The organist librarian

I  managed to get I bind unto myself wrong despite rehearsing with the choir! The print instruction in AMR is small. You have to go back to the start of the tune for verse 2 so we started again with verse 2! Jerry Garton preached on this hymn and we had prayers for RSCM Music Sunday. I played Willan on Nicaea and Alec Wyton March St Patrick's breastplate and we sang Schubert Holy, Holy, Holy. Sorted out the garden hose. Enjoyed Equator from the air and Antiques roadshow. All 3 children rang for Father's day and the boys did a great drawing in my card. Wrote the obituary for John East then Nick Kenyon sent a lovely tribute. Evensong was very simple Morley and Schubert (but actually not the Trinity text. Fr Daniel liked the Jeremy Davies leaflet and will pass it on to Berni. Roast lamb and red wine for dinner and avocados and apricot. Cardiff Singer of the world round 1 terrific tenor and NZ baritone. 

Pentecost. I played Bach, Wyton, Pachelbel and John Cook on Veni creator. We sang the sequence Holy Spirit Lord of light. Jerry blessed icons of Michael and John so my 3 are now coming home. Server John taken ill and went to hospital. Enjoyed the BBQ at St John's and the family were there too. A rare chance to chat to Max Smith. Liz made a delicious pavlova and there was lemon meringue pie too. At evensong we sang Brewer in D and Tallis O Lord give thy Holy Spirit. Needed a beer after that! Antiques roadshow and canal journeys in Vietnam.

To meditation centre for an excellent day with Margaret Lawlor on the paintings of Sieger Koder and she introduces some fine poetry. To the Estorick for figurative Italian art. The gallery is besieged by roadworks. Liz never made it to the cathedral. Lots of servers plus 3 priests. I forgot to get a tray but Fr Andrew didn't mind. Made them practise processing again. Paul De Blic is a handful. Gave out letters about emails and rota and all the birthday chocs gone. Reading Simon Reeve's book and enjoyed programme on the Med. Played Stanford on Gartan and Wyton March St Patrick's breastplate. We sang "Christ has no body".

Played Willan on Nicaea, Stanford on Garton and Alec Wyton March St Patrick's breastplate. We sang all of "I bind unto myself" and Schubert "Holy, Holy, Holy" and we will sing the Deutsche Mass adapted on Thursday and next Sunday. Rehearsed Boyce Alleluia - perhaps he will be rediscovered since the Royal wedding? Stupid boy about 12 hits emergency button on platform. Mother ignored it. Voice in response. So I said "yes that's for you". Mother had to explain to the person responding to the call. But why let him hit the button in the first place? A pleasure to turn pages for Stephen Power at the cathedral Stanford, Langlais and Parry and an enjoyable time at the Cardinal!

Pentecost. After the awful news I practised the Dorian. There is a God of love. I played voluntaries on Veni creator by John Cook, Alec Wyton and Eric Thiman. 2 of the school choir joined us and they sang well. We sang Like the murmur by  Alan Smith . One of the songs asked for s second Pentecost - dodgy theology?  To St Paul's as usual to hear Anthony Teddie speak on his book Is God colour blind? Answer No. Home for lunch,  Rather than waste 45 minutes waiting for a train probably delayed I drove to Caterham. Enjoyed evensong from St David's. 5 at Caterham for evensong played Pachelbel and Bach and we managed the psalms. Watched Versailles and Met police. Driving meant that I got home much quicker. 

19/9 it poured. To the Cloisters msueum - all mediaeval, chapels and cloisters. Wonderful tapestries, beautiful sculptures and ivories. To Cathedral of St John the Divine for recital by Raymond Neugen - Sowerby, Howells, Bach - excellent and a huge sound. Martin Ball was there! He is charming and liked the Wyton and Moore I played. he did not know the Wyton which was written for that organ an Aeolian Skinner. Big echo. Lunch nearby opposite hospital. To the Metropolitan museum Byzantine, mediaeval and Japanese - musical instruments closed. Pancakes and tea at diner Nectar 82. To the preview of Jerusalem 1000-1400 every people under heaven at the Met - lovely to walk through the empty galleries apart from staff. Superb collection of objects from all over the place. Lovely to see Barbara - it took 6 years to set up, she works at the Cloisters. Alas the book costs 74 dollars! She was delighted to see us. Mixed crowd lots of Jewish, Franciscans. Bought lovely local beer at Whole Foods. So...

Trains cancelled so bus to and from Caterham. Played Willan on Nicaea, Stanford on Garton and Wyton March St Patrick's breastplate - played it at OLEM yesterday. Jill sing God is gone up beautifully - her last service.  Got to the British Museum for the 5th interfaith music festival and a great variety. Met an interesting Buddhist and chatted to choir members from the Big chorus and Muddledup chorus. To Streatham for meeting about honour for Alan. Liz back from Walsingham and picked her up at Dennis's.

