The organist librarian

Met Henry and family at the new playground at the lake - you can play music! I went off the Mass St Maximilain Kolbe. Greenwich picture House for 2007 Met Eugene Onegin conducted by Gergiev. Renee Fleming, Dmitri Hvorostovsky (what a loss he was) fab acting and singing, loved the bare sets. And the tenor Ramon Vargas was moving and impressive. Had a good meal at Imperial College Union and the discussion on ecstasy was fascinating. Barenboim added Eugene Onegin polonaise and violin concerto changed to Tchaikovsky. I brought the Brahms score as that was in the prospectus. Very well played. East West divan orchestra.Hamilton too long and never heard a single word! Scriabin was impressively loud well done the brass.  12.30 Mass at Chiswick for the Assumption. Carluccios in Chiswick is shut so we had an excellent meal at Kitchen and Pantry. Sean enjoyed his icecream. Discovered we had managed to leave the keys inside the house so got a locksmith who eventually changed the loc...

Listening to the super Halle prom with Mark Elder Warner, Debussy and the Firebird. Seems the folk prom now on TV was packed and enjoyable. Got no 9 in queue for Liz.  Reading Barbara Boehm's Jerusalem in the fab National Art library Victoria and Albert museum.  Beautiful book. T shirt wringing wet after Vespers and Mass. Glad I wore my shorts. Listening to NYO Prom on phone (lost end of the Benjamin) Liz is at the concert. Shower, cold beer, cone. Ligeti, Debussy La Mer, Ravel left hand piano concerto, Mussorgsky, Benjamin. 

Mass and got hearing aid batteries. Great having the boys to stay and Henry loved the water play. To Glyndebourne Prom so had Pimms. Pelleas and Melisande. The talk was good and explained the weird production which does not help. Great singing and orchestral playing. Best not to look at the stage!

Swam 20 and Liz came as well. Looked up Harry Mellor's details for his 50 year scroll. Hearing aid at AgeUK - lady 30 minutes late, new tubes and she agrees I need new moulds to stop the whistling. Went for yellow fever injection but informed that risk was greatly increased for over 60s so need to discuss with nurse. To Boots Whitgift after lunch for eye test. Small cataract in right eye but no need for new glasses and come back in 2 years. Liz met me at Selhurst. The intro to the Prom as rather too high brow and the young instrumentalists did not get to play much. West-Eastern Divan orchestra under Barenboim played uninspiring Schoenberg, Beethoven Triple concerto and Tchaik 4. To Acton. Wed to Whipsnade and had good journeys with no holdups. We all loved it and Ciaran became a young zoo explorer for a year. Saw red panda, sea lions under water, rhinos, elephants, lions, tiger, lynx, chimps, camels, deer, yaks, hippos, giraffes, zebras, waterbuck. Went on steam train ride. Had no...

Swam 20, art and worked on Galilee painting, interfaith lunch, delivered some letters reminding neighbours to return the form about getting a back lane gate, joined Kensington library to get scores (which they keep in store) Got a nice card with koalas on it! Lovely prom Debussy, Vaughan Williams and Elgar 2 - Mark Elder conducting the Halle. Annoyed to be told not to use the torch to follow the score. I shall complain to the hall. Watched Nielsen and Hugh Wood on TV recording.Also went to mosaic workshop in Norwood and got tiles and posted BT parcel at post office. Liz's ring to be fixed - insurance does not cover it.

Swam 20. To CML and got 4 scores. Liz just got to Cadogan in time. Alice Coote was indisposed but Anna Schwanewilms accompanied by Malcolm Martineau was a delightful replacement and she sang Debussy and Strauss. To Somerset House and had a look at the rudeboys photos and after picnic Colour in the work Josef Albers, Anni Albers and Gary Hulme then to the Courtauld for the prints from Breughel to Freud and some of the collection has been rehung. The cheaper Monday price is going from Monday. To St Martin's in the Fields and had a look in the Dick Sheppard chapel (statues were dedicated by Desmond Tutu and I was present) and drawings for the Bible by Annie Vallotton and touching pictures of Indian untouchable children from Hyderabad. To the National Portrait gallery for the Virginia Woolf special exhibition. Had to wait several times to look in the cases and the BP portrait award was very crowded. To Royal Academy for Stephen Hopper the lost album interesting that the cross appears ...

