The organist librarian

Back to the pool this morning and to art, also returned library scores to Penge and Westminster.  Finally visited Carlyle's home in Chelsea - need more time there!  B Tommy Andersson portrait very pleasant and liked Pan with David Goode on the organ at the Prom. Nielsen and Mahler 4.  Bravo Alice Coote and Handel prom. Louise and Tom off to Madrid for the weekend on Friday.  A great day at Kew and we both walked a lot. Can't say the tree walkway impressed but playground, Palm house and waterlilies were great. Lunch good but pricey! Liz gone to Prom and I am listening to Shostakovich now boys are asleep! I had some red wine and was sick at 3 a.m. Saturday to Gallery Prommers picnic.    Ciaran very unimpressed that he was not going into the hall! We had a good time at Diana playground!  Bus to Acton and Liz went to the first half of the Bernstein Prom and came back so I could go to hear Yo Yo Ma play Bach. I got home at 12.39. Thought Ciaran looked a ...

Liz went to get her hair done. I started packing. Wrote report about Jerusalem and listened to David Goode from King's college and interesting programme on organ music CDs. Watched Island parish 1 from the Falklands. 

To Beckenham by car and got flowers at M and S where I parked. Peter Cook played Camidge, Vierne, Lloyd Webber and David German. His John Williams Film surprise was lost on me. The organ has some water damage.To Central Music library and got all the scores I wanted. The Prom was BBC Phil with Noseda playing Casella, Chopin, Franck with Ben Grosvenor and Saint-Saens 3 with David Goode - splendid. Saw Ben Saul and his family and Damien Howard. The talk on French music was interesting. What makes French music French? Many German influences. Stayed for the first 15 minutes of the battle of the big Jazz bands but it was very loud and could not hear the speech well. Pouring. Liz went to Acton as on Saturday she got some reading glasses - dispute with insurance company. 

Interesting exhibition about the organ with videos and 4 wondrous machines. Radio 3 In tune in the foyer and chatted to Robert Fraser. Saw Drew Cantrill and Liz and I ate at Giraffe. Alas I misread the programme and did not realise the talk was in the QEH so we listened to the youth choirs instead. The concert was brilliant with John Scott (immaculate Bach Passacaglia) Jane Parker-Smith (Franck Fantaisie showing off the colours) David Goode and the diminutive Isabelle Demers (Mendelssohn and Dupre). New works by Maxwell Davies and Tavener were effective. Alison Balsom played Bach brilliantly. Gigout with brass ensemble was a great start. Surprised to see Jane Allen there, also Chris Town, Geoff and Andy Scott.

Trinity Sunday so played Willan on Nicaea, Wyton on St Patrick's Breastplate and Harper Triptych. We sang "Holy, holy, holy" and "How shall I sing that majesty" to Coe Fen - what a tune! Had a chat to Paul about contacting local mosques which I have been doing. Practised and Liz was home early from cathedral. Worked on Knitter essay. Dennis arrived looking well and we had a nice lunch and worked in the garden in the sunshine moving stones and compost to fill the new wooden raised beds. To Holy Trinity Sloane Square for the opening of the splendid 4 manual Harrisons organ by David Goode. A full church paying £12 each! Champagne at the break. Martin Ball, Christopher Town, Gloria and Michael Toplis, Michael Armstrong and an organist from Buffalo who played for 2 years at St Mary's Cambridge. Met Stephen Smith who does organ recitals.com and Michael Brough who's toccata was played. Bach Wedge (with score) Schmidt, Alain, Durufle, Mendelssohn, Parry, Durufl...

A lovely day and we both swam and to the cathedral for Chrism Mass at which we were consecration torches. Our back view on the diocesan website photos. The Mawby Ave verum was thrilling. Haydn Little organ mass and De Angelis. Bishop George going to Cardiff to be Archbishop. An excellent lunch in the hall and lots of people to meet and we chatted to folk in M & S when we went for tea. Liz went to Lancaster Road to see family and I came home to go to Croydon parish church for Couperin tenebrae beautifully sung by Gail Winter and Julie Beaumont and Canon Colin read the gospel beautifully. It was all a little bit camp. Drew in jeans and black open neck shirt. Gave Martin How his 80th birthday card he was pleased. Sex education show and baby born in Auschwitz on TV! Also watched An Island parish about Barra. Wednesday also lovely. Swam and played for funeral at Coulsdon - all went well. Soloist gospel style Amazing grace. I played Pie Jesu at the end. Interesting song played as a tr...

Up early and put on suit to get bus to Balham for interviewing help session at Chestnut Grove. Security very obvious with gates and checks to get in and out! 3 of the 6 students turned up - where were the others? Very impressed - 2 of them had been in a group of 11 who had visited Cambridge. One described himself as a comforting guy and a kind person and wants to be a football pro after training in the USA. The third could become an M.P. or journalist - he is keen to change his own Black community view of gang and knife crime and has influenced others for the good - such people give one hope for our divided society. I mentioned him to the M.P's helper on Saturday. Home and then to St Michael's for Sarah Kim's recital. Alfred Hollins, Schumann, Mendelssohn Serious variations arranged for organ, Alain and Joseph-Ermend Bonnal Cloches dansle ciel. She grew up in Sydney and is now based in Paris - plays very well and a good audience. Saw David Dibbs, Ken, Howard and Adrian. The...