The organist librarian

To Fairfield Hall on bus. In the foyer we heard 23 young cellists and they did well. A good audience. We saw Angela, Joy and Geoff, Nula and Jenny. Lmp conducted by Jaime Martin with much flair. Mozart Paris symphony, Ravel Pavane for a dead infant a and Bizet Symphony 1. Sheku was stunning SaintSaens 1 and the Swan with one of the cellists which was a delight. We paid 21.50 and it was worth every penny. So glad the acoustics are still so fine. Amazed to see the seats have not been redone! 

To match first reading played Mendelssohn Elijah "It is enough" and "Lift thine eyes". Quite tricky as solo voice on choir clarinet and cello solo on Great. Stanford on St Columba and Finale from Saint-Saens No. 3. I thought I played it rather well but John remarked it needed more practice and a rallentando and drums! Cheek! Rehearsing Mahler Adagietto, Pachelbel Canon for the wedding and Dad's suite also Brewer Marche heroique. Anne-Marie Garton sang well and a good sermon. What a frightening experience! Mass at St Mary's 25 minute sermon on Elijah. Fr Celestine again! Tony Moynihan has died aged 93. Lunch then to two great Proms with a fine discussion on Dona nobis pacem with A. C. Grayling. Joshua Bell Mendelssohn, Saint-Saens, Bridge and Beethoven. Boulanger, Elgar, RVW. Beautiful singing from Sophie Bevan and Edward Gardner conducted BBC. Saw Chris Tew.

On iplayer the Prom of Holst Ode to death and Vaughan Williams Martyn Brabbins conducting - lovely way to start the day! We sang Bread of the world arranged by Alan Bullard. I played Poco adagio from Saint-Saens organ symphony and Flor Peeters on Cwn Rhondda and Lasst uns erfreuen. Train times changed again so home in time to listen to "I'm Sorry I haven't a clue". Played Dancing years Novello selection and Brewer Marche heroique on piano. Took music to David Dibbs miserable rain. Great singing and playing from Southern Cathedrals festival at Salisbury Blair in B minor, Jonathan Dove, Vierne. RVW Pastoral symphony and Parry Symphony No. 5 on Iplayer. Poldark came to an end for the moment (sad). Watched Shostakoich, Beethoven and Rachmaninov from prom. Henry came to stay overnight and went off to sleep happily. 

Music Sunday and great to have Elaine back. Jerry pulled all the stops out and there was a retiring collection. Mentioned by name in the prayers! We sang When in our music God is glorified and Nardone setting. Played Slater on St Botolph and Lang Tuba tune. Oscar from Worth Abbey school will join us to sing bass! Pets service lots of barking dogs. Played All creatures great and small and The Swan and Handel Cuckoo and Nightingale. Surprised to see Dennis with Henry and Molly and he gave me a lift home. Hot. Ar evensong we sang Anthony Caesar's O love divine. Enjoyed counntryfile on royal estates and Poldark. Very impressive women's marches and Antiques roadshow on women.

Played poco adagio and Finale from organ symphony of Saint-Saens. Have been trying some Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Bruch and The Swan. Not sure I would play the latter at a service and some interesting Face Book comments about that.  Mass at St Mary's much better without Fr Michael rabbiting on. But the priest never introduced himself  and spoke about who Jesus is!  Just listening to the repeat of Christiane Karg Cadogan Hall prom - glorious voice but the diction is not great. Heard the rest of the Peckham garage prom including Bantock and Whitley.  Nearly gave the prom tonight a miss as lunch in the garden was so pleasant but glad we went for the Cincinatti SO Prom debut in Bernstein, Copland and Tchaikovsky 5. Brass in stunning form, great strings. I think they loved playing that music at the Prom! Interesting talk on Lincoln. Wierd journey home 452 tube and fast to Selhurst which said it was not stopping there but it did! What Tchaikovsky say to two young men kiss...

To the funeral of Eileen Haines at Sanderstead with Canon Jim Pannett. He remarked that I should have played. I had offered but the family decided not to change the arrangements. It sounded like a feeble instrument. Gerry apologised at the reception. Gill was there. News of the passing of Laurence Jones aged 90.  A most enjoyable prom from BBCSO and Sakari. Sibelius, Saint-Saens piano concerto no. 2 with brilliant pianist and Elgar 3. Boys spent the day relaxing and I finished 2 books.  Enjoying Halle prom Dvorak New World effective use of 4 actors and films. Mark Elder on great form. 

