The organist librarian

A fun morning painting with boys! No mosaic, Saw Ros and she seemed more relaxed. Beautiful evensong at St Michael Cornhill. Howells responses and St Paul's service and Faire is the heaven. Parry chant for the psalm. Well done Jonathan Rennert and all involved. Only one caveat the pulpit Mike is not connecting to the loop! Benjy Bloor played superbly at the Oratory but I did get lost between Alain and Hindemith! I also told a young lady she had no right to record the whole thing on her phone without permission! 

Catching up on TV Proms. The Martin Brabbins was a delight. The space and Johnnie Greenwood all seemed very samey! Liz in Liverpool for national servers Mass on Saturday. The art group thanked Julie. I saw my pictures in the library. A delightful recital by James Lancelot at St John's. I must play the Harris and Whitlock again. Also included Bach, Rheinberger, Karg-Elert, Elgar, Alain and Widor. Good audience including Andrew Scott, Carl Jackson and Christopher Herrick. Returned scores to Central music library and went to Tate Britain to see Blake but there were far too many people there so I may return in January! A lovely party at Roger Brice's lovely new home for RSCM commitee members to honour Peter Wright for 30 years of briliiant leadership Astonishing that RSCM HQ did not consider it right to mark 30 years of voluntary service! Open day but could not park to visit Heavers farm school - should have walked from home! To the drome for mass for John Braburne's cause 40 ...

High winds. 468 late but just got 407. Played Homage to Howells by Ronald Watson and De profundis Aus der tiefe Hendrick Andriessen. We sang Lent prose and All my hope on God is founded. Anne-Marie Garton preached on spring cleaning and Lenten promises. 6 weeks with no alcohol....Superb singing on radio 3 from St John's college Cambridge and the second reading was riveting! Disturbing BBC news item on poaching of Botswana's elephants. Evensong Thou knowest Lord Purcell and Harris in A not his best setting. Great playing by Eleni Keventsidou at Christ's Chapel Dulwich and a good audience enjoyed the eats afterwards. It has been a good start to Lent with quiet reflection on Ash Wednesday and a moving funeral on Thursday.It strikes me that the outside world seldom sees the church at its best when a community is united in grief and joy at the loss of a beloved brother and friend. The media seldom portrays this. All they see are the faults. And that is not to deny the fa...

Swam,  Mass Fr Sunith did it all and read writhe as rith! Penge library for 3 scores from Bromley and bought new washing up bowl at Poundland. To art and progress on holocaust painting. Lunch and then to Balham to return scores, recycle batteries and pick up ordered buttons at Waitrose. A good hour with Clare. Still hot and no rain. Everyone very excited about Clare and Mick getting married and Louise and family going to Sydney for Christmas. A delightful programme by Richard Hills at St John Upper Norwood with light and serious well-mixed.

Delightful recital by Paul Hale at St John Upper Norwood. Harris, Bach, Bedard, Willan, Schumann, Mulet, Franck and Nigel Ogden as an encore. What a treat! Loved his story about FJ being asleep during the Willan. 

Clocks went back an hour. Woke too early and dozed off. Up in good time left home 7.35 a.m. but on way to station in the car had to reverse up Dixon Road for a white van. Result missed train to Purley from where there was a bus replacement service. To Selhurst from Norwood Junction and to East Croydon. No trains to Purley so got bus 407. On organ at 9 a.m. Lourdes Gloria and Gathering not on sheet so did Murray. For all the saints cut to 5 verses and no procession. We sang "Holy is the true light" fairly well. I then started the communion hymn in D instead of F and realised on the second line so changed to F. I have never done that before. I think the travel disturbed my concentration. I played Howells Sine nomine and Flor Peeters well. Rehearsed for next 2 weeks. Never spoke to Jerry who had postponed meeting about Christmas because Anne Marie had a fall and broke her shoulder bone. Strangely Gisela had a fall off her bicycle and hurt her arm. Julie took posters and had don...

Played Willan and Peeters on Carlisle and Bach chorale preludes. Simon did not give time to start Alleluia! King of glory by Harris well sung and a good practice.  To Amazing Grace interfaith dinner and concert at Union chapel Islington to greet the Jain guru. Particularly liked the Sufi and Jewish singers. Evensong from Christ Church cathedral Oxford and they managed the Walton Coronation Te Deum well. 

