The organist librarian

On Thursday having spent the whole morning on the essay to Hinsley room for first Lent group meeting using "Amazing grace" the diocesan booklet which is well-illustrated. Peggy, Rita, Joan and Clare were joined by Winifred. She was late and disrupted the prayers. She had texted me assuming I was Father John! She was decidedly odd and started on about gay Masses. At the end she said she would not return which frankly is a relief. Friday I finished the essay on Dupuis. Saturday to the Royal Festival hall for London organ day which was well attended. Saw Angela Harris from Brentwood, Alan Hurst and is wife from Bexley, a lady from Kintbury Bershire, 2 ladies from Eastbourne, Chris Town, Peter, Michael Toplis, Norman Harper who made some useful suggestions on repertoire. Interesting talks on acoustics and voicing from William MacVicar and Andy Scott. James Orford played Brian Brockless, Williamson symphony did not sound good next to Kenneth Leighton Paean. Kevin Bowyer playing H...

Pictures show the Queen and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at the opening of the hall in 1951. Tuesday and the Royal Gala concert marking the reopening of the Royal Festival Hall. We had to be there at 3 p.m. because of security. 600 singers from 7 choirs took part and I sat between tenors from the Billingshurst choral society and the London Philharmonic choir. Paul Daniel conducted. The concert started late. The front stalls were full of sopranos in orange and altos in green, tenors in pink tops and basses in brown. After the National anthem, we sang Zadok the priest. The Sixteen and the Adventist chorale combined in a sensational version of Purcell's Come ye sons of art. Watching Ken Burton's face was an inspiration! The London Philharmonic strings then played Elgar's Introduction and Allegro. What a fine work this is and I don't recall hearing it live before. In the interval there was champagne and I spoke to Julian Lloyd Webber about his father's music. Also...

Just listening to internet BBC Radio 3 Performance of the week Wed on BBC radio player which is only for a week. It is the performance from the opening of the Royal Festival Hall. A strange programme - Julian's Anderson's "Alleluia", Stravinsky, Ives, Purcell and the 4th movement of Beethoven 9. The orchestral sound is tremendous and the combined choruses on great form. We sang from memory. The Falklands commemoration parade from Horse Guards parade is currently on TV. Royal Marines band as good as ever.

The chorus took part in the 3rd section of the gala opening concert singing Beethoven's 9th 4th movement conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi. The sound was trememendous and everyone said how marvellous it was. The London Philharmonic choir sang a new work by Julian Anderson "Alleluia". The programme was heavily weighted towards the modern. The Beethoven was preceeded by Ligeti's Atmospheres which included the brushing of a grand piano's strings (well they needed cleaning). Marin Alsop conducted 4 orchestras in Ravel's Bolero - it was amazing! The concert is on the BBC website for a week. Strangely it was not broadcast live nor did the Queen come. The Duke of Kent was there and so was Ken Livingstone. The audience had paid £100, £300 and £500 for a seat so it was mostly bankers and the like. At the champagne reception in the ballroom, I spoke to James O'Donnell (Westminster Abbey) and saw Janet Street-Porter and Alan Yentob from BBCTV but the great musical...

Yesterday after examining I looked round the stalls in Southwark cathedral for the vocations day. I chatted to a chaplain from the Maudsley about interfaith work and met a sister of the Church based in Bristol. I told her about Sister Rosamund in Glebe who looked out for Mum and Dad so well. There were 160 people at the day! I have finished reading Nick Hornby's "A long way down" which is a remarkable novel about suicide. The Tablet has had excellent articles about the Catholic Elgar and interfaith networks. Alfred Agius has agreed to speak at the launch on June 20th. It was a hot day today and I went by bus to church twice. At evensong we sang Harwood in A flat and The heavens are telling. All went well and I even managed a faster speed! To Royal Festival Hall for Beethoven 9 rehearsal with Dohnanyi who was very demanding. I saw Paul Daniel in the lift - he conducted the massed choir in orange, green, pink and brown in an English version of the work and Liz said it went ...