The organist librarian

Liz looked after the boys while I went to the Hinsley Room to lead the cathedral spirituality day on "Blessed are the pure in heart". A daunting subject but the group of 12 liked the Alexander McCall Smith passage, Catechism and Gregory Collins quotes. I focused on Candlemas and Transfiguration and played part of Rachmaninov vespers.  Packed Prom Dvorak cello concerto and Bartok Duke Bluebeard's castle - good talk on it too - hair-raising moment when full organ blasts forth! RPO Charles Du Toit. Spoke to Ann.

Jerry is quite right. My comment to Jane Williams about the difficulty of explaining the Trinity to my Muslim and Buddhist friends is typically Western. Orthodox would say it's a mystery. I also commented on the palpable love in the Buddhist community born from mindfulness teaching so often stronger than Church life. Jim the chaplain at LSE was at the talk and we spoke but he seemed in a hurry to leave - typically upperclass English I'm afraid. Really enjoying Emma byAlexander McCall Smith an up-to-date retelling of Jane Austen and of course it's about the Woodhouses! 

To art and good progress. Nelson has not been to the Hermitage! Wednesday took Seán to Tamar's session and he enjoyed it.Lysander was joining in! To Kew for lunch (Sean ate most of my chicken) and he played indoors. I finished Alexander McCall Smith The Limpopo academy of private detection which seems familiar but is not listed in books I have read. Chocolate icecream cones. Evensong from Hereford cathedral. To Dulwich Catenian meeting and Duncan became a joint member. Proms prospectus came and the photo frames.

Rang dentist and got to see see Roy at 9.15. All he did was give me a prescription for antibiotics and I was charged £18.50! Did not go to mosaic or tai chi and stayed home feeling tired. Excellent interview by Mark Lawson with Alexander McCall Smith. To Clapham to see The second best exotic marigold hotel. Delightful. Richard Gere was very good. Home for fish and changed and to Catenians. The last time I will be in the chair after 2 happy years. Juan brought along Michael Clancy and Austin was there. Quite a lot of visitors. 

Swam 14 as I was late up - back bad but hot cushion and swimming helped a lot. Mosaic - the grey tiles I bought split in circular way which is not helpful! Tai chi - Tony back from holiday and 7 there. Tassos is good! To library to get reserved books - 2 McCall Smiths - hurrah! Home to change and then bus to Tulse Hill and to St Paul's cathedral for service of peace for St Ethelburga's. Lots there and met people from Greenbelt festival. 2 Muslims played the kora from Senegal and sang. Welcome by Giles Fraser. Story from Roi Gal-Or - unfortunately the echo was very bad on the sound system. Lovely singing by Amira Medunjanin from Sarajevo accompanied on the duduk from Armenia. Excellent address by the Bishop of London. I liked the prayers - Help me play my part in breaking the cycle of violence by realising that peace begins in me. Most amazingly the 8 part canon of Praetorius Jubilate Deo worked very well. Guy Bovet Salamanca made a suitable end. To Catenians - very good turnout...

Friday missed swim again. More at practice and started on some carols after doing all the November music. I have started reading the new Alexander McCall Smith book and also the third Corduroy Mansions book online from the Telegraph. Saturday woke late and in for 10 a.m. There is no point in being too early and not getting the time back. Sent Meryl an email about the need for a new desk as we were very busy with queues. Have started getting rid of old videos and clearing up - only a month to go. To Tooting Bec for first Mass of All Saints with a visiting priest elderly but pleasant and he spoke about his family in the homily. Good programme on BBC on Piero della Francesca's Baptism.

The Balham library reading group are pretty lively. Once they had stopped talking about politics we talked about "Travels with Herodotus" which only 3 liked. I have now finished "Homeland" by Clare Francis which is excellent and also read Alexander McCall Smith's latest on Botswana - always a pleasure. Wednesday to spirituality day on the Resurrection with Fr Michael Dunne which was excellent. He gave us 7 questions to ponder. Friday Wendy Perriam came with Meryl and her book set in Balham library will be launced there in Sept and she will come to November reading group to discuss it. No choir on Friday and Louise and Ciarán were here for the weekend. I had to work Saturday but finished early to get to Vespers and Mass. Fr Kingsley and Simon Lloyd playing. David Greely was there too as the Lassus scholars had come from Dublin. Ciarán loves to smile at me and is growing well. Had a rare treat of a Sunday off. Visited Grandma and she came to lunch of lamb and pavl...

Woke very early so read last bit of "The dog who came in from the cold" by Alexander McCall Smith and listened to choral evensong from Durham. Malcolm and Emily on Face book and Dennis on skype. To post office to get photo done by Tony Noble's son and application for freedom pass renewal sent in. Filled up bird feeders and sleeting. Ann on Skype. Paul has high blood pressure. To 24 Greencoat place Initiatives of Change for Chinese New Year meal which was delicious. Martin Sugarman picked up the 2 books from the library. "The Imam and the pastor" again, Jon Dal Din and Sr Hilda and interfaith group came. Chatted to Ann a secretary at the centre. Liz home. To Tate Britain to see Chris Ofili exhibition which was rather disappointing apart from "No woman no cry" about Stephen Lawrence's mother and the Upper Room which was effectively displayed. The film afterwards was enlightening about his Catholic childhood and Trinidad home. To Tate Modern to see Ar...

