The organist librarian

Set off 11.45 very quick to terminal 3. Got duty free wine for cruise. We can take a bottle each. Liz couldn't get memory card.  She was upset that the seating change she made last night to a 2 on upper deck was not there but in fact the man next to me was happy to move so we were OK. Watched Goodbye  Christopher Robin, History Boys and Murder on the Orient Express and listened to Guy Johnston. Sound good and food OK. 10 hour flight. Taken past long queue at passport control because I was limping! Supershuttle to Washington park hotel Miami south beach. Long wait for room so given vouchers for breakfast. Met couple on our cruise. Tired out. Room good 2 beds. Hot shower. 3/2 woke early. Rain so no swim or beach. To supermarket and got adaptor ,camera card and salads. Booked for concert eventually. Free trolley to Jewish museum ArtDeco synagogues excellent and special exhibition of Torah pointers. To Wolfsonian on trolley. Lovely design museum and Julius Klinger posters. Tea. ...

No swim again. Listened to Walton Sinfonia concertante from the Prom with a lovely full score from CML. The HDD version lost the last 3 pages which I found on Iplayer! To Cadogan Hall for a super Prom of Shostakovich waltzes which were fun and Facade conducted by John Wilson and the Nash ensemble with the superb Dame Felicity Palmer and Ian Bostridge perfect as narrators. To Science museum basement to meet Lou, Ciarán and James. Had coffee and salad. I went to the V and A for the lovely wedding dresses display which was pricey but worth it. The Duchess of Argyl had a huge train carried by footmen through crowds at the Oratory. Some fine modern dresses too especially the Indian and Chinese style ones. The Duchess of Cornwall and Sarah Chatto dresses very fine. Some were too revealing for a church wedding! The talk was about Robert Frost and Edward Thomas and was excellent. Great to hear Frost read by an American. The Cleveland played Brahms Tragic overture and No. 2 beautifully. The Jo...

The Archdeacon Paul Wright led family eucharist - one child out of 18 present! He gave an excellent sermon on his job and resolving disputes in parishes. Hope John was listening! Bill raised the question of the Big lunch clash with first organ recital next June. I did raise this initially and did not get an answer. I played Darke on Brother James air, Andrew Moore and Karg-Elert Nun danket for our ruby wedding. We did sing The summons. Straight to St Paul's cathedral via Waterloo for Graham Usher's talk on Places of enchantment finding God in nature. He was vicar of Hexham and is now Bishop of Dudley. He spoke a lot about mountains. I commented that Peter would have whipped out his Blackberry at the Transfiguration as we live in a recording age. I also said the liturgy needs to convey something of the grandeur of God and he advocated more silence. It was most interesting.  Of all the wonderful places I have seen very seldom was I alone. The 3.30 prom featured the Qatar philhar...