The organist librarian

John Wilson at St George's forgot words of Regina Coeli! Bishop John Arnold great homily at Salford cathedral with virtual music. Catechism and Upper Norwood. Zoom Slifg prayers and chat. Recorded Victimae Pascali as most liturgies omitted it! Did hear it sing at St Peter's Blackfriars Oxford and Salford. Gloriana from Tom kept stopping. Twelfth night from National theatre with Tamsin Greig as Malvolia and interesting interview. Renee Fleming in Rosenkavalier and Merry widow from Met. Painting most days. Romeo and Juliet from Globe. Race across the world.

Mass, art, South London interfaith group lunch and my first committee meeting. Good to catch up with Jon Dal Din. It seems the seminarians are hard work! We heard about Tooting community kitchen's great work. Went to Farm Street but the talk is next week! I did see Dominic and my paintings could go on display in the autumn! I tried the Ecco shoes and my big toe did not hurt so much but I had a fright when I missed the brake pedal! Masterchef finals.

Lent 2 played Bach O man thy grievous sin bemoan and Franck Prelude and Fughetta. We sang Hear us O Lord to This is the truth from above tune. Good practice and started on Holy Week psalms. There were prayers for Christchurch and junior choir made cards to send to New Zealand. Henry came to play as they go to Ireland tomorrow for Joe's 80th. I actually fixed a new handle on the grill pan. To South London interfaith group AGM at Royal Trinity Hospice. Interesting video about Compassionate neighbours. I am to be coopted onto the committee. Rizwan gave me a lift to Hyderi mosque where there was a very heated debate about security and much else in the wake of the Christchurch tragedy.At Hyderi mosque last night a letter from their neighbours was read out. In its simplicity it said so much. A Jewish lady spoke movingly of why she had come to the meeting. To those who tried to disrupt the meeting and attack Zionism I say not all Jews are Zionists. Many Jews deplore Israeli actions. So ...

Discovered a sauna next to the pool which is great! Liz went early to school.I spotted a mobilephone call from the Thornton Heath surgery so rang up to find my healthcheck is postponed as nurse not well so missed Mass and spent day at school library. Saw Anna, Miss Bond and Monica so hopefully meeting with staff in January. Year 2 classes borrowed but system not working well. Hoepfully Anna will be freed to go in at lunchtimes. Classes mess up fiction and Bibles for some reason. To Chislehurst golf club for joint Blackheath/Bromley meeting for Frank Bond with bow ties. Sausage and mash. I got a lot support for my comments on the items in Dec Catena one of which is anonymous. Watched The Apprentice - 2 fired. Thursday to Mass and art - thinking about migrants painting. Julie encouraging me to do figures. Interfaith lunch - Fr Adrian on crutches. Interesting presentation on Gratitude journal. Spoke about the commendation. 

A bird walk in Knights Hill Wood led by Dave with Dennis Woodhouse. Amazed at the variety and birdsong. To interfaith lunch and not so many there. Monet and architecture at National Gallery is a lovely exhibition. BUT is it worth £10 with art fund card to struggle to see the pictures? In some rooms there were at least 30 people. The National Gallery is more interested in money than people's enjoyment. Maybe one must go at 10 a.m.? Or not go at all. Murillo self portraits are free. Excessive to charge £1.50 per item in cloakroom. In future I will leave bag at NPG which is £1 for a locker. The Guernsey literary and potato peel pie society is a wonderful film. Penelope Wilton is outstanding in a great cast and the scenery! Surprised to hear it was filmed in Devon. To Acton and watched rest of Lisbon and Baku art lover's guide. A lot done in the library Disney and baby books thrown out, 3 volunteers came for some training and the Year 6 girls did a lot of labelling and shelving. 3...

To Mass and art - finished Ann and Paul and Owen.Left early to get to interfaith lunch which in fact started at 1. Much talk about the committee which meets 6 times a year 2 hours each time - what on earth do they discuss for so long? Alan can lend me a projector for March. Bus diverted coming back. Finally spoke to Laurence about the funeral tomorrow - there is to be a professional choir of 8 and I was glad so I was very happy to say I would play beforehand and then go as I have had my fee. 