Swam 32. Did not have a towel so Liz kindly brought one and then found she had not brought one for herself. She was busy at the cathedral with roses and serving at the farewell liturgy. She brought home some lovely red roses. I had lunch at 11 because of staff on leave. To chorus for open rehearsal of Carmina with Nick. "Northern tenor" wants us to go to Spode week! Spoke to Ann on Skype about Bet's funeral. The dog who came in from the cold by McCall Smith continues to entertain!

Have caught up on the new Corduroy Mansions series published daily in the Daily Telegraph and online and an email reinder each day. Hilarious!

A lovely day. Ann busy with preparations for Claire's 21st. Finished reading "The lost art of gratitude" by Alexander McCall Smith which was a delight. To Hinsley room for 11 a.m. meeting of the interfaith group and 11 came. A most interesting discussion about love prompted by the Timothy Radcliffe passage I had provided. Hai Dang could not come after all. The new time clearly suits people and 3 newcomers and an enquiry by email! To St Michael's for Ben Horden's excellent recital Bach, Handel, Wesley, Bossi and Vierne. He is now at Northampton and grew up in Kettering. I could not recall the name of the choir director I knew there. Adrian was there and Tom whom I met on Saturday. Home for lunch and listened to evensong - a broadcast from St Paul's from 1962! To chorus to prepare for classic FM concert. Sopranos were not good again. Much chat about other choirs.

Wednesday woke in the night again. Finished reading Alexander McCall Smith's "Tea for the traditionally built" and checked out his website. Decided to give union meeting a miss as had not had an agenda or notice of a meeting. Watched Delius Song of the high hills (cond Mackerras) and Lutoslawski concerto for orchestra (NYO stunning) on HDD, also rest of rivers programme. With Liz to the British Library for Henry VIII Man and monarch. Excellent audio guide by David Starkey. Wonderful to see his books and his annotations plus a fine early portrait, his astrolabe, writing desk box, psalter, etc. Very well presented but there were 2 places where people "bottle necked". To All Saints Battersea Park for Queenstown ward neighbourhood watch meeting and farewell to chair Re Johnson. She is excellent. There were nibbles and wine and I won a box on raffle! Home listening to Handel Coronation anthems from the Prom and fell asleep. Philip Glass Prom.

34 lengths as it was busy although I did get on the left hand side against the rope which was nice. Work experience Alex useless and refusing to do things again! He finished Friday - 4 days was quite enough. When asked if I would do a report I replied "Only if I have to!" "Will you miss me?" "Oh, yes!". 2 possible volunteers came in but neither of them very available at the moment although they are off school! Some of the younger generation just don't try! Alexander McCall Smith's "Corduroy Mansions" had me in fits of laughter! Home to watch on BBC4 the prom - BBC Philharmonic conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. Mendelssohn Italian symphony (with my score which is an interesting Norton with 4 pages of miniature score to a page and themes highlighted) Maxwell Davies Roma amor (I fell asleep in this but caught up with it later) magnificent Respighi Pines of Rome and Rossini arias sung by Alaskan soprano Vivica Genaux. She has a fine mezzo color...

To Norwood circle meeting. I had forgotten I was sick visitor so volunteered to do another month. David Barrett gave us a potted version of the beginnings of our circle. Tuesday to Friends of cathedral meeting with Dom Cuthbert Johnson retired abbot of Quarr. He spoke much about how the Benedictine rule can be used in ordinary life and of how the liturgy should reflect peace and quiet in our troubled world. The Kiss of peace should show respect for each person - he has little time for wild exuberant joy at services! Very Benedictine! Spoke to Ann on Skype in Canada! Today met with Vickie and planned music to end of July. To St Michael's for recital by Ilya Kudryavtsev from Russia. He played very well - Shostakovich, Alain, Reger and Durufle. Home for lunch and then to Hinsley Room for interfaith group. 8 came and we discussed "Love of neighbour". Interesting that Mark was at the previous meeting in the room which was for paid lay assistants in the diocese. Much enjoyed Al...

Liz was luxuriating all day at the Sanctuary with the girls - it was her Christmas present! To Coulsdon where Vicky was refreshed form her time in Milan. She had noted that Westminster Cathedral choir had sing a concert there (Rheinberger Mass) and it was very wet! The Bob Chilcott Psalm 23 composed last year went well and so did Statham in D so that is one setting we can manage with me singing tenor where needed. I spoke to Dudley Coates about joining us occasionally and bought my usual Fairtrade muesli and yogurt coated raisins. To garden centre to pick up more compost. I had been planning to go to the Buddhist prayers for Tibet at the Imperial War museum gardens but as it hailed I decided to have a rest and watch the last episode of "Lark rise"! and the delightful "No 1 ladies detective agency" by the lamented Anthony Minghella. Also Songs of Praise episodes which I had recorded. Simon Lloyd playing Mendelssohn No.4 which was a treat and an improvisation on ...

An orchid in Dublin Botanic gardens. A peaceful day spent listening to music from the Proms recorded on HDD and reading Alexander McCall Smith's latest delightful Isabel Dalhousie novel "The proper use of compliments". I like the way he brings in words of wisdom!

Alexander McCall Smith's latest book "The Good husband of Zebra drive" is a real delight. It makes me smile as I read. The frontline online course has given lots of ideas about choosing books and how to help people choose.