The organist librarian

I went to Mass this morning at Addiscombe and Signposts posters are up and it will be in the newsletter this weekend. The new priest from Kerala kept on about die-vorce and sex and told us to close our eyes and pray! Delivered posters to St Chad's and Holy Innocents. Lovely lunch with John Hallmark who was a Wandsworth councillor for 16 years. He was deselected and despite the wheelchair is a governor of school and hospital. He is RC. The person next to us prayed for John! Loved the Leonardo drawings at the Queen's Gallery and the loop audio is excellent. Why can't other galleries provide this? At Somerset House a display by Saturday children's art groups from across the UK and photos and videos of immigrants. A first visit to St Mary Le Strand for evensong sung by King's college London with Michael Butterfield playing a Viscount. Lovely anthem by Philip Moore Sancte et sapienter. Why are Charles 1 and his queen not on the wall? St Matthew Westminster for a beautif...

Mosaic and good progress. Southwark cathedral and a pleasure to meet Philip Moore. His Fanfare a maris was composed for Portsmouth cathedral and very effective it is too! We will all miss Peter Wright. Good to see Stephen Disley. I found the icons. The one in the Harvard Chapel is lovely not so keen on Paul Chateney's work.To see Ros. She was a bit dismissive I felt. Had tea at Costa Farringdon. Had to buy a new umbrella as mine broke and it rained all day. John East's body received into St Etheldreda's which looked lovely with tea lights and stained glass. Fr Paul Gilham said the Latin Mass extraordinary rite. Chris from the cathedral was there and a member of the LMS. Roger served and we met Fr Tom. It seems the church records were burnt by a predecessor! Liz forgot the sheets and reading for Patricia and then left car keys with cottas in sacristy. I was not pleased. 

Yet again my 8 a,m, train was cancelled and I was on the bus to Caterham. Website says disruption until 10a.m. Please take an alternative train. There is NO alternative train! We sang This joyful Easter tide and I played Alan Ridout's cheeky piece on the tune and the more sedate Thalben-Ball. Willan on Vulpius at the end with tuba. 2 in choir. Why did we have to sing Before the throne again? Watching close of Commonwealth Games. Well done Birmingham great show #Brum At evensong played Philip Moore and Douglas Guest on St Fulbert and Bach Christ lag variations. 4 at evensong incl Jerry and myself. What is the point!  Watched The Durrells, Big painting challenge on portraits. Work is to start at St Michael Beckenham 3 years after I left! 

Swam 20. Bruce here. Dulwich picture gallery has a lovely exhibition of Adrian Van der Welde and an intriguing Is this Rembrandt? To BBC singers conducted by David Hill at St Paul Knightsbridge and free. Bramma, Sanders, Bielby and Colin Mawby good to see him there. Best of all premiere of Requiem by Philip Moore. Stephen Farr played superbly. Lots of emails.

Saturday to Meditatio ventre for excellent session on Easter and meditation with Eileen McDade and Graeme Watson. Only 5 there. To vespers and Mass with Fr Michael. Worth Abbey consort sang well. In evening dress as straight to Beckenham's dinner. The MP for Beckenham spoke very well about being a soldier in Bosnia. A good meal and lots of enthusiasm about the provincial weekend. Home late and woke early.  Played at St John Caterham. As we sang Brother James Air I played Harold Darke's lovely meditation on the tune and Gordon Slater's Easter Alleluias. Very positive meetng with Gerry and Jill who sadly is going to Wiltshire in May.  Enjoyed playing for evensong at St John Caterham Brewer in D Blessed be the God and Father. Philip Moore on St Fulbert, Walton March and Elegy from "Richard III" and Willan on Gelobt sei Gott with tuba. Delicious beef and Yorkshires for lunch. 

Met Louise and Ciarán at Norwood Junction. We went to St John's panto Aladdin and Dennis joined us. It was hilarious and well done and we all enjoyed it. Bought a raffle ticket for £10. Saturday we went on the bus to Horniman for an excellent hands on event with old toys. Also went to the fairground and musical instruments outside but it was very windy. Bought some books for the kids and met the authors. Visited Dennis and Molly. Tree lights on and started putting decorations on. Met Louise at Victoria. Canon Christopher at Mass and Hornchurch school choir were good singing Durufle. Sunday p layed Peeters and Walther on Wachet auf, Lang on Winchester New and Philip Moore on Merton. Fr Leon appeared in the loft to see Bill beforehand and there were no announcements before service! I dashed off to get to Acton leisure centre for Ciarán's 6th birthday party. A lovely large room with bouncy castle and excellent animal presenter. Kids loved it. Went back to Shakespeare Rd for suppe...

At Peter's Southwark cathedral he had to get off the stool and stop a workman drilling! He played Heiller, Jackson, Moore and Latry. Watched VE day Abbey service with new anthem by Judith Weir.