Set out to go to St John's coffee morning but discovered front tyre needed checking. It was resealed. Liz went to Lourdes Mass. To Chorus 2016 at South Bank centre and heard Choir with no name, Bexley and Gospel Oak groups. Plenty of enthusiasm, not my style of music. the conductor even got me moving arms and singing! One guy was wearing a deerstalker! Drawing at National Gallery - the Michelangelo entombment. Listened to some speeches at Trafalgar Square Refugees welcome demo. Foyles and then to Tim Harper's excellent recital at Bloomsbury Baptist. Vespers and Mass for Palm Sunday at the cathedral.

A rather mixed day. I played Solemn melody, Elgar For the fallen and Nimrod and St Anne fugue. These were spoilt by the new choir member Shirley laughing and joking which upset me a lot. I spoke to Bill about it and he seemed unaware. Also told Leon and we are meeting tomorrow. I said nothing to Shirley which was perhaps just as well as she left with the Williams. The act of remembrance was very low key and in the porch which made it impossible to hear. I did hear the intro to the National anthem but I only played 2 verses and the people sang verse 3 unaccompanied and went very flat. 19 in church. No Last Post. After lunch worked on invites for next year and have 5 speakers so far Catholic, Anglican, humanist, Muslim and Jewish. I went to evensong. Adrian not there and Bridget talks too much. She did not rehearse the section of the Stanford which  I pointed out was not together so the same thing happened at the service in the Nunc. We sang Holy is the true light - no attempt at pp...

played Bach Ich ruf zu dir, Vernon Griffiths on Maria zu leben and the Toccata and Fugue in D minor today. Watched the service for Afghanistan. Andrew Carwood sais yesterday the Queen was 8 minutes early hence the wait at the start for the first hymn? The Harris, Durufle and Vaughan Williams were all beautifully sung and the Archbishop gave an excellent sermon. Those of other faiths joined the bishop at the end! Watched programme on the racist Smethwick election and Indian summers. I went to Lent group and Father John not there. At evensong we sang Rachmaninov Bogoroditse. 

There were only 6 of us at Catenians with lots of visitors not least the Grand President who brought the scroll given to Willie Britto on becoming a life member only the 3rd Catenians to be honoured in that way. Brendan Ducey the Provincial VP was on good form. Best of all 2 visiting gentlemen Danny and Juan were there and enjoyed it. A good joke on celibacy and marriage. At a marriage encounter weekend husband is asked to name his wife's favourite flower. He replies "Self-raising". Celibacy follows. Tuesday swam 20 and Liz came as well which was good. To Clapham Picturehouse to see the Met production of Prince Igor which was wonderful especially the Polovstian scene in a poppy field. Straight to Acton and Tom made pancakes. Fell asleep during the sewing bee programme. Wednesday to music and got a nice photo of Sean. I took him to Mass and ashing at Chiswick and David Knights sang the gospel acclamation and ashed us. Sean behaved well in the cry chapel. Took Ciarán to ...

Swam 20. Cold day again. To Beckenham Parish church to hear Nigel Groome play. Chat to Ken. Joan Conway was a bit odd. Nice pieces by Harris, Alain, Willan, Archer, Alcock and Wesley - no mention of Britten or St Cecilia. Also 50 years since Kennedy was shot! Liz to doctor - she has virus. I went to Tescos to try and get Real Advent Calendar, Liz's prescription and ordered oasis for Advent wreath at florists. Catenian council at home - lots of drinks and snacks - went on to 9.50! I am to do President for another year! 

The Couperin went really well and I felt very confident having played movements in Cambridge. It really worked as an entity. It was the first time I had played it right through with the chants sung. I played the Kyrie movements before the service which overran by 20 minutes - we had 5 long hymns too! It was good of Stephen to bring communion to the organ - I played Benedictus during communion. There was a good spread for the bring and share lunch and Liz came to Kent House. Adrian conducted and we had a good choir of 10. The Vespers was lovely and the Bishop censed and blessed the organ and Pitoni's Cantate domino a perfect choice! Norman played brilliantly - lovely Faure, Finzi and Strauss. 2 fun items and the Bach Passacaglia. It was great to have the screen and watch him play. Lovely tea and cakes! To St John's for a splendid evensong Wood Coll Reg and Faire is the heaven requested by Fr John. Watched Antiques roadshow and Downton Abbey. 

