The organist librarian

First Sunday of Lent so I played Bach O mensch bewein and Lasceux Fugue in G minor. We sang Lent prose and a new soprano joined us so that is good news!  To St Paul's cathedral to hear Fr Mark Barratt monk from Worth speak about the psalms. It was so dull I had trouble keeping awake!  We went to the first half of the LMP Cellofest - some excellent young players. Evensong Dyson and Turn thy face from my sins started very late and we had Benediction. 

Harvest so we sang Greene Thou visitest the earth. I played Peeters on Wir plufgen, Statham on Monkland and Recessional on St George by Vernon Griffiths. We sang For the fruits but to Ar hyd y nos. Liz came for the harvest lunch and Julie entertained us with poems and 3 flute pieces. Richard Sutton conducted evensong and John Pritchard played. Sumsion in G, Attwood Teach me O Lord, Benediction. Nice to see Nicholas Ansdell-Evans and his mother.

The frustrations of running anything at the Cathedral! The newsletter again carries Mary Maxwell's item about contacting her to join a Lent group. I went to a lot of trouble to inform the secretary of the times and leaders of the groups. Neither of the Wednesday groups appears in the calendar which means that unless people read the posters they will not know about them! I printed off some leaflets for Liz to take. Bobbie's new book "Love, revenge and buttered scones" is absorbing. MacMillan CD seems reluctant to play. Alarmed at Coulsdon to see plastice coming off top of pipes and more splits in the plastic which clearly too thin as it is ballooning. Worse there is no covering between the case and the arch above so I spoke to Bob, Peter, Martin Cross and the churchwarden. It must be sorted before they do any more cleaning down. It will need scaffolding. We sang Psalm 91, Turn thy face by Attwood and Wood in Phrygian mode - only 5 singers plus me! Hymns were 40 days, W...

Saturday took snacks to work and enjoyed the doughnuts! It was quite quiet and the park very pleasant. Lots in The Tablet again! At the choir meeting we did discuss discipline again and I pointed out that I did not always hear what people said and this could be worrying for me. I do rely on people asking to repeat sections if I am singing as well as playing. I should do most of the talking any way. To Vespers on High altar and Mass followed by procession to end Quarant'Ore. Liz was thurifer and I was acolyte - my candle went out in Ambrosden Avenue. Hugely amused by David's head popping up over the playground wall. Excellent singing from the Oratory school schola - Langlais Messe solennelle and Mendelssohn Lauda Sion and Cibavit. Home late and Liz went to Lerone's party in Streatham. Sunday choir sang well Gibbs 3 part setting and Attwood "Teach me O Lord". I went to cello and piano recital by David Tabbat and Guy Middlemiss - delightful Schumann, Faure, Ravel and...

I got annoyed at practice this morning - too much talking and back chat about Hilary Lystan Jones' excellent vocal tips. We sang Attwood's "Turn thy face from my sins" and my attempts to improve the diction were met with .... I played some Buxtehude and practised the Dorian. Just a minute on the radio coming home and picked up Liz at East Croydon. Dennis went over to Bow to sort out agreement so I went to the South London interfaith group AGM at St Mary's West Croydon. Excellent talks on Jainism and Zoroastrianism and I think the speakers may come to my group also a Sikh! Watched Baroque, Lark rise and No 1 ladies detective agency until Ann and Louise were on skype!

At Coulsdon we sang Come Holy Ghost by Attwood and Nicole did well. Prefaced it with the plainsong version. I played Alec Wyton and Eric Thiman on Veni creator. Straight to the cathedral for 12.15 p.m. confirmation by the Cardinal who was on good form although hard to hear from the congregation. Liz as catechist read the sequence. Nice party in hall including salmon, cake and green cakes! Served at vespers and choir sang Elgar "The spirit of the Lord" - organ much better than last night at Oxford. Oliver Brett played Durufle at recital and I cantored at Mass including the sequence. Liz had been on the terrace with the catechists! Fell asleep watching Wild China but awoke to watch Jonathan Dimbleby in Russia.