The organist librarian

To St Mary's to practise - fitted in between roaary and 12.10 a.m.mass. There was a delay starting and I played Sumsion and Bairstow and Willcocks arrangement of Veni emmanuel (Dermot's favourite) and I know. 7 choir members there so they sang well also people from the Railway club. At the end Michael Fleming's arrangement of Now the Green blade riseth. We got a little off the rack going to Long Ditton but did see the grave - it's a lovely cemetery and nice meal at the Ditton. We gave Louise Sage a lift. Parked at Battersea Park and of course the one night there was no 452 straight after the concert! LPO under Jurowski Bantock, Prokofiev Piano concerto 3 stunning playing from Anika Vavic, Sibelius and Also sprach. 

Swam 20.  To nurse for Hepatitis booster and new passport came. Liz went to the osteopath and I went to the South London interfaith group meeting at which I spoke about the Conversations for the soul plans for Streatham mosque in November. 6 people interested. To Guildhall art gallery - the special photography exhibition was actually very small. More interesting were the portraits. The London amphitheatre ruins are well presented. The Victorian paintings do not inspire and there is a harrendous marble statue of Thatcher on loan from the House of Commons! To the Courtauld for a one room exhibition on collecting Gauguin. Arrived at the hall early and to the talk with Robert Simpson and the principal clarinet of the Phlharmonia who gave some interesting insights into Essa-Pekka's approach. The Mozart was fun and rather liked Midori playing the new Eotvos concerto. Bruckner 7 as inspiring as ever and used torch for my own score. Up early and finished dissertation and sent it off - 13...

Swam 20. To Glyn Close and cleared garage a bit. Carpet cleaner came. Took chair and keyboard home -I will use the chair in my study. To Bromley library to get scores. Having returned 4, the ones I wanted came from the stack and I found the Gorecki on the shelf. There was then a problem as it seemed I had 9 out but the Bruch had definitely been returned and the stack ones I had just returned could not be found. In the end I got the 4 I wanted and the £1 charge was waived. All took ages! Home to work on dissertation and lunch. Liz went shopping. I went to the talk which was works by Charlotte Seither. She also had a piece in the concert - not worth bothering with any of it. Stravinsky and Brahms violin concerto. No sign of Clive Nettelton. Before the concert the same darkhaired steward who spoke to me at Gotterdammerung commented on using the torch to follow the score. She said some people complained because they thought it was a mobile phone! I said the lighting needed improving and I...

Swam 20. Put washing away and tidied up and had lunch. To Senate House library to get more scores and work on Davies and Walshe on Eckhart. Ironically now an invite to the Eckhart conference for £150 but it coincides with the end of the Proms and while I'd love to her Michael, Ganeri is also speaking! Lots of graduates about in gowns and mortar boards. No 10 bus to hall and late for talk. Vickie kept our seats. Last night some people stayed in the bar after first Prom and may not have paid for the Wilson Prom at all! One couple took our usual seats and then stood at the rail! Brilliant Billy Budd from Glyndebourne. Mark Padmore excellent and Andrew Davis conducted. It was a pity the talk got bogged down in whether Melville is gay or not! 

Bank Holiday Monday and nice weather after all the rain yesterday morning. Up early and worked on Michael's suggestions regarding the dissertation. To Bromley parish church for joint recital by Norman and Marilyn Harper. They played a duet by Wesley and divided the programme between them including Dupre, Leighton and Mango Thrist (Lovely girl commented Norman). I left before the Bach Passacaglia to get home for lunch and then to Royal College of Music for 2.30 workshop with Mary King on singing musicals. Muriel was there. Enjoyed singing Somewhere over the rainbow, opening number from Show Boat and the scarecrow song with actions. Also a Waxman song. The light music organ prom was well played by Richard Hills and included Ireland, Sullivan, Waller and German and a fun encore. Excellent talk on film music with David Benedict and the John Wilson prom was excellent with a wide variety of film music and songs. I am playing for Dermot Molony's funeral on Friday at St Mary's.

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! 

Saturday to Cadogan Hall and Reuben Thomas was in the queue. Finished 4th Kubu novel -  this one more gruesome about muti. To Balham library to get scores and home to tidy and clean up. Unpacking all done and everything put away. It rained all day. Took clothes to the Passage in the car. Excellent prom at Cadogan - Britten, Purcell, Lutoslawski ECO with Paul Watkins. Ben Johnson sang beautifully - better than Pears and Richard Watkins horn. I went to Mass with Fr Alexander and the choir from Farnham singing Mozart and Bruckner. Liz to the Prom and I got there in time for the start - Wagner, Ravel and Shostakovich 5. Picked up car at Victoria and home in 35 minutes.