The organist librarian

Palm Sunday like no other! Ann on Skype, family Eucharist from canon of Portsmouth's garden, Caterham service, Upper Norwood excellent, Fr Stephen Langridge on Faithinisolation. Most moving of all the Cardinal at the cathedral. Fr Andrew singing and organ! Recorded 2 hymns. Death café on zoom was fascinating. Evensong from Ripon and Newcastle with recorded music. Daniel French in Salcombe. 

A lovely celebration Mass for Cardinal Vincent's Golden Jubilee. As multos annos was sung by the priests in the sacristy. Lunch in the cathedral cafe with Michael and Trevor. To Imperial War Museum to see Culture under attack - not sure the music part fitted the theme very well but it is interesting and well presented. It's free and finishes Jan 5. After tea Fr Andrew at Mass and lots of servers. They liked their chocs!

Delightful playing from the Sylvan Road wind ensemble at St John's - Faure, Warlock, Beach and Taffanel. Sunny and hot garden clearing up. The Cardinal celebrated Mass for new Catholics. Tim fussing around. Programme on Marianne North painter of flowers. Antibiotics. 

An enjoyable workshop on still life with acrylics at Bethlem and John O'Donnell's paintings really are affirmations of life. Liz at St Joseph's college celebrations. Great preaching at Standing together. If you have woodworm in your posterior you need to get and do something! Saw the Cardinal and Marcin - his address was really excellent! Bishop of Southwark and Bishop of Croydon and lots of black church leaders who really know how to get the crowd going. Big demo about Sudan. A very long confirmation but all did well. Bishop John Wilson was just great. I am now pretty tired after a long stand this afternoon but so glad I went. I found myself shouting Amen in response to the preachers!!! Jesus is the answer to violence and knife crime but we need youth centres, libraries, more and better housing, more police on the beat, more care for each other. All this costs money and time but we must have hope. Tosca from Met on radio 3 with Calleja.

Woke early and got to church by car 8.40.No bells or junior church. Played Mascagni Intermezzo and Easter hymn for Mary Magdalene. Also Tambling on  O filii as we sang O sons and daughters. Visiting preacher good and finished 11.10. Gatwick 11.40 I had not noticed I needed to contact the driver but he appeared in 10 minutes. Assistance from Easyjet. I had time to get  a salad and coffee. Taken to wrong gate and chatted about NHS. Flight delayed 70 minutes lots of kids and crowded. Got his into Toulouse centre seems a charming place with canals. Missed train at 6.30 so got 8.30 one. Ate at Pauls at station found could not read books on Fire without internet but watched downloads Art of Scandinavia and Songs of Praise and read old Oremus. Arrived at 11 and got a taxi with the Oxford ladies. Hotel Metropole room has 2 double beds and we overlook courtyard. Had a beer. Monday to morning prayer and saw the Cardinal and Bishop John. Good breakfast. Choir a bit cramped open air ou...

Swam, Mass and at coffee invited to Christmas lunch on 20th, quiet day with Eileen McDade at cathedral on The Light of the world. two bite the dust on The Apprentice. Sean was brilliant in the reception class nativity. Frankincense bearer takes centre stage! At Somerset House very taken by film in Melancholia exhibition by Guido van der Werve. National gallery cello inspired by Cima Mario Brunello Bach and Weinberg sonata. People cannot sit silent for a Cage piece. Same thing in church if there is a silent gap.  3 exhibitions at Tate Modern. Too many people in Modigliani but did sketching from the catalogue in members room. Intrigued by Kabakov not bothered about Russian revolution stuff. The swings are fun! To Our Lady of Victories Kensington where we married 43 years ago.Church and hall vastly improved and plans for new pipe organ. The Cardinal was at the Lourdes carols to support the Westminster Lourdes pilgrimage. Nice to see Carolyn Morrison. Nice eats.  The r...