Mass and art and good progress -had not been for 2 weeks and the party invites were well-received. I went to the RGS to see the Shackleton platinum print photos by Frank Finley.  An interesting discussion on Saint-Saens and a satisfying Prom with the RPO conducted by Charles Du Toit who presented with the gold medal of the Royal Philharmonic society. Falla, Joshua Bell playing Lalo and S-S 3 - what's not to like? Friday to Mass and watched The Man in the orange shirt a very fine 2 parter by Patrick Gale with Vanessa Redgrave. Listened to Judith Weir prom.

A rare opportunity to hear the Ralph Downes organ in St Clement Danes. Jack Gonzalez-Harding RCM played Wood sea songs, Howells and premiere by Geer who I also met. To Serpentine gallery for Grayson Perry then  tea in the park next to bowling green.  Took the boys to enjoyable Adventure in Moominland at South Bank centre and a good lunch at Giraffe. Last night's prom enjoyed Brahms and exuberant Schumann 3. Berg well played and the Larchner was intriguing. The talk about sleep had some good tips eg sleep 3 times a day is normal, do not worry about not sleeping, light is crucial. Work out what type you are. I am early morning awake and second wind p.m. sleepy after lunch. An enjoyable Prom with French music influenced by the Orient including Saint-Saens, Lalo, Franck and Delibes. I fell asleep during the talk on djinns. The problem was Ian MacMillan standing between the two guests so they were not speaking directly into the mikes. Elif Shafak is usually more interesting! Met C...

Swam and Mass, Took old Catenas to Anerley. To art group to plan future events including exhibition in July in the library (I have a lot of work for that), life drawing and garden party at Julie's.  Wrote minutes of the Skype meeting. To St Mary at Hill for evening prayer sung by the quartet Seraphim including an unusual item by Saint-Saens. Lord Paul Boateng spoke about Pentecost and globalisation. Considering he is a Methodist lay preacher he was sometimes hard to hear. To Malet Street for the Ramadan Tent Iftar which had the largest turnout ever. Sat with SOAS students including a Turkish Erasmus student from Cologne. Neil Jameson of Citizens UK spoke well. He does look like Jeremy Corbyn. Home by 11. 

We sang Panis angelicus in 2 parts and I was playing well after the trip to Ware. Andrew Moore and Purcell Trumpet tune. Practised Bach.  At Evensong at St John Upper Norwood we sang Dyson in F and Edgar Bainton's And I saw a new heaven always a treat for tenors.  Richard Pilliner played really well at Christ's chapel Dulwich 2 of the pieces from memory! Nice eats and wine. Adrian, Terence and the Wests there.

Watched Poldark and Victoria. Practised Faure and Rachmaninov. To Bloomsbury Baptist which is being repaired. Sarah Kim played Bach, Danse macabre, Durufle and Krebs. Pity I had to leave. Fr John at Mass and the choir of Holy Redeemer, Billericay sang well. Good to see Andrew Wright's assistant again - Archer , Kerll, Nardone and Haydn.

It being Sea Sunday I played Walter Webber Trumpet tune on Lobe den Herren, Bonighton on Melita and Neils Gade Lobe den herren which has a fun waltz section. Toccata from Suite Gothique which always makes me think of the sea!  Superb virtuosic playing from Richard Pilliner at  St Michael and All Angels Beckenham  - he loved the organ. Delicious cucumber sandwiches and strawberry cream sponge cake. At evensong at  St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood   we sang Coleridge-Taylor's fun setting and Britten Jubilate Deo. "Sing choirs of heaven" to Richard Shephard's tune and "Songs of praise the angels sang". Bridge Adagio in E.

To Beckenham by car and got flowers at M and S where I parked. Peter Cook played Camidge, Vierne, Lloyd Webber and David German. His John Williams Film surprise was lost on me. The organ has some water damage.To Central Music library and got all the scores I wanted. The Prom was BBC Phil with Noseda playing Casella, Chopin, Franck with Ben Grosvenor and Saint-Saens 3 with David Goode - splendid. Saw Ben Saul and his family and Damien Howard. The talk on French music was interesting. What makes French music French? Many German influences. Stayed for the first 15 minutes of the battle of the big Jazz bands but it was very loud and could not hear the speech well. Pouring. Liz went to Acton as on Saturday she got some reading glasses - dispute with insurance company. 

