The organist librarian

To the cathedral on the train for Vespers. I was cross and boat. Superb anthem by Purcell "Jehova cum multi sunt". Excellent recital by Tim Harper and saw his Mum and Dad. I followed the Bairstow Sonata using Dad's score - how hard he must have worked to learn such a difficult piece! The Sonata by Peter Tranchell was somewhat heavier listening. Cantor at 5.30 p.m. mass. Deacon Ed gave a good homily about the Samaritan woman. Panic beforehand as there was a hole in my trouser pocket and my keys had fallen out but I found them in time for a quick runthrough with Oliver. All went well. Met Joan O'Grady and Henrietta at the back afterwards and they were very impressed but I said I tried to make the psalm a prayer and not a performance. Had a hot chocolate with Joan and discussed supporting the Cardinal's HFE Bill campaign. Train I got said Selhurst on destination boards but not on the train so got off at Clapham Junction and waited for later train. Watched a bit of La...

Thanks to "Chapel of the Resurrection" for the lovely picture of a white-tailed deer! Saturday was the last day of the booksale. We did a bag of books for £1 and most of the non-fiction went. Alvaro came with his daughter and got books for Goa. I cleared up ready for a week off in Istanbul! To Mass where Liz was acting as sacristan so only Philip and I. No incense. Thomas sang a lovely antiphon at communion. Slept after dinner (mackerel) and spoke to Dennis who is in Wurzburg. Watched end of "A boy called Alex" and checked diary for Globe dates and St Ethelburga's events. At Coulsdon we had a baptism with a church family. We sang Psalm 95 unaccompanied and Wood setting. Palestrina's "Sicut cervus" went really well. The tenor as a marvellous line "Ita desiderat" which expressed such longing for living water - I love this piece. The hymns were "As the deer" "Rock of ages" "I heard the voice" and "Guide me ...

No reason for the picture - just like it! A busy day at work after 40 lengths of the pool. Chatting to man at the pool who turns out to be Andrew and father of Louis in the cathedral choir! Book sale is going well. A new guide to Turkey arrived right on cue and I have several books to read but I am persevering with Michael Mail's "Exposure" for reading group in March and "The Imitation of Christ" by Thomas a Kempis. My bedtime reading is James Naughtie's excellent Journey through music. Choir practice seemed oddly ill at ease. Some adverse comment re the new item by David Ogden "As a mother" and the difficulty of Byrd 4 part Mass. Sicut cervus needs to settle down too. My voice seemed tired after last night's exertions. Home to watch the last of "The choir Boys don't sing" with Gareth Malone triumphantly taking 100 boys from Lancaster School to the Albert Hall. Also watched most of "A boy called Alex" about amazing Eton ...

Liz was safely home from Ireland. AnnMarie has to return to Harlow to finally clear up. 40 lengths - woke up early. Staff meetings today and Georgia the new Saturday assistant. To the cathedral for Mass - Byrd motet and Tallis Salvator mundi with amazing clashes. To the Festival Hall for Philharmonia concert conducted by Pletnev who suddenly came alive although he shows no emotion at all. Beethoven 8 (followed with score) and 9 well played, the latter finishing very fast.Soloists very good especially Matthew Rose and the chorus got a good cheer. I was struggling to keep awake at times and my tinnitus was a nuisance. Train home and Liz picked me up.

To dentist and one filling and tidied up the front tooth fixing. Took kitchen door from Bow to kitchen shop so it could be measured. Made up Byrd Mass copies while watching "An Island parish" and Songs of Praise with Desmond Tutu (Chris Town was interviewed). To Islam course and Bishop John Arnold came at the end. The interfaith group will be discussing Chris's presentation on the letter from 130 Muslims to the churches. 13 at the Lent group and we looked at the story of Abraham. To Henry Wood Hall where I had leek and potato soup. Pletnev took the orchestral rehearsal - relatively painless and soloists are good. Bus home reading Michael Mail's "Exposure". Stephen (pianist) told me Joan Price had died. Spoke to Ann this morning - they had fun on the train to Heidelberg as they had the wrong ticket and what appeared to be a fake 50 euro note but it wasn't!

