The organist librarian

Hoovered and cleared up. Liz painting pipes out back. I cooked tea - bacon/liver, mash and broccoli. Vespers and I was thurifer at Mass. To Prom which was most unusual with groups from Mongolia, Siberia and New Guinea. Enjoyed Charles Hazelwood conducting 1812 overture on scrapyard instruments. Watched Fake or Fortune and British Masters.

Saturday Feb 28th to Royal School of Church Music sessions at Gary Weston library, Southwark cathedral. Met the new director Lyndsey Gray who is impressive and I gave him some RC contacts. The presentations and discussions were helpful and there was opportunity to flag up concerns. In particular we have lost the "Martin Hows" available to come and advise at practices. To Vespers and mass - I was thurifer as Liz was due to go to Milton Keynes to meet Shirley and Flo but Grandma wasn't up to it. Sunday March 1 First of Lent. Nigel Groome RSCM rep came to practice and service. He said "Well done". Bishop Nick of Croydon presided and preached - he told Vickie the choir sounded good and they did well. To Sandra and Dave's in Chislehurst with Bruce for Gill's 60th birthday - surprise party which was great. Lots to eat! Monday March 2 Catenian meeting. Everyone enjoyed the 1000th - it was good to see Richard Nash there. Eric Tope is to be V.P. and he gave me a ...

Liz has gone to Hexham for a few days. I have managed to sleep better this time but I still miss her. I am getting pretty fed up with carols in Advent. The Archbishop of Canterbury's Advent message stresses the need to wait so why does the Church pander to the secular world. Friday's practice went much better. Saturday to Coulsdon town centre to sing carols with Churches together at 1 p.m. There was a lot of noise from other attractions. No carol CDs were sold and my view is that next year we should give them away with a notice about our Christmas services. We have several boxes left and have neither the marketing skills or time to sell them. We have made some money for the hospice and the church. To Vespers and Mass. I went up by train and when I arrived saw 3 black wedding cars and a white stretch limo outside. The wedding had started 49 minutes late and Fr Michael did well to get through in time for Vespers. John was there and 5 of the kids. The new cantor started "Crat...

A quiet Saturday at the library which I do not enjoy. Time to catch up and read the diversity course handbook which has lots of interesting facts e.g. 20% of gay people do not come out at work - heh how do they know? I am collecting messages and photos for Doris's retirement card. Christopher was in - he reminds me of Ronnie Corbett the librarian in "Sorry". He knew John Johnson and he said his brother also committed suicide. I wrote a review of "On Chesil Beach" for the Battersea limpets reading group. It will be interesting to read of the reactions of others. Gillian Warrior writes: I suppose I have been avoiding commenting on this book, partly because much to my dissatisfaction the abiding memory of it is the description of the semen and particularly comparing it to a glaze that dries and starts cracking, and the desperate attempt to remove it with the pillow. When someone mentions this book to me I think of this. Why? I suppose there is more than a littl...

To work. Liz was supposed to be on sacristy duty but Grandma not well. I was thurifer at cope vespers. Nick flapped about at confirmation with Bishop John. Oliver had told me he was playing "Heut triumphiret" of Bach before the Alleluias. I was ready to go and be boat but Nick hared across and off they went despite me saying wait! Result Alleluias sung as Deacon reached the ambo! The bishop got the priests to lay their hands on the 19 candidates and he as always spoke well. Still it all went off O.K. Sunday we sang Praetorius Ascensiontide motet and Statham in D. I played Heut triumphiret. Watched programmes on medieval mind and Dan Cruickshank on architecture. Also "Am I normal?" on believers. Returned to Coulsdon for evensong at 5 p.m. 2 tenors David and Bob. Harwood in A flat, Hutchings God is gone up, Sanders responses. All went well and I played Willan on "Miles Lane", Mawby and Rawsthorne Festal trumpets. 2 great hymns "Christ triumphant" a...

Grandma still giving cause for concern and Liz, Tom and Louise visited her today. David and Sheila Dibbs gave me a lift in their jeep to the East Malling. Excellent lunch at the King and Queen pub and the we played the blue and gold organ in St James, East Malling. Someone suggested the blues! The only other blue organ case I know is in Hendon Parish church. Then to St John the Baptist, Wateringbury - an unattractive interior but a good organ in the west gallery. Mendelssohn was played by several of us! Final stop St Peter and St Paul, Teston. A lovely sunny afternoon and the area gearing up for the Tour de France tomorrow. This last organ had stops not working well and out of tune but a nice sound. David gave Martin Ball and I a lift to Bromley and we got a train to Victoris quickly. I was at Vespers and Fr Slav was the celebrant. I was thurifer. The Polish Pueri cantores choir were excellent and even sang Elgar's "Ave verum". Came on the train with Mark. The 4 catechist...

Practised Widor Toccata for Sunday - as Michael Fleming would have said "Too many notes!" At choir practice covered most of the music for July including Walmisley in D minor. Library quiet on Saturday so doing the boring stocktake shelf check. Liz's Mum taken into hospital for checks - had a fall and face is bruised. Liz wasn't able to go and help with registering for Canterbury bike ride today. On bus I went to Vespers and Mass as usual. Amici Choro singing Palestrina - seemed a bit lacklustre? Dedication of the Cathedral. Paul Moynihan got me to do thurifer - only the 3rd time and I managed better. Philip was 10 today - he went off to the choir stalls instead of bringing the incense boat at one point! Miserable wet day - Wimbledon is on. Watched a bit of "50 years of Dame Edna Everage" - K.D.Laing got the giggles! Heard the end of "Death in Venice" with Ian Bostridge. Louise here overnight.

My second attempt at being thurifer this evening. Fr Mark was very patient as I struggled with the chains of the censer. I discovered after Mass that being right handed, I need to hold everything in my left hand and that makes life much easier. Mind you it is not an easy object to handle and takes years of practice and there is a lot to remember! My granddad Frank Woodhouse was thurifer at St Sampson's York where my Dad Herbert first learnt to play the organ. My Mum often said I had expressions like my Granddad although sadly I only saw him when I was 5 and 12 on visits from Johannesburg. My grandmother Phyllis (who's maiden name was Worley from Daventry)was a staunch Methodist like my aunt Nellie. It was from my grandmother that the musical talent came. I treasure a Bible my grandparents gave to me in 1959 soon after I was confirmed (as an Anglican). Bishop Ambrose Reeves confirmed us all in the school chapel and because he was allergic to hair oil, he wore white gloves. Shade...