The organist librarian

Heavy rain. Swam, mass by the time I came back roofers had fixed chimney and roof and cleared gutters. Art and started Lourdes painting. Lunch then to Keats House Hampstead Heath. An excellent tour. I have been to the Rome House and his grave. Sitting on bus at front buggy got on kid holding wet umbrella open which mother took off him. Guess who got wet? In depth discussion on Wagner with Stephen Fry and John Deathridge. It overran and had to rescue my bag from stage door. Super Philharmonia Prom. Webern went seemlessly into Mahler 10. Act 1 of Walkure great singing and playing. I dropped off and had to find place in miniature score! 

A quiet day as it is half term and lovely weather. Louise was working from home and took Ciaran to football QPR camp. Liz took Seán to see Peppa Pig at the cinema but he was unwell and sick. The interfaith group welcomed Jeremy Rodell who spoke very clearly on the problem of evil. 15 came but one man walked out after the Stephen Fry quote from TV! It was a stimulating discussion on the problem of evil and a lot was said about IS. I was acolyte at 5.30 mass. The men sang and lots of servers and loads of MCs falling over each other! I got to St Michael's OK and there were 12 there. Played Buxtehude and Bach. Watched Up the women and horizon on sex.                                                                                                   ...

I added Dermot (died aged 92) and Mum and Dad to the cathedral prayer list last night. I played Dad's pieces and we sang Father hear the prayer which we had at our wedding and My God accept my heart to St Botolph which Dad set as a confirmation anthem. The programmes for the recitals are ready to print and Hayley took them and discussed the organ Mass for Sept 29th. Home for lunch and to talk on Parsifal. Stephen Fry seemed to defend Christian content but then said Christ was not mentioned in the libretto which is clearly incorrect. The Prom was excellent and Mark Elder conducted. The Halle youth choir and Trinity boys were in the gallery near me and did really well. I dropped the torch at one point - a sure sign of sleeping! 

Liz painting doors. To Harvest flower festival and played from 2.45 p.m. All went reasonably well - one or two weak leads but the kids did well and so did John. It was appreciated. Lots of people in the hall and I bought a cake and some coconut bread and tamarind. There was even a Viking harvest feast and a toy train layout on the stage. To 10 pin bowling and Mollie and Ella and their Mums formed a team with me. 12 teams in all and much enjoyed. Royal Russell team 1 won with an amazing 701 points which must be the best yet - one lad had 4 strikes! Holy Trinity Redhill 2nd and St John Redhill 3rd. Gave out certificates and trophy. Hugh Sutton very chatty from Royal Russell. Terrence Hancock fussing over money as usual! To Purley for Mass. Fr Gregory's homily was indecipherable and then he started singing "Seek ye first". One girl server in white alb too short for her with white trainers, another with silver slippers and sort of mincing along! To West Norwood to meet Liz wh...

Sang "Holy is the true light" by Harris at morning service and Nicholson in C - choir sounded a little strained I thought - coughs about. I played Howells "Sine nomine" and Francis Jackson on "Sine nomine". Chose music for December and watched video of Holy Land in 1972 - I am sure there will be many changes. To 5 p.m. All Souls service. Vickie was playing a Taize CD beforehand and asked us to rehearse downstairs. I think this a mistake as we were not used to the keyboard organ sound and the pitch in "Thou knowest Lord" took a while to settle. Psalm 121 to Barry Rose's chant. Candles lit on the altar and quite a good congregation. I played Vierne Epitaphe, Thalben-Ball Elegy and Elgar Angel's farewell at the end. On way home Peter Maxwell Davies 8 songs for a mad king was on radio 3 - I still object to the mangling of "Comfort ye" just as I did 34 years ago when I heard it live. Watched Antiques roadshow, Come dancing, Stephen F...

Only 3 in choir at Coulsdon so we sang the unison Rutter setting and "We love the place O God" from A & MR. Words are good! The girls seem to have assumed that if there was no Sunday school there was no choir too! There was a powerpoing presentation about planned giving - not good timing! The church needs another £267 a week! I have now done my tax returns showing my expenses for 3 years - I cannot claim for travel from home or for another pair of trousers! To Royal Hospital Chelsea. I was early so visited the excellent National Army museum - good art gallery with some famous pictures of the Boer War! Very well presented for kids especially about Waterloo. The chapel at the Hospital is very fine and Gabriele Damiani plays well. Denis Bedard's Suite Romantique is very like Suite gothique in structure and quite delightful and amusing. Corelli Concerto grosso OP 6 No 10 and John West to finish - not quite to my taste. Met a member of the library reading group. The dining...

Spent Saturday morning banking up 2 weeks money as Caroline will be off for at least another week. Could not access computer records to do C and D sheets. Alex arrived early and over coffee mentioned he had been at Buckingham Palace to receive his M.B.E. 23 people came to the session on gang and knife crime and there were lots of useful comments so I will write more on this. To vespers and Mass - Fr Archer and Philip and Victoria were serving. Sunday we sang Bernadette Farrell's "Christ be our light" and Nicholson in C. At evensong we had 4 in choir but managed Rutter's "I will sing with the spirit" well. Congregation joined in chanted canticles. Psalm 142 to Blow chant - very penitential. Watched Antiques roadshow but dropped off and woke to see Stephen Fry in America.

Watched Palin in Europe and enjoying his book on this too, Stephen Fry on HIV, Antiques Roadshow.