The organist librarian

Swam. To art and worked on Jersey picture. Liz off to Newcastle until Monday so gave her birthday present and card.  An interesting lecture on chant curing people in medieval period at St Sepulchre. . Cards and calendar posted to Oz. At last to Leighton house (took a bit of finding). Interesting Arabic material and photos of the last surviving guardians of Mohammad's tomb. On the 9 to National Gallery for Goya portraits (expensive but worth it) but I do wish they would limit the number of visitors. The film is good. To Festival Hall for free Philharmonia concert of two Julian Anderson works which he introduced. Then bus to St George's cathedral for Nick Gale memorial concert. Stephen Disley played. Durufle requiem was too loud - organ and choir. Diction very poor and not a blended sound - very little difference in volume. Some voices stick out especially altos. Chatted to two of them at reception in Amigo Hall and saw the Harpers and Richard the organ tuner. Home via Vauxhall....

I am on the back page of the Catholic Herald leading the procession last week! On bus to St George's cathedral and a warm welcome from the Dean Canon John O'Toole. The men were singing and good to see Norman Harper, Nick Gale and Mark Johnson. The turn out of Catenians not that great - about 50. We were serving but took a back seat. The servers arrived at the last minute and there was no MC and they certainly need training! Shambolic! The plainchant was far too fast and the whole Mass felt rushed with no silences at all. I'm not sure I woudl want to repeat the experience and I only went because of our deceased brothers. We came home on the bus and I started work on my first essay. Evensong from Exeter (again!) At St John's we sang Coleridge-Taylor canticles and Bainton's "And I saw a new heaven". Terence has a crutch but recovering well from the hip operation. Watched Antiques roadshow.