The organist librarian

Nelson Ferreira took me to see the superb Hilliard and Oliver miniatures at NPG. Thanks so much. St Matthew Westminster to hear Carl Jackson play. Royal Academy Renaissance nude. So a day of much beauty and encouragement.

Liz to station and short swim. To St Chad's for Mass for Grainne Kedves-Constantinides birthday. Priest could not pronounce the name! St Cecilia festival at St Paul's. RVW, Stanford, Parry and Thea Musgrave. Nice to see Carl Jackson in the procession! The Anglo-Saxon exhibition at the British Library is a must see! Bishop John Sherrington gave a most interesting presentation and discussion on Amoris laetitia. Chester Zoo programme. 

Enjoying Handel's Theodora from the Proms. Louise Alder and Iestyn Davies on great form. Schmidt Symphony no. 4 impressive and the pianist played 2 encores! Great British bakeoff. Loaded photos from trip onto computer. To St John for Carl's recital - all unknown music and quite enjoyable apart from the Demessieux. Cross with John who criticised Belmont Abbey organ as too loud. 

Francesca Massey  played really well at Bromley parish church. To St George's cathedral Southwark for 60th anniversary Mass for HCPT and gave out all the Catenian bursary fund leaflets. Saw Maureen Martin and lots of others I know including Michael from Westminster cathedral. Tea and cake afterwards. Took the collection! Drums far too LOUD and constant! David Gummett and Fr Gerald were there.  Liz back from Aylesford after servers mass. To Croydon Minster for unique concert in aid of the organ appeal. Lovely to hear Peter Nardone singing. Andrew Cantrill ,  Simon Lole ,  Nigel McClintock ,  Carl Jackson ,  Ian Keatley  and David Swinson. The choir under Ronnie  Ronny Krippner  sounding really well. Also saw Stephen Disley, Marie and Mollie from Coulsdon,  Colin Boswell  is leaving sadly. Martin How,  Anne Fleming . Quite an evening.  Denise Mead , Gail Winter and Julie Beaumont. Jo is leaving Coulsdon to move to Norwich. ...

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.

Spent some time playing with Ciarán - he has more spots but seems quite happy. He was not pleased when I went at 11 a.m. for spirituality day which was led by Eileen McDade on "We have seen his glory". I returned to Acton after the 2 p.m. talk and enjoyed the Epiphany sequence from Eton College chapel directed by Ralph Allwood who got OBE. Carl Jackson got MVO and Sir Anthony Pappano is well deserved! Liz stayed and Louise sorted out her presentation for course. I watched programme on Queen Mary and enjoying series on Jerusalem. Have started book on Islam which I have had for some months from the library. To  dentist for clean and fluoride treatment. Venetia Patel taking Rebecca's place. Returned home to a letter from Abigail Peck saying Joy had died. She was perfectly named and was a good chair of the Southwark unity commission. Also much involved in Focolare. Her funeral is on Monday when we are returning from York and she will be buried in Suffolk. I wrote to Abigail -...

Up late and back bad - may have been the jerks as bus driver of W3 went too fast over humps at Alexandra Palace. It was great watching Carl on the big screen last night - his approach is very sensitive! Liz ordering new printer.

Redid painting above porch and got water feature going again, put up hanging basket and cleared up garden table. Tried again to get roof down on wendy house and fixed water butt which was blocked up. A lovely day! To Royal Academy - we were early so had a look at Hungarian photography again with Liz and into the Degas and movement exhibition at 4 with headphones. Soent a happy hour - the photography sections and pastels of dancers particularly fine. Had tea and chelsea bun in Friends room. On way out saw free lecture at Linnaean society on biology of ageing so Liz went to that. Tube and bus to Alexandra Palace. What a view! Had ale and ate sandwiches. Carl Jackson gave a fine recital. Elgar, Parry's Elegy, Howells Psalm prelude Set 2 no 1. Watching him on the big screen you see his sensitive and considered approach. I dropped off in the Liszt Invocation. After interval Alain, Bouvet Tango, Patterson. 1 and a quarter hours to get home - bus, tube, train, car.

Saturday to cathedral for 12.30 p.m. with the Archbishop to celebrate 20th anniversary of Slovenian independence. I was acolyte, boat and book! Only 3 servers with Paul. Started with Oh Lord my God and ended with O worship the King. Good choir and soprano soloist who surprisingly sang the National anthem which was rather tuneful. The Acrhbishop of Ljubljana spoke rather too long as did a priest and then a presentation to the Archbishop.I recalled my visit to that city in 1959, I returned home for lunch and then took car to Bromley Parish church and train back to Victoria. Smoke vespers and Mass with Fr Tim who is to retire to Rickmansworth. Swavek is off to Enfield and Kingsley is going too. The diocesan children's choir were dire in Panis angelicus again! Train to Bromley South and bus and arrived at the Parish church at 8 p.m. Dennis was already there. Very nice meal and 42 there. Carl Jackson spoke well and so did Venerable Peter Lock who loves Beyond the Fringe. Home at 11 p.m...

7 services played for or attended over the 3 days! 2 Masses at Purley where Canon Jim was on great form. He spoke about the Bethlehem wall and banning "O little town"! Bill's girls sang In dulci jubilo beautifully and the music group did well on the Sunday including Bernadette Farrell's "Bread of life". The 2 crib services were better attended and Midnight went really well. I was particularly pleased that Walton's "All this time" came off well and we did some unusual ones like "Once as I remember". Why Molly gets given a mike for "Once in royal" is beyond me as she does not need one! Stopped after verse 4 and Tony came to the organ to say technical hitch We have forgotten the baby for the crib so much scurrying about in the dark! I was first home followed by Louise and Bruce from St John's and Liz much later in the hired car from the cathedral. Christmas Day such excitement never got any breakfast as we opened presents w...

David came and held ladder and got 3rd coat of tar on roof. We had coffee adn enjoyed a chat - his old school sounds horrendous! To St Michael's for recital by Carl Jackson - a good programme Preston, Ireland, Pomp and circumstance No.4, Mathias Berceuse, Langlais. Then to cathedral to sort out dates for interfaith group - will be on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. Sat in garden and read until 4 p.m. when 12 people came for the talk on Buddhism by Brian Appleyard. He spoke without notes. To St Mary le Bow on district line to hear Timothy Radcliffe on the Our Father and justice - excellent but could not hear every word. Back to cathedral for Martin Baker's recital and a good audience. Franck No. 1, Mendelssohn, Reger, Cochereau and Tournemire. Excellent. Home listening to prom celebrating 800 years of Cambridge including Stanford in A, Jonathan Harvey, Judith Weir, Saint-Saens 3 with Thomas Trotter.