Woke early so looked up Dad's book (volume 1). It was 1962 when we went to the accountants congress in New York and played the final voluntary at St Bartholomew Park Avenue which has the largest organ in New York City. He played Thiman's Tuba Tune in E on 33 inches of wind pressure! It must have been a thrill as he often spoke of it. He did attend Mattins at St Thomas 5th Avenue and met Mr Self the organist. Tertius Noble went there from York Minster. He also went to evensong at the cathedral of St John the Divine where Alec Wyton presided so it was entirely right for me to play Wyton at St Thomas. I also played Healey Willan Fugal trilogy which Dad loved to play and Thalben-Ball and Andrew Moore. With Basil McEvilly he visited Boston, Niagara and Washington by greyhound bus and they survived on $5 a day! It was his last visit to see his mother in York. 

Ciaran came in around 7.15 and Sean woke a bit later. Nice cards. To church and played Harper, Bach and Willan and Wyton. Good hymns including Holy, holy, holy and Alleluia sing to Jesus. Home for lunch and kids had gone. Back to church for 2 for final things with Daniel then back to pick up Liz. Only 12 came but they enjoyed it. I don't think I relaxed enough - not sure it was good to have Daniel there to turn over. To St John's and we sang Stainer in B flat and I saw the Lord - always a good sing. Watched programmes on Hay-on-Wye, Dylan Thomas and QI. Dennis rang.

Trinity Sunday so played Willan on Nicaea, Wyton on St Patrick's Breastplate and Harper Triptych. We sang "Holy, holy, holy" and "How shall I sing that majesty" to Coe Fen - what a tune! Had a chat to Paul about contacting local mosques which I have been doing. Practised and Liz was home early from cathedral. Worked on Knitter essay. Dennis arrived looking well and we had a nice lunch and worked in the garden in the sunshine moving stones and compost to fill the new wooden raised beds. To Holy Trinity Sloane Square for the opening of the splendid 4 manual Harrisons organ by David Goode. A full church paying £12 each! Champagne at the break. Martin Ball, Christopher Town, Gloria and Michael Toplis, Michael Armstrong and an organist from Buffalo who played for 2 years at St Mary's Cambridge. Met Stephen Smith who does organ recitals.com and Michael Brough who's toccata was played. Bach Wedge (with score) Schmidt, Alain, Durufle, Mendelssohn, Parry, Durufl...

To Heythrop and played for Mass which went well. 4 in choir including Rocco.Damian celebrated and sang very well. In his homily he mentioned Islam! I played Ley on Down Ampney, Wyton on Veni creator and Willan on Vulpius - the Viscount organ is quite good and some folk didn't know I played. Went to coffee. Tutorial with Michael and it seems Damian studied music before theology at Cambridge. To library and had pizza - think I was overcharged as I had put £5 on my card and he asked for £2.10 more! Saw John Parks. To Meditatio and met Danny and Sr Owen. Kallistos Ware was excellent on Iraneus. 

Philip Dangerfield told me about a Youtube. You search under Sir Gilbert Levine and you get a programme about how he an American Jew became conductor of the Cracow philharmonic and then the Pope's maestro. Also the TV cast of Haydn's Creation from Baltimore cathedral. I spotted myself but not Liz! An excellent bass and soprano. He is a Knight of St Gregory. Back is much better and played Alec Wyton on St Patrick's Breastplate. We sang Schubert's "Holy, holy, holy". Once again no free harmonisations and three times had to flip fuse switch to get organ on! No sign of new chorister Sean either! The new communion arrangements seemed to work alright - the new furniture is a great improvement.

To the tip on the way to church to dump old compost. As I had my newly cleaned best suit on I donned an apron - there were 2 long queues of cars so I was a little delayed but picked up 2 ladies for church at bus stop as a result. I played Wyton and Thiman on Veni creator and we sang "Spirit of the living God" as an introit. Come down O love divine, Breathe on me Breath of God, O thou who camest and There's a spirit in the air. Veni creator at communion followed by Alan Smith's "Like the murmur". Straight to cathedral for 12.1 5 confirmation with Archbishop Vincent. Liz read the sequence very poetically and a splendid homily without notes. Stunning improvisations from Edward Tambling on Veni creator and I thought Mahler's Adagietto was creeping in too - mind you I am worrying that my copy of that is lost which I need next month! Come down O love divine, Breathe on me, O bread of heaven and Love divine. Lourdes Mass is a little tedious. Reception in the ha...