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. 

Swam 20 and Liz came. To art and finished the Chennai painting for Fr Renato and started a rugby picture which is the theme of  Thornton Heath Arts Week . Traffic and late running trains meant there was no way I would get to St John's Smith Square to hear Patrick Russill play so went to Royal Academy to see Eileen Cooper's work. She combines Picasso child-like faces with passion! The schools work was pretty awful - one would have thought the standard would have been higher?  Had a M & S picnic in Green Park. The Royal Society of Antiquaries has a good film and small Magna Carta exhibition. To British Museum to see the new Woolfson gallery but all that gold and bling! Exquisite but .....? Served as crozier as Cardinal said Mass of sick and retired clergy fund supporters. Delays getting home and watching third round of  BBC Cardiff Singer of the World . Impressive Mongolian baritone!

Worked on dissertation - now at 6700 words including bibliography. Delighted that George Wilson is reading it. Watched a bit of Wimbledon, Come dine with me and Cardiff singer earlier rounds, also Antiques roadshow. To Croydon Catenians - good to see Bill O'Doherty and Jim Mann  again and enjoyed chatting. Everyone commented on the 4 photos of me in Catena! 

Watched the Cardiff Singer final and thrilled that Jamie won but also liked Marco from Croatia. More work on dissertation. Watched programme on Andy Murray.

Phone rang at 4 a.m. Dennis in Salford hospital with abdominal pain and later in the day had appendix removed. To Heythrop for 10 a.m. rehearsal which not all servers attended. Any way worked it all out and it went well - Bishop John on good form and a nice lunch. Chatted to PPs from Wanstead and New Barnet and Fr Tony and John Dal Din. To Battersea Park peace pagoda for the 28th anniversary celebrations. Bruce Kent not there but Pat Gaffney spoke. Nice Indian dance, violin solo of Vivaldi and interesting Harmonise sign language choir.Rain held off for most of it. On bus with John and Tina. Vespers and Mass with Fr John. Spoke to Ann. Cardiff singer of the world song prize won by the fabulous Jamie Barton.

Have recorded the programmes but the most impressive so far is the mezzo Jamie Barton from America who sang Sea Pictures!

Swam 20. Did some looking up on Meister Eckhart. To Bromley library to get scores - 3 of them could not be found in stacks. Sandwich and coffee chatting to couple and gave out fliers for the Sunday series -  a couple of people asked for directions. Chris Town was there. A stunning recital by Tak who is 22 and has just graduated at the Royal College. Vierne, Muffat, Buxtehude , dancing Bach, Howells and Mulet - the last my Dad would have said "The crossing gates are open!" She is clearly a name to watch! Had very nice dinner on return home and Liz went to Chiswick. Cardiff singer of the world and a programme on Ian Banks and Father Brown. 

At evensong we sang Stainer in B flat and I saw the Lord and we had solemn benediction with unusually 4 servers. Cardiff singer of the world final was worthily won by Valentina from Moldova. The Ukranian baritone won the song final last night and was also excellent but all the finalists were brilliant in different ways. Interesting programme on the history of Wimbledon. I found more about the Tates and a book of prints by Ridsdale Tate signed by him. My grandmother and aunt had noted important dates to remember.

2 days at home resting. Did not go to chorus Thursday but OK for choir on Friday. Finished Neil MacGregor's outstanding A History of the world in 100 objects. Saturday to reading group and Liz to diaconate ordination. Discussed Lucky Jim. Not impressed that the author is not to come next month after all - I shall not bother again. Came home and did not go to Buddhist pagoda as weather changeable. Smoke vespers and Mass with RSCM voices and commissioning of special ministers so Paul, Nick, Emmanuel and Anthony there. Swavek gong to Enfield, Tim to Rickmansworth and Kingsley going too. Mobile phone has disappeared. Dynarod came and cleared drains. Watched Cardiff singer of the world. Great baritone and sopranos.

Saturday took snacks to work and enjoyed the doughnuts! It was quite quiet and the park very pleasant. Lots in The Tablet again! At the choir meeting we did discuss discipline again and I pointed out that I did not always hear what people said and this could be worrying for me. I do rely on people asking to repeat sections if I am singing as well as playing. I should do most of the talking any way. To Vespers on High altar and Mass followed by procession to end Quarant'Ore. Liz was thurifer and I was acolyte - my candle went out in Ambrosden Avenue. Hugely amused by David's head popping up over the playground wall. Excellent singing from the Oratory school schola - Langlais Messe solennelle and Mendelssohn Lauda Sion and Cibavit. Home late and Liz went to Lerone's party in Streatham. Sunday choir sang well Gibbs 3 part setting and Attwood "Teach me O Lord". I went to cello and piano recital by David Tabbat and Guy Middlemiss - delightful Schumann, Faure, Ravel and...

Wednesday Liz returned from Dublin and we met at Victoria. I had been to Vickie in the morning to choose hymns for July. I then got the train to St Michael's for the recital by Francesca Massey of Peterborough Cathedral. Had fish pie with her. It was a puzzling programme - Whitlock Fanfare, Purcell and Mendelssohn in D minor, a prelude by Messiaen and then the overlong Toccata by Patrick Gowers. Perhaps too much minor! She does play very well. I finished reading "The Woodlanders" by Thomas Hardy - a delight. To Hinsley Room for interfaith group. Rachel Heilbron of Three Faiths forum could not make it because of the tube strike. There were 7 there and we had a lively discussion ranging to Sri Lanka and the walk I had been on Saturday. There were no buses going up Whitehall so we walked the last bit to Horse Guards. For £12 we had an excellent seat at the back of the stand near the clock. 260 musicians of the Royal Marines bands made a stirring sound and the programme was ...

Monday only 15 lengths as got up late - met Humphrey on train. Home to watch Cardiff singer of the world - liked Argentinian bass of 23. Tuesday to dentist to get front tooth temporarily repaired - will be a crown £200. Back tooth can't be crowned. Got to work at noon. Liz flew to Dublin overnight - her ticket was on wrong day so she missed her Haydn practice. To West Hill closed library for walk round Wandsworth town with Bob Lilliman. Pauline Kirwan and Julian Wales on it and John Hawes joined later. It was most interesting if a bit noisy at times and nowhere to sit down! Home to watch Mary of the charity shops!

I missed my swim today as I woke up late - no wonder Ed considering my programme! My boss came to set targets for the year and I was able to suggest some I have already achieved like getting 4 authors for the reading group - Louise Tondeur comes Saturday. To serve at Mass at the cathedral for the middle Mass of the Quarant'Ore (40 hours devotion to the Blessed Sacrament). The flowers are stunning and the Mass was very beautiful with Mgr Mark. He gave a fine homily on love and the Sacred Heart (not a feast which has appealed to me very much) and I felt a real sense of prayer and forgiveness. The full choir sang Haydn Missa St Johannis de Deo (we sing it at Coulsdon) and it's delightful. In fact it's the setting we sang when I brought the choir to sing at mass and I'm very keen to have it at Louise's wedding. Saw Thomas Wilson and teased him about coming to dinner on Sunday (they couldn't make it in Lent because of his duties as precentor - see the cathedral blog ...