To SGI Africa event and excellent banners about Gandhi and peace . UCL event Gandhi quizzes and interesting copying ritual research on autism and reactions to thinking about power and control. Made a badge. Made me feel happy and contented with my life. Love is more important than having power.  2 masses at the cathedral ; the Cardinal celebrated National servers Mass and gave a great homily about icebergs. I looked after offertory and Liz the readers.  Rebecca was everywhere and she was supposed to be sacrstan! I sorted out some poor quality cassocks and cottas were said by her to have been washed 3 weeks ago - they look so dingy. Fr Tony spoke about Missio and South Sudan - he knows Frank Savage and Diana Mills who was there. Watched Bad habits and lost masterpiece. 

Woke early and did some posting and then back to sleep. Helped clear up the garden and the bark is now down under the tree at last.  Bloomsbury Baptist Karg-Elert festival. Ouriana Gassiou and  Eleni Keventsidou  played duets for organ and piano. The problem was that a succession of movements left one confused which was Karg- Elert and Kienzl. Wagner and Weber more successful as it was all rather similar. Stefan Engels played well.  The cardinal celebrated Mass for New Catholics at the cathedral and gave an excellent homily. It was good to see Deacon Kassa and Carlos there. We had a word with him about Sayed Ali Razawi and Ibrahim Mogra's visit to the Pope. He did not realise our friendship with them. Lucy Worsley on Jane Austen on TV.

Some of the council of the Archconfraternity of St Stephen meet the Cardinal. 

A really great day. Swam 20, did Catenian circle minutes, to Gate cinema to see Manon Lescaut from the Met. Alagna and Opolais superb and I found Richard Eyre's production much more moving than the Covent Garden production. To V and A for the Botticelli - superb pictures. Had fun sketching a donkey and a grumpy St Joseph! Liz went to Science Museum with school and servers council. To Archbishop's House for the Pope Benedict XVI lecture given by the Chief Rabbi, the Cardinal and Moulana Sayed Ali Raza Rizvi on "Living as a creative minority in the UK". Excellent and some good questions too. The Cardinal gave a superb exposition of the role of education and a framework for dealing with extremism. Good to see friends Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi, Fr John O'Toole,  Katharina Smith-Muller Interreligious Adviser , Sr Margaret Shepherd and met some interesting new people too. Sayed's friend gave me a lift to Streatham Common.   

To Hurtado centre at Wapping for session on listening. Only 6 there but interesting reflection on Philip and the Ethopian eunuch. Back home. Threw out frozen cauliflower cheese and had pasta and pan au chocolat. Prepared materials for the mosque (still no reply from the Shakyh) and stuff about organists visit to Acton. No trains from Selhurst so parked and bus and tram to East Croydon. Got there are 5.40 to find Emmanuel doing smoke, the girls with wimps, the new guy book. George and Paul Tobin. I said Good evening to Mr M and he once again ignored me. The bishops and Fr John very friendly. The cardinal thanked the servers. It was a mass for evangelisation with bibles given to catechumens. I did nothing while Emmanuel cleared the altar! There were prayers for Paris and an appeal for Aid to the Church in Need.I went straight to the Vigil at Trafalgar Square for Paris and lots of French people there. I saw Bishop Paul and the secretary of the Muslim council who greeted me as John! Catri...

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!

To morning prayer at the cathedral and the choir sang Victoria and Anerio superbly. The soloist was a 13 year old with a fine tenor voice. Went to Methodist central hall for hot cross and coffee and very good meditation by Canon David Stanton. Procession to the cathedral where the Cardinal gave a fine meditation on the trail of Jesus. His homily at morning prayer was also excellent. Cam home and played at 3 p.m. at St Michael's - Paul sang al the prayers and preached well - it seems the Chrism Mass at Rochester was uninspiring. Liz came back around 6 and watched University Challenges. 

Swam 20 and Liz came. She went to West Norwood to collect her repaired jacket. Later she went to Claire's to get trousers repaired. I started on the India picture. To interfaith lunch and there was discussion about Charlie Hebdo. Ivor and Ken saw the photos in video form. Gisela sent a CD and some more came from Peter.To Bromley Court hotel for joint Bromley/Beckenham Catenian meeting which was not that well attended. It was a great pleasure to meet the Grand President Bob Butler and his wife and they have known Eric Tope for years. They had visited Cardinal Vincent this afternoon and found hm very supportive. I had delicious pork and pavlova and we sat with the Smiths from South London and the president of Sevenoaks who was hard work - an accountant. Many congratulations and thanks and offers of support from Province. Hone by 10.15 and Liz won lavender shelfliners in the raffle - elderly? The snow held off. Friday a day at home swam 20 and listed Peter Myers' scores and put ...