Dennis ferried us to the station which took ages as the traffic was so bad. He then went off to Northallerton and traced Woodhouses back to 1736. We got the 10.57 train to Leeds and Liz and I went to the Minster to hear Simon Lindley who recognised me. Easter music by Bach, Dandrieu, Langlais, Slater, Moore, Stanford and Faulkes - most enjoyable. We then went back to the station. Ann and Paul had been to the art gallery and library. We got a taxi to Lawns Wood and found the place where the ashes were scattered and the book of remembrance was opened to the page where Granddad was recorded. Back to town on the bus for tea and train back arriving at 7 and home by 8.10. It has been a successful trip.

Listened to evensong from St Mary Redcliffe with RSCM Millenium choir - premieres by Panufnik and Farringdon and Philip Moore and vespers from the oratory which included Durufle. Reading Pierce's book.

To National pilgrimage to the shrine of St Edward. Talk by Canon White about the saint and he mentioned the Abbey's ecumencial and interfaith connections. No tourists so able to follow the prayer walk. In the choir for Sung Eucharist with procession and incense. Mozart and Monteverdi sung  by the special choir. Met Revd David Johnson from Crewe at lunch who knows Tim Bevan retired Bishop of Portsmouth formerly Johannesburg. He told me a ffrench-Beytagh story I did not know. Renewal of baptismal promises in the Lady chapel and prayers at the shrine. Saw Pat and Jean Castledine also Beryl and Anne's husband! Visited the gardens and in choir for evensong Dyson in D and Philip Moore setting of Andrew Motion's poem. Procession to Lady chapel. To tea at M & S and saw Inez. Fr Archer at Mass and met Fr John previously in Stevenage for 10 years. Arranged Monday with Fr Tony. Not impressed that my poster for Sharing Eden not up at the back so put out leaflets - it is in the new...

Saw the rest of Catholics programme 3 and heard Guildford's stunning evensong again featuring Philip Moore and John McCabe and Howells Psalm prelude set 2 no 1. Did a lot of reading including Rowan Williams (who sadly is retiring) and Timothy 1. At vespers we sang Jerusalem the golden because the liturgy begins Laetare Jerusalem. The psalm at Mass definitely imitated the song "By the rivers of Babylon" in the psalm tone - Gelineau wrote a very fine setting with Eastern feel for that psalm and Walton set it in Belshazzar's Feast. Chatted to Rose who was in the programme a lot. Amici Choro directed by Andy Scott sang Palestrina, Batten and Morley well and saw Anne Fleming at the end. Diarmaid MacCulloch on TV history of England excellent.

Brilliant second programme on BBC about Tolstoy - had seen Tablet review of part 1 and it was followed by The Last train with Helen Mirren and Christopher Plummer. To evensong at St John's where we sang Prayer before a crucifix by Philip Moore with words by Francis of Assisi and written for Francis Jackson's 80th birthday. Adrian played Howells Psalm Prelude. Good to be back. Terence enjoyed South America.

Super evensong from St Alban's repeated from Wednesday - Stanford in G, Philip Moore anthem and Simon Preston toccata. To St John's for evensong. Trouble at mill - Psalms unaccompanied to chant instead of plainchant and Parsons Ave Maria instead of Rheinberger. Kit Perona-Wright conducted and 2 choristers walked out as the changes had not been indicated and the items should have been rehearsed on Friday. Chris Wardle was there with Eleanor - he sang alto - good to see him. The Choir featured David Hill and Latin american music. Dining room now finished and tidied up - looks great!

All went well at Coulsdon and we sang Willson's "Hosanna" written for the church. John played his flute in the procession. The passion was read by different readers. The anthem was Ouseley's "Is it nothing to you?" and the setting by Bairstow. It was good to have the 2 girls in for the whole service as there was no Sunday school. I played Bach "Tears of grief" at the end. My Holy Land articles have been much appreciated. To Royal Academy for the new friends tour of the Fine art rooms given by an American called Dave - most interesting and some fine pictures. To St John's Upper Norwood for Via Crucis including Lotti Crucifixus, Blow Salvator mundi, Chilcott's "God do loved the world" and a most effective Prayer for the crucifix by Philip Moore written for Francis Jackson's 80th birthday. Hymns included Vexilla regis, Drop, drop slow tears and It is a thing most wonderful. Watched Antiques roadshow, No 1 ladies detective agency,...

Up early and completed Oxford trip booklet draft. The service at Coulsdon went smoothly. Vickie was ill so Theresa stepped in. There were 2 baptisms and the second baby really yelled! The Richard Jones Mass for Hilary has an awkward ending and this did not quite come off in tune. He is now Jo Richards. Vaughan Williams Come my way and Bach's "Christians shout with joy" both went well. I played voluntaries on "St Fulbert" by Douglas Guest and Philip Moore. I attended the AGM and annual meeting. The music costs about £3800 a year which is a bargain! I asked about the insurance on the organ and this will be checked. There are 106 on the electoral roll. Spent the afternoon tidying up, hoovering and cleaning the kitchen floor. Watched a programme about a man who wants to bring wild mammals back to the Scottish highlands. To St Augustine's Grove Park for the 75th birthday recital by Robert Munns. He plays well. He included pieces by Leighton, Vaughan Williams and ...