturday at the library which I do not enjoy. Time to catch up and read the diversity course handbook which has lots of interesting facts e.g. 20% of gay people do not come out at work - heh how do they know? I am collecting messages and photos for Doris's retirement card. Christopher was in - he reminds me of Ronnie Corbett the librarian in "Sorry". He knew John Johnson and he said his brother also committed suicide. I wrote a review of "On Chesil Beach" for the Battersea limpets reading group. It will be interesting to read of the reactions of others. Gillian Warrior writes: I suppose I have been avoiding commenting on this book, partly because much to my dissatisfaction the abiding memory of it is the description of the semen and particularly comparing it to a glaze that dries and starts cracking, and the desperate attempt to remove it with the pillow. When someone mentions this book to me I think of this. Why? I suppose there is more than a littl...

Thursday August 2 to the Town Hall for a useful course on saving energy. Friday 3rd was our 33rd wedding anniversary and Liz cooked a delicious meal which we enjoyed with champagne on the patio on a fine evening. Sat 4th to Mass after work and the Challoner choir sang - they were not very good again! Why don't they stick to simpler anthems and settings? The Prom included Shostakovich 7th symphony and was on TV. The National youth orchestra were conducted by Mark Elder and they were brilliant!