Swam 20. Liz at Acton. To British library - trains late but had enough time to read the Ueda articles and then to Senate House. Staff helped to find larger miniature scores which were actually full scores! Bus to Mount St and 1.05 Mass at Farm Street for the Assumption. The priest hummed and hahed a bit and was dull - nothing sung. Sr Campion was at the Mass and had a lovely chat lasting 2 hours. Mount Street centre being refurbished. Had to get sandwiches at the hall and looked after queue while 2 of the ladies went to the pub! The preProm was Dame Monica Mason talking about Nureyev. Saw him with Fonteyn in 1973 in Romeo and Juliet. Loved the prom RPO conducted by Charles Du Toit. Stravinsky, Lutoslawski concerto grosso - 3 celli soloists. Quite noisy. Debussy and Ravel. Love Daphnis and Chole! Pity there was no chorus!

Nice day and considered various options but in the end played at home. Cleared up lounge and hoovered. In course of this found dead mouse in trap in cupboard next to fireplace also one closed trap had gone off - why no smell? Must have been there a while - ugh! Ciarán played in garden and with tracks. He dropped off while watching John Wilson prom so I listened to Debussy sonata from the prom with the score I got from Bromley. Liz went to see Josie in the assessment centre - it was her birthday. Spoke to Louise on skype - she had seen midwife. Ciarán baked Thomas cakes with Agga.

To Bromley to return scores and post items and get a battery for the smoke alarm - at £6.49 rather likely to deter people from installing them. Louise had got Bruce over last night and he brought Ciarán. He lost no time in getting the track set up and coped well with the wires everywhere. Chatted away in bed about our holiday and made up stories. Eventually slept at 9.15 p.m. Listened to Debussy Preludes book 2 with score from the Prom. Did article about Faith and the environment and report on More than Gold. Mixed feelings about it - needed more time and more response to emails!

Picked up Bruce and took Liz and him to station so he took my tickets for athletics and the tower visit. Listened to Debussy string quartet and Ravel piano trio with scores - both HDD recordings cut off before the end. Fuse went as well yet again.

Unsurprisingly we woke later than expected and drove to Elmers End to get train to Lewisham. The signage there was nil so instead of getting the DLR to Greenwich we got a train to Blackheath and a bus then walked in the rain to the park where we went through security smoothly and got a buggy ride to the actual venue at 10 a.m. I have complained about Lewisham. The volunteers were again great and really enjoyed watching the dressage with the music. Storm came over so got wet again then it cleared up but windy. Decided not to visit Maritime Museum exhibition on the river and long walk to DLR Greenwich and to Lewisham and train back. Had lunch and then off to pre Prom talk with 3 members of the Berlin Phil all from Massachusetts! They were not very forthcoming but learnt a bit about the Ligeti. The Berlin Phil played superbly for Simon Rattle - Wagner, Sibelius 4, Debussy Jeux and Ravel. No encore! Packed. Chatted to June and Spanish lady. Liz fell asleep and missed the 20 minute deadline...

At vespers and served at Mass with Fr Michael Archer. Intern Michael and organist Matthew finish next weekend - both have been excellent. To prom - not many there! Goehr, Knussen, new work by Helen Grime Night songs, lovely Debussy Martyrdom of St Sebastian. Home by 11. Sunday to St Andrew's and played Vaughan Williams, Dad's suite (his anniversary), Finlandia for Liz's Dad's anniversary and Vierne. Someone had left last week's service booklet and the clapping Gloria ready and in a moment of  confusion started that but Vickie said it's the Rutter which I had ready any way! Nice to see folk again. The choir room has been repainted and rearranged and the Great stops now all work! Interesting presumably all done for Jo Richards who will be appointed in September. Gave Vickie Music and liturgy and jokes to Jill. Delivered baby stuff to Patricia Allen in Caterham to take to Chardie's. Neil Armstrong died - a very brave man. A lot of fuss over Prince Harry naked p...

Saturday woke in the night and went back to sleep after breakfast! Finished reading Music and liturgy - good article on Crucifixions by Helen. Listened to Debussy cello sonata and Brahms trio 3 from the proms with scores. Chat to Bruce who is moving to Glyn Close next week.

Swam 30. While was at the doctor's had a call from Fr Christopher to say they had appointed somebody else although it was close. The organ was dire so that's a relief. To interfaith lunch and a good turnout. The walks attracted 30 to 50 people each! Shocked to learn from a Muslim about the new law which allows body scanning at airports. He sees this an invasion of privacy especially women and children and what control will there be over the saved images?To Balham library to get more scores - it seems the store is in a mess. To Tate Britain to see the Migrations exhibition which seemed an odd compilation. Then found buses were not running past Hyde Park corner because of the torch relay so to South Kensington and walked up carrying the bags of scores. Saw 3 acrobats hanging from Imperial College! To preProm family talk not well attended but people played their instruments and the evening's works were introduced with 3 members of the BBC orchestra of Wales. In the South was a...

