Garden, Welsh, Tate Britain and Meistersinger!

Tidied up and then to visit church warden Cynthia's garden at 43 The Vale Coulsdon in aid of the centenary appeal. Lots of the congregation there. A beautiful garden on a slope and nice tea and cakes - she has a gardener. To the cathedral for ecumenical celebration of St John Roberts martyr. Welsh bishops and Archbishop of Canterbury preached. Hymns in Welsh to sight read tenor part! Harp. Stuart Kale sang a special piece with choir by Brian Hughes. William Mathias Toccata Giocosa at the end. We were acolytes. What a joy to talk to 2 Belmont brothers and hear Dom Brendan is off to Syria this year. They knew my SSG articles and I urged them to attend PMM! To Tate Britain to see "Rude Britannia". This did not even raise a smile and the really rude bits were oddly unimpressive. An erection is just that - funny I suppose in a way. The video of Sarah Lucas the woman artist eating a sausage and a banana was intriguing. Preferred the 2 wonderful fighter planes in the Duveen gallery. Saw a bit of Alys's Guards video. Had tea in the members room. Walked back past the Westminster school grounds where cricket was in progress - a lovely day. Vespers and Mass with Fr Tim. The high altar is walled off for the improvements. Lees choir sang Byrd 4 part Mass and Stanford Coelos ascendit and Brahms. Eucharistic prayer 3 as at our wedding 35 years ago. Meistersinger on BBC4 from Proms. Bryn Terfel and the Welsh opera chorus were superb and the orchestra too. A standing ovation at the end. All the soloists were excellent. Great to conduct it from my reclining sofa!