The organist librarian

Mass and stations at Virgo Fidelis. Lent group led by Revd Jonathan on sin. Nice to meet Ben Giddens at St Bride Fleet St. I was taken in by the Viscount digital! Great choices Bach, Demissieux, Langlais, Dupre and Tournemire. To Seen and heard Victorian children at Guildhall library. Millais and Tuke are masters. It is very difficult to paint a child's face. It strikes me that my Syrian migrants painting is like Don McCullin, trying to tug at the heart strings in the same way as portraying poor children can do. It is also important to tell the story truthfully. There are many working together to get off the crowded migrants boat in my picture but I have to ask why are they fleeing? Who caused this? Choir practice and no basses. Masterchef final. Nelson happy to join in an exhibition at Farm Street! 

Played Bach O mensch bewein and Descent from the Cross from St Matthew Passion bass Recit which mentions Adam. We sang Sweelinck Miserere and Walsingham Shrine Mass II. I commented that the latter is essentially a waltz and Jerry was amused by that.  Excellent talk by Stephen Cherry at St Paul's cathedral on the dark side of the soul. His clusters of sins very helpful e.g. Temporal disjunctions, tragic desires, malicious tendencies, impossible ideas, vicious regards, naughty but nice. How refreshing to hear snobbery, cruelty, lack of self esteem named.  Temporal disjunctions include getting time wrong, boredom, business, nostalgia and forgetfulness about the past. Tragic desires include lust, greed, insatiability and desire for control. He spoke about disengaging cynicism in face of modern politics. What am I For? is the? for young men. I liked sin defined as anything that makes God frown which implies that God smiles at good deeds but even there compassion can be tricky. Hom...