To St George's cathedral for Peter Gould's excellent recital. Tate Modern for Conflict, Time, Photography - lots there. Nice walk over Blackfriars to Somerset House for Bryan Adams photos Wounded; the legacy of War. This is the exhibition Liz went to see. Bus to Marks for tea. The Cardinal celebrated confirmations. I started out as book but when Richard arrived i became mitre. I insisted he walk behind us but on the way out he got in front again! Sanctimonious creep. He never said Hello! I even congratulated Fr Andrew on his sermon at St Paul's! Watched programme on Holbein and Christmas lecture. 

Acolyte at Mass with the Cardinal for the start of the Year of the consecrated life followed by Mass for CAFOD with Bishop John Arnold, his last Mass before going to Salford. I told him about Ashley Beck giving Evangelii gaudium out at Monday's circle meeting - he was pleased. Saw Muriel in the hall. Fr Michael very nice at 6 p.m. Mass and Advent has begun. Ben played a subtle improvisation on "this is my body" Nun danket and Wachet auf.

I played Faure Apres un reve and Pavane before service - a departure for me and it seemed right for a family Eucharist. Farrell's Share the light went well on organ rather than piano. Paul forgot first hymn and put it in before the readings - the dreaded Blaenwern. Then he said now we sing the Gloria - No we don't! Servant song, Father we adore you and Shine Jesus shine. Bonighton's Ordinary time more or less made a good ending. I have now stamped all the music I am taking over and got 2 boxes from the cathedral for the items to be sold. I have taken my files of hymn tune preludes and index to church. Met Liz at Victoria and we had a delicious brunch at Le Pain Quotidien - I had smoked salmon, egg, pain au chocolat, yoghurt, breads, orang juice and cappuccino. Quite delicious. To ENO for Rodelinda - a clever production and superb singing. The end of Act 2 duet was a high point. My hat was at the stage door! I was lucky as I lost it on Jan 29th and they normally dispose of ...

Got to the cathedral at 4.15 and found a good place on the centre aisle. Liz was serving - the rehearsal was on Wednesday so I could not do that. Several servers were in the congregation including 2 Michaels and Tony. A very fat man sat next to me but eventually he moved up which was a relief. The choir rehearsed and the cathedral was full! Splendid Bruckner Ecce sacerdos and I had a good view of the pectoral cross. The 3 pontificals were carried in procession and mentioned in the homily Cardinal St John Fisher, Cardinal Pole and Cardinal Allen. Schubert Mass in G, Victoria Te Deum, Mawby Ave verum. At the end Widor Marche pontificale. I saw sister from Heythrop and Ann Welch who said how much she enjoyed the Buddhist centre visit. I then went straight to the V and A but found the tunnel entrance closed and a huge queue in the rain. As the Islamic art meetup group were meeting at 6.30 and it was then 7.30 and I do not know anyone in the group I abandoned it and came home. Liz arrived ...

Saturday watched the consistory ceremony direct from St Peter's. Great to see our choir singing with the Sistine choir and they sang Stanford Beati on their own quite beautifully. Cardinal Vincent got his red hat put on the wrong way round! The  Pope seemed rather low key and quiet. The English commentary was unimpressive but there was some good brass. To Hampton Court on bus, tram and train for visit to the organ which has been well done by Harrisons. Carl played some Haydn and Bridge and I was third on and played Walton Richard III. Dorio played badly. I went looking for tea and enjoyed the exhibition on Henry VIII's early life. Got tea at the station. Fr Michael Q at vespers and Mass - half the clergy are in Rome! Watched programme on Israel and One born every minute. Liz was furious about Rebecca and Jess serving in Rome at the Mass at Sopra Minerva but I say it's up to Paul.