No swim but Mass.  Went to South London interfaith group lunch and spoke about Safe Passage, Christians and interfaith in Jerusalem and Grenfell Tower memorial service Watched The Crown = shocked by Duke of Windsor revelations. Spoke to Ann. Masterchef professional final. 

Sang Panis angelicus and I played Willan and Donald Hunt on Darwall's 148th and Andrew Moore Toccata . 4 at first carols practice.  An excellent South London interfaith group event on Trauma, mental illness and wellbeing at Eritrean Mosque and centre Stockwell. Very good keynote address, lunch, cake to share and took part in Human library. Liz went to the music and sound workshop. Prayer and meditation can certainly help. G and t, Blue planet 2, Howard's End. Watched programme on Brooklyn Bridge. 

Swam 20. To interfaith lunch and spoke about Book of Joy. Muslim Police officer was excellent. Watched Sister Rita to the rescue. To Catenian PEG  I gave Eddie a lift.Kevin Gorman went on and on. Friday swam 20. To Farm Street to see Sr Catherine - had a good chat. Via Kent House. Drove to Caterham with Liz and 2 extra singers - practice went well. Watched Muslims like us, Ben Fogle, Prince Philip, Apprentice.

I set the alarm off as I forgot to put my hearing aid in. To 6 provinces committee meeting which was held at the Bishops conference offices. Some honest discussion about falling membership. Urgent appeal for the lunch after the Mass. To the park to eat sandwiches and I went to Marks to get boxed drinks and fruit bars. The concert started late as there was a problem with water in the Albert Hall and loos only available on the ground floor! Ciarán and Seán loved it and we had good seats at the front of the circle. The best bit was "Going on a bear hunt".  Tom Redmond  compère Timothy Redmond  conductor Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra London Youth Choir The youth choir did well in the Mozart Requiem section. The brothers were great conducting and compering. We walked down to South ken and saw the tree lights come on at the ice rink. Met Louise. Home to watch the final of Bake off and Poldark episodes. Thursday to art and an important day - first time I used my oil pai...

Back to swimming! Art and worked on Cusco picture. To South london interfaith group lunch and heard from Lambeth police officer Jack. Chat to Jon dal Din. To Croydon interfaith celebration of Christmas and Archbishop Tennison choir sang including Molly and Gill Hope accompanying conducted by her daughter Felicity. Hilary Fyfe was there too. Nice eats. Watched Apprentice and   programme on saving money on Christmas food.

Swam and not many there. To art and worked on the Iguassu picture. Good interfaith lunch and 20 there. A good discussion on National interfaith week and IS and the arms trade. My article on Jerusalem published in Westminster Interfaith newsletter and PMM pubIished the short article about the Sarum course. I was surprised that hymns for Sunday were changed and got this reply. "I wish to preach on O Come Emmanuel and the other hymn is in Anglo Catholic repertoire and if not well known can at least be tried if you can play the tune,please. As Bill, Shirley and Phillipa attend Monday rehearsals at St.James I intend in future to use the same or similar choices of hymns in both churches as they have suggested.Many thanks for your adaptability and cooperation.Kind regards, Fr.Leon" In other words the work I have done on hymn choices is being dismissed out of hand. Why was I not told about this arrangement? Very annoyed and unhappy.   Wached University challenge and Simon Reeve in ...

Back to the pool and did 22. Weight is 11 stone so need to lose some. Max was there - have not seen him for months. Did more work on the picture at art and took it to the interfaith lunch and it seemed to go down well. Nice to see Fr Adrian there and lots of interest in Jerusalem. Diana showed photos from Palestine. Watched Antiques roadshow and Island parish somehow ended up watching Nigel Farage who really is a worry! 