I played Hallelujah chorus at the service today and we sang Harris's "Most glorious Lord of life" which the choir claimed not to know although we had rehearsed it before Easter and we have sung it before! Annual meeting so I rehearsed with Ellie and practised on the piano. Completed essay 2 and submitted it. To the Globe for the South African production of "Venus and Adonis" amazing singing and dancing and also very funny. The Zulu/Xhosa very expressive. The lady next to me going to Richard III in Mandarin! The groundlings got rather wet in Act 2 and one of the actors slipped on the wet stage. Home very quickly on a fast train.

Nearly completed essay based on the seminar. To Bromley parish church for Michael Toplis's demonstration recital, AGM and played 2 pieces (Michael Fleming and Healey Willan). Mass at St Swithun Bromley Common which is tiny and woodlined and will close when the parish priest Bob Mercer retires. To Beckenham circle 50th anniversary dinner at Oakwood House. Grand Vice President was there. The Grummitts and Topes were there - nice meal and gave Harry Mellor a lift home.

Friday swam 30. Liz busy on essays so I went to sing at funeral of Eva Parker at St John's. Small choir so recording of Faure and Handel used and Adrian played Elgar. Back to choir practice and picked up Marie recovered from her hip op. Had a look at Somervell Passion for Good Friday. Saturday Liz to Heythrop and I went to St George's Beckenham for launch of book about School of English Church music and Sir Sydney Nicholson. John Henderson and Trevor Jarvis spoke and played early recordings. Martin How and Harry Bramma also spoke. Nigel Groome played Harris and Willan. At evensong choir sang Nicholson in D flat, Knight Christ whose glory and Martin How conducted his lovely Ave verum. Stanford Postlude and Caesar chant for psalm. Hymn tune Chislehurst by Nicholson. Helen Murphy, Bob Prizeman and Alan organist from Dartford there. Bought the book and Henderson's dictionary of organ composers reduced which I always wanted to own! Train to Victoria and Fr Paolo at vespers and M...

Tuesday to return scores to Bromley public library - no interaction with staff at all! Had a sandwich and coffee at the parish church and went to Laurence Caldecote's recital. Christopher Town there. Nice to hear Harris Prelude in E flat again - Dad used to play that. Flor Peeters Aria, Darke, Smart - a pleasant programme. Laurence is based in Coventry. Served at farewell Mass for Archbishop Stack - I was book! Liz to Acton and I ate at Pret a Manger and to Vaughan House for inspiring session on Foretaste of heaven with Mark. Interesting discussion about getting people to join groups and I tried to change my meetings to Saturday nights without success - no room available. So I have pulled out of leading a Thursday group as room 1 is not suitable. Slept OK at Acton but woke early. Back to music with Tamba at Brentford. Merle was there with her Dad who no longer works at St Paul's school! To collect Liz's ring and it was not ready! To Mass at Chiswick and Fr Graham was on! ...

To 8 a.m. mass at St Mary's - Canon Collins at back, Fr David still using old text although copies of new one available. Shocked to find the acclamations are completely changed! Why? A penance. Choir back and sang Jubilate Deo by Mozart. Kids rehearsed and on great form. Practised Elgar and Bach. I played Walton Spitfire march and RAF march past and Dambusters march as it was Battle of Britain Sunday, also racial awareness Sunday and 9/11 commemorated after 10 years in New York and London.

At Coulsdon we sang the Praetorius Ascension anthem and the Alan Wilson introit which has gone well. I played the Bach Heut triumphiret and Robert Groves on "Llanfair". The last hymn was "All hail the power" to the Methodist tune which apparently confused the congregation. Ellie rehearsed and I got compost at the garden centre. Nice pork and parsnips and chocolate pudding for lunch. At evensong we sang Harris in A minor and his anthem "Come down O love divine". The Wests are back and we signed their card - the choir collected £600 for their gift. On The Choir there was some lovely Dyson. Watched Antiques Roadshow and "Gods and monsters". Sorted out magazines.

Sunday and Vickie spoke to the choir about the new arrangements. I did the music lists for February and March. We sang a lovely setting of "Brightest and best" by Malcolm Archer and at evensong we sang it to a tune by Handel in AMR. We had delicious goose roast - last night we had a M and S £10 meal with excellent white wine and tiramisu. Songs of Praise was from Arundel cathedral and Lark rise to Candleford was as gentle as ever. The highlight of the day was the top Gs in Brewer in D. Harris's The Call is effective. I am to play the Sydney Opera House organ and Elizabeth Connell will come to listen! Wow!