The organist librarian

Remembrance sunday went well with an excellent trumpeter for Vaughan Williams Old 100th and Last Post, also National Anthem. We sang Give rest O Christ and I played "For the fallen" by Elgar. The bells continue up to 10.15 so alas no opportunity to play Solemn melody and Nimrod.  A delightful meal with the whole family at the Roehampton club to remember Lyn Callan. Thank you Rosemary! Tea with  Dennis Woodhouse  and  Ann- Marie Woodhouse .

Had to do an emergency stop when a car came out from the left in Holmesdale Road in the pouring rain. Last night  had to reverse for a stupid woman who should have waited. She said I should get a retest!  Idiot! A good meeting with Jerry this morning about Christmas which is going to be simple this year and luckily I went into the church. Organ builders had fixed the cipher and reported rain in the organ chamber but had locked the console door. A locksmith was needed as nobody but the organ builder had that particular key! After kunch went on the train with Bruce, I went to Lewisham RC church to find a Mass in progress. so I went to St Stephen's and played there. It seems the organists were upstairs at the RCs and I dd not know. Rather annoying.Brian was late at vespers so mass started late. Deacon from France and RCIA candidates. Alain at the end.Watched the Royal Albert hall remembrance. Portsmouth did not have much to do which was a shame. 

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...

Woke at 4 a.m. and at 7 a.m. Took a tablet and tried to get ointment and drops in my left eye which is practically shut and sore. Liz off to the cathedral. Bruce going to St John's. Watched Michael Palin in Brazil part 1 on Iplayer. Watched the Cenotaph ceremony - simple and moving and the wonderful music not least Nimrod and When I am laid in earth. So sad to hear of the bravery of those who have died and their families. I went to the Cenotaph in 1973 and this is the first year I am not playing for a Remembrance Day service so that's a bit sad but perhaps just as well in view of my discomfort! Played For the fallen of Elgar and the first part of Vaughan Williams Pilgrim's progress on the piano.

Saturday evening to St Chad's South Norwood for Mass. Walked down with Mary across the road and saw Mary Crinnegan. The new marble altar is impressive (it's their centenary) but why is there a classical pediment at the base? Alas the Ghanaian parish priest is very hard to understand as he talks too fast. At the start he mentioned Remembrance Sunday but we did not pray for the dead of the wars in the prayers! Tomorrow's 10.30 a.m. Mass is for the people of the parish so what has happened to the requiem for the dead of the wars? It's odd going back to a church where you used to worship - much is familiar but some things have changed. Today we practised at 9 a.m. so left home early. The 9.30 Eucharist was attended by the Methodists and was said with hymns. We did sing the Darke Agnus Dei. I played the Last Post and Reveille for the 2 minutes silence as the guides paraded. There was a gap before the Royal British Legion service at 10.45 a.m. This started late so the Croft s...