 Sunday to St Alban's South Norwood to play for the service. Fr Russell sings well and welcoming choir who sang the psalm. It seems I play quicker than the resident Frank - the organ not in good state. Mr Jackson who was our piano tuner died and his wife went back to Thailand - his ashes are buried under the altar. Met Liz for lunch at Prezzos on a special offer and delicious. To British Museum for community preview of Shakespeare's world - a very fine exhibition with many lovely objects. Glad we went. Liz came home and I went to the preProm talk and the excellent Pelleas conducted by Gardiner. The Monteverdi choir had very little to sing. Sir John Tomlinson was outstanding.

Liz went to hospital for preop assessment. The Prom was gorgeous. Elgar violin concerto with score played by Tasmin Little. There is sweet music. Percy Grainger and Strauss Till Eulenspiegel. Andrew Davis conducting BBC. Stayed on for late prom which was Grainger and folk music from Northumbria and was great fun, including smallpipes. Grainger's arrangements are quite extraordinary! Just missed a 70 and got to Acton at 12.30. Wednesday our 37th wedding anniversary - to Mass at Acton. Met Louise and Ciarán in park and he enjoyed waterplay. She took us for a lovely lunch at the Station House sea bream and she had lobster with Marlborough white wine. Delicious and a very hot day. Ciarán loved the paddling pool and playing being showered. To Prom BBC Scottish conducted by Donald Runnicles. Ravel and Debussy. The Dutilleux cello conerto a bit too dreamy and soft for the Proms? Lynn Harrell played a lovely Bach encore. Score for Prelude a l'apres, Bolero and part of Daphnis and Chlo...

The house is now a delightful cream colour - first coat done today. It was warm but not too sunny. Liz did all the stuff on the ladders but I managed on the small ladder and it is now easy to get out onto the back roof through the new window. Vincent Coggin was due to sort out the organ today but he never eang with the time of his arrival so still have not met him. To Prom and we were early - met cathedral interfaith group member can't recall her name! An interesting programme of Honegger, Castiglione, Berg and La Mer very well played and conducted by Oliver Knussen. Thin audience. Home in an hour and picked up a blowup bed from Josie's for Liz to use. David Barrett died of pneumonia - so sad. Watched James Cox on British master painters - excellent programmes.

Lou and Bruce arrived last night and I got Ciarán off to bed after watching lots of Thomas. The prom was excellent - Elder conducting Halle. Lou took Ciarán to friends and I set up the new HDD recorder and the DVD player and we now have TV sound through your radio stereo speakers! At 2 p.m. we all went to Croydon crematorium for the burial of Grandma's ashes and lovely to see Fr Denis Paul again. Claire and Josie came and we all went to Dennis's for tea and cake iced by Liz. Ciarán on great form. Bruce took Lou and Ciarán home. We ahve enjoyed having him! Liz went to pub near school and I went to the Prom. BBC Philharmonic with new Spanish conductor - Ravel, Debussy, Falla. I found Ronde de Printemps score hard to follow and checked on recording when got home. Sat next to a nice Japanese lady and a man who works in Oxford. Met organist from St Andrew Catford.

Dennis came last night and visited Grandma who moved wards. To St Cyprian's for 2 rehearsals with Nick - it is starting to go in. At lunch time I went for a walk in Regent's Park and found a lovely garden with a stature, crocuses, snowdrops and pansies. Cappuccino at Pavilion cafe next to tennis courts. On bus with Andrew and bought meal for 2 in M and S. Canon Christopher at vespers and Mass. The Byron choir from Harrow school was excellent - Byrd, Shephard. Newsletter does give Lent group on Wednesday but nothing about quiet day! Picked up Dennis at King's and I prepared dinner - trout, Mediterranean vegetables and profiteroles with Ke wine from Chile. After dinner played the piano for once - Clair de lune, Faure, Nimrod, Dichterliebe.

I woke late so no swim. I got to Age concern meeting in time and took minutes. Angela mentioned Holocaust day next January commemorating 65th anniversary of Auschwitz being liberated so I mentioned Cirla Lewis. To the park for a nice picnic and enjoying "The way home" by Rose Tremain. Staff meetings went OK . Home to have dinner in the garden and watch the prom - Rite of Spring, Ravel La Valse and fascinating new cello concerto by Unsuk Chin played from memory by Alban Gerhardt. BBC Scottish conducted by Ilan Volkov. Watched Debussy and Takemitsu recordings.