Tuesday to swimming (40 lengths) and then an hour at work before getting trains to Cheam to play for the funeral of Bunty Phillips. She was 89 and married to Derek for 65 years. He looks frail and requested "Jesu joy" so I found a copy. On arrival the secretary got me a coffee. No word from the priest and I could have played them in - incense throughout with 2 servers with gold on their cottas! 4 hymns. Choir of 9 and conductor asked me to go slower. "Love divine", Crimond, Abide with me and To be a pilgrim. I played Bach, Handel and Brahms. 2 manual Norwich electronic. In paradisum sung by a man as coffin went out - pretty good for his age. Nice eats and a good turnout from the circle including Tina Bagatti and Cis Howard. My playing was much appreciated. Got a new watchstrap at the Cheam jewellers and I was back at work by 2.15 p.m. To Barbican London school for girls for Beethoven 9 rehearsal with Mark and Pletnev who was so dull! Sat next to Nick who sings in th...

Swam 36 lengths. Had to clean frost off car. Instead of tai chi we did wierd exercises up against the wall. Chinese wall torture? Chinese ballet? Will it be in the olympics? To organists' committee meeting - not many there. Moira has booked a Maidstone visit for next May when it should be Cambridge so will have to find another Saturday. Liz rang from Shrewsbury after a late start and difficult journey getting lost!

While we are considering the Transfiguration, the Anglicans thought about Nicodemus visiting Jesus and being born again. We sang the 3 part Geoffrey Shaw Mass and Hurford's "Litany to the Holy Spirit". "The God of Abram praise" and "Immortal love for ever full". Harry Witham's ashes were interred. Psalm 121 to the Walford Davies chant. I photocopied the Byrd 4 part mass and practised. Just a minute on radio on way home. After lunch Adrian had asked Liz to sing at St John's so plans were changed and I went to the cathedral organ recital and cantored at 6pm Mass with Oliver. All went well. James McVinnie of St Paul's cathedral and shortly Westminster Abbey played Martin Passacaille (such an angry piece), De Grigny and Reger. Liz to Harlow to accompany AnnMarie to Shrewsbury and then Dublin. I did March music list. Watched Lark rise to Candleford.

Saturday to Mount Street centre next to Farm Street church for a workshop on Orthodox spirituality led by Mother Sarah from Bath. I have met her before when I did a course on Orthodox Lent at Sarum college in 1999. She spoke about icons and then we read in turns a wonderful prayer written in a Russian concentration cmap in 1934. 2 people there I knew (Ruth Forrest comes to the library) and enjoyed meeting people like Stephen Penna server from South Croydon and Waddon. Split into groups after lunch and talked about prayer and he we can become prayer in our lives. 100 repetitions of the Jesus prayer did send me off to sleep. Had a look in Farm Street church (wedding just finished) and then to the cathedral where service for the sick was in full flood (lots of Marian hymns). Served at 6 p.m. Mass and home. It was a most stimulating day and interesting parallels. Orthodox put the cross into a large expanse of water on the Epiphany and the men dive to catch it. It is like the lighted Easter...

Is it a dog and a bird? No they are palm trees wrapped up for the winter in the sub-tropical garden in Battersea Park!

Another busy day and set up the book sale. Calix did a display on the centenary of Mills and Boon romances - Mum loved reading those. To choir practice but Karen was ill and various sore throats about so took it easy and finished early to be home in time to see "The Choir Boys can't sing" withe the delightful and amazing Gareth Malone and QI. Liz returned home.

Liz informed me that I should have got a Valentines wife card from somewhere else rather than St Paul's bookshop. What was wrong with a lovely card from there? She dropped me at the station as I had pulled a muscle in my left shoulder on Wednesday when I woke up so missed swim. Have been doing 40 lengths each day. A busy day at work and straight to chorus as conductor was coming. Mark very smart in a suit as he was interviewed for Turkish TV and the cameraman took some shots. Wierdly the conductor just sat and listened and smiled! He said the Dvorak had not been performed in Turkey before. Liz went to Bow to do decorating using the old car and I returned home.

Spoke to Ann on Skype - they enjoyed Dresden. To Coulsdon and arrived early so we chose music up to halfway through April. Got train in good time to be at Understanding Islam course by 1 p.m. Chris on good form and told us about prayer. The Regents Park mosque visit is set for the 27th at 12 noon. I shall be away so will go to the Croydon visit on March 1st. 11 people came to the first of the Lent groups "Who is my neighbour?" from 4 to 5 p.m. A lively discussion and it is sad to learn of our society where people refuse to be greeted even though they see one at church or at home. To first part of Mass (Fr Michael O'Boy gave an excellent homily on winning the lottery) and then to chorus for Dvorak. Mark Griffiths seems to talk too much and he goes on to 9.15 every week. Liz and I got train to pick up the car.Interesting to find that one of the Islam course folk is a religious from Beckenham who have seen at Catenian clergy suppers!