Swam 20 and Liz came. She went to West Norwood to collect her repaired jacket. Later she went to Claire's to get trousers repaired. I started on the India picture. To interfaith lunch and there was discussion about Charlie Hebdo. Ivor and Ken saw the photos in video form. Gisela sent a CD and some more came from Peter.To Bromley Court hotel for joint Bromley/Beckenham Catenian meeting which was not that well attended. It was a great pleasure to meet the Grand President Bob Butler and his wife and they have known Eric Tope for years. They had visited Cardinal Vincent this afternoon and found hm very supportive. I had delicious pork and pavlova and we sat with the Smiths from South London and the president of Sevenoaks who was hard work - an accountant. Many congratulations and thanks and offers of support from Province. Hone by 10.15 and Liz won lavender shelfliners in the raffle - elderly? The snow held off. Friday a day at home swam 20 and listed Peter Myers' scores and put ...

Swam 18. Worked on the Cezanne. To interfaith lunch. Sarah showed us her MBE. I spoke about the humanist/Muslim meeting. Picked up robes from church.

Swam 20 and Liz came too - not many there. Liz went to B and Q to get gardening stuff. To art and started painting the bottles picture and mixing acrylics using my new brushes. Drove to Streatham for interfaith lunch and met the Premraj family from Chennai. Prem told us about India and the recent elections. His son is an architect and he advised me about Chennai. I delivered the mock-ups of the recital programmes to church and found a wedding rehearsal in progress so begged the bride not to be late - an older couple who will marry in the Lady chapel which has some fine stained glass. Booked up tickets and we can visit Xavier in Kerala first and return on the Wednesday in good time for me to go to the St Matthew's course. To St John's for Ascension Day Mass. Mary was late - bit hard to tut tut while singing a hymn! Russell Watson from St Alban's preached but hard to hear him. We sang Darke in F and God is ascended up on high. Watched programme on Hanoverians.

Tuesday to Swanley for meeting about membership with Bernard Noakes. It was quite useful. Got back at 11. 15 too late to go to Acton so got up early Wednesday and got there by 8.20. Sean really enjoyed Tamar and played the drums - he loved walking about. Played dinosaur game with Ciaran and he knows so much! Left at 2.30 to get home by 4 for Brendan to pick me up. Bill drove in his Jaguar. The Canterbury meeting at the Kent cricket ground went well and the meal of lamb and profiteroles was good. It was £25 plus I paid for a round and raffle for Bursary fund. Kirkham cup standard of speeches was high and Maidstone won despite Dulwich's funny speech. Home at 12.30. Once in bed realised I had not put rubbish out so up just in time to do it. To interfaith lunch which was delicious! Watched Come dine with me and film music programme.

Slept in as exhausted! To Streatham Hill for lunch and reported on upcoming events. Ken brought the leaflet from the Holocaust ceremony which I missed on Sunday - says it was good. Discussion on spirituality and restorative justice. 

Swam 20.  To nurse for Hepatitis booster and new passport came. Liz went to the osteopath and I went to the South London interfaith group meeting at which I spoke about the Conversations for the soul plans for Streatham mosque in November. 6 people interested. To Guildhall art gallery - the special photography exhibition was actually very small. More interesting were the portraits. The London amphitheatre ruins are well presented. The Victorian paintings do not inspire and there is a harrendous marble statue of Thatcher on loan from the House of Commons! To the Courtauld for a one room exhibition on collecting Gauguin. Arrived at the hall early and to the talk with Robert Simpson and the principal clarinet of the Phlharmonia who gave some interesting insights into Essa-Pekka's approach. The Mozart was fun and rather liked Midori playing the new Eotvos concerto. Bruckner 7 as inspiring as ever and used torch for my own score. Up early and finished dissertation and sent it off - 13...

Swam 30. While was at the doctor's had a call from Fr Christopher to say they had appointed somebody else although it was close. The organ was dire so that's a relief. To interfaith lunch and a good turnout. The walks attracted 30 to 50 people each! Shocked to learn from a Muslim about the new law which allows body scanning at airports. He sees this an invasion of privacy especially women and children and what control will there be over the saved images?To Balham library to get more scores - it seems the store is in a mess. To Tate Britain to see the Migrations exhibition which seemed an odd compilation. Then found buses were not running past Hyde Park corner because of the torch relay so to South Kensington and walked up carrying the bags of scores. Saw 3 acrobats hanging from Imperial College! To preProm family talk not well attended but people played their instruments and the evening's works were introduced with 3 members of the BBC orchestra of Wales. In the South was a...