Swam 20. Liz went to assembly at Acton. To Southborough Lane to return Daniel's music bag - very nice place the Bromley Youth music trust! Much better than Croydon. To Bromley library to get more scores and then to the Parish church for ploughman's and Matthew Blaiden's excellent playing of Buxtehude, de Grigny, Saint-Saens, Alain and Ritter. This last is a big Romantic sonata in one movement which keeps feeling as though it will end and then goes on! Home to meet Jo who came to get the 12 blue boys cassocks from Beckenham to take to Sussex free of charge! To dentist and finally got the dentures which feel a bit odd but certainly make a difference. 2 top teeth on each side near the front. Prepared speech for tonight and captions for the mosaics on Friday.

Liz and I swam - I did 20. Yesterday little woman removed my bag from the disabled change room and did not answer knocks on door. Liz reckons she was having chemo. I cleared the patio and rearranged it. Fixed wires to the fences. Spent a lot of time doing Catenian invites to clergy and widows. Listened to Festival Hall organ concerts. Thomas Trotter was brilliant and Andy Scott gave a good interview. Poulenc and Berlioz very good.

Swam 20. Decided not to go to art and craft this week as went to St John Smith Square to hear Catherine Ennis - Handel, Bach, Sweelinck, John Gardner and Saint-Saens. Splendid playing. Cleared up ready for cleaning tomorrow. Prepared dinner and took Dennis to station. Liz was at college all day. Richard Strauss from Festival Hall on radio - Alpine symphony conducted by Maazel. Come dine with me hilarious.

The indexing of Alan's music is I think complete. To St John's for celebration of Catherine's life which was very different! Lovely poetry and Jane Austen and Mr Pooter, glorious Saint-Saens Le Cygne on cello, Benjo playing Beethoven and best of all Mozart adagio from the clarinet concerto. Pope Benedict XVI described him as the greatest theologian and he was right. God was there. We also sang Count your blessings, Yield not to temptation and Cym Rhondda, Jack was there - his daughter is Benjo's girlfriend.

Woke at 5 and up at 8.30/ To mosaic and started on new project using broken crockery. Skipped tai chi and to St Michael's Cornhill to hear Andrew Cantrill who played a good programme. Bach, Grieg, Couperin, Brahms, Villette, Saint-Saens, Corrette. To Courtauld to see early Durers and Impresisonists - only £3 on Mondays. The ice rink is being put up. Met Stephen at Charing Cross and had a chat. Fr Paul accepted my ideas which is good! 

Practised and timed recital pieces. First rehearsal of the Couperin chants. I played Willan on Aberyswyth and Ley on Down Ampney, Last hymn was "God be with you" to Randolph by Vaughan Williams - not played that before! After lunch to the hall with our blue folding back supports. Lots of teddies about for the Michael Rosen Bear Hunt prom - lovely to see so many Liverpool kids involved. Ciaran and Jonah really enjoyed it! The conga in the Prom was great and the illustrator Tony Ross was excellent - he signed Rosario's programme and she gave it to me! To talk on Britten. Second prom  Orchestre de Paris with Paavo Jarvi- Part, Britten violin concerto beautifully played by Janine Jansen, Berlioz Corsaire and Saint-Saens 3. Thierry Escaich was just too loud drowning the brass!.

Liz to college and then marriage preparation at the cathedral. More reading on Judaism and Christianity. To Bloomsbury Baptist for Toccata and fugue+ Doug Tang formerly Croydon Minster now King's Cambridge played Bach and Jongen Sonata Eroica and a horrid new toccata by Bernard Heyes. Martin Ball, Christopher Town and Gary Sieling there and spoke to Margaret Phillips. Gary Cole spoke about her Bach recording project and showed slides and DVD of highlights. Charles Andrews from All Saints Margaret Street played Saint-Saens and Durufle superbly. I left as John Mander was starting. Fr Alexander at Mass and Cardinal Vaughan school choir sang Palestrina. Watched Ancient Rome programme and Songs of Praise from Dunblane. Spoke to Bruce in his mansion and he showed us the facilities. Food looks good!