Who is my neighbour is the Westminster diocesan Lent book. I found an old paperback on my shelves of Thomas a Kempis "The Imitation of Christ" and it is inspiring stuff. Avoiding gossip and idle talk - good idea. At the spirituality day we unusually ate in silence at lunch time and it was helpful. Well not quite silence - we had a CD of quiet guitar music!

Oops! Loaded wrong photos - read on to learn about Chris Hewer and the Battersea Park mystery! On Friday evening I was listening to radio 3 in the car on the way home from choir practice and there was some very haunting singing in an Arabic style. The melody reminded me of the hymn tune "God of mercy and compassion" which is a French tune arranged by Pergolesi. The composer was Osvaldo Golijov born 1960! It was a very different morning with the band from Battersea Technology college playing black music in the foyer. I worked on Saturday having had 3 Saturdays off in a row and served at 6 p.m. Mass as usual. Good to have deacon Peter with us again. The organ was silent and we felt that some singing like the Lent Litany was needed at the preparation of gifts so I emailed Thomas Wilson. Fr Tim agreed. Today Liz was at the cathedral all day as there was the 2nd rite of election and she was cantor at 5.30 mass. At Coulsdon there was a baptism and we sang "Jesu grant me this I...

Very sad to hear of the passing of Martin Hall former chairman of SSG. I often use the litle prayer he suggested before playing the organ "St Cecilia pray for me". She will be welcoming him to his reward. Such a nice man and a Catenian. Also learnt of the passing of Bunty Phillips - such a lovely little lady and a great support to Derek. Martin's funeral is when we are in Istanbul and so is his circle meeting. Derek rang and asked me to play at Bunty's funeral which I am pleased to be able to do on Feb 19th at 12 noon. Liz will be in Ireland with Ann Marie.

4 of the Understanding Islam course went to the London Interfaith centre at Brondesbury near Queen's Park station on Friday afternoon to hear Chris Hewer talk about the statement from 100 Muslim clerics addressed to the churches. Rowan Williams' statement about sharia law had stirred everyone up! Chris gave us extensive notes and was most interesting. The statement seems to expect Christians to acknowledge the Quranic position about Jesus and has no concept of the Christian idea of a God who forgives all. The Islamic position of a God who forgives those who do His will is quite different to our own. Perhaps the cautious Vatican response stressing commmon humanity is the best at this stage. Chris unpacked the political background to the statement. The centre is modern and attractive with a lovely chapel on the ground floor. I got tubes and trian in time to meet Liz who bought pizza and we ate that at Grandma's. I then went straight to choir practice! On return home watched t...

And so Lent is upon us and we change from the lightness of "As candles are lighted" to the sombre Welsh tones of "Jesu, lover of my soul"! To the Hinsley Room for Understanding Islam and Chris on great form. 21 there so the earlier time perhaps was repsonsible. Eileen Dutt led the spirituality day on the Call of God and gave us some useful prayers. There were some new faces there. I went to Vespers and 5.30 Mass with Bishop Longley for the ashing. The choir excelled in Allegri Miserere. As I was leaving I met the Balham rep on the Unity commission. Oddly 4 people have all asked if I am going to the Thursday meeting which I had to miss because of the Dvorak rehearsal! I go the train to Coulsdon South and was at St Andrew's in good time for the practice and 8pm eucharist. There were only 5 in the congregation because therehad been a morning service attended by 29. During the ashing we sang Psalm 50 unaccompanied. Alas some of the choir did not return to the minor ...

Thursday to Dvorak rehearsal having been at Mass at the cathedral where we had lovely Victoria and Palestrina. Friday choir practice as usual. Saturday being the Feast of the Presentation and my 3rd Saturday off in a row (I swopped so Calix could go to Bulgaria) to 10.30 a.m. procession and Mass with the layclerks. We were acolytes. Byrd Senex puerum and plainchant. Liz stayed for confirmation class but I came home for a rest and tidy up. Back for 2nd vespers sung by Thomas and 1st mass of Sunday sung by the boys as it was the 3rd "chorister for a day". 40 little boys in cassocks. Mendelssohn I waited for the Lord and Elgar Ave verum. Sunday to Coulsdon where we sang Nicholson in C and "Virgin-born we bow before thee" - wonderful tune and words. Procession "As candles are lighted" and Nunc Dimittis to Tonus peregrinus. I used keyboard and piano so I could sing tenor. Matthew Greenfield played in public for the 3rd time and coped well. I did not stay for US...