The organist librarian

Thursday to St George's hospital whcih turned out to be an impression for a new right ear hearing aid mould. Then to Kensington Gardens to read the Tablet in sunshine before the rehearsal at the Royal Albert Hall for the Classic FM 15th birthday concert. This was packed and featured fireworks and a birthday cake which nobody cut and free coffee from the sponsors. David Parry conducted the Philharmonia with aplomb and various Classic FM presenters introduced the items. We began with "Zadok the priest" the first music played on the station. Nicola Benedetti played The Lark ascending superbly and looked wonderful! Alfie Boe sang O solo mio and Nessun dorma. Natalie Klein played the Elgar cello concerto beautifully. I enjoyed singing the Grand march from Aida and the Benedictus of Carl Jenkins. We also sang Faure's In paradisum. There was a new arrangement of Happy birthday and the encore was the Hallelujah chorus! Dorio and Sheila Melfi were in the audience and it was a ...

Thursday to rehearsal at Henry Wood hall with Christoph von Dohnanyi. We were required to be there at 6 p.m. for the piano rehearsal and all went well. We then had a gap before the orchestral rehearsal. On Friday came news that the rehearsal at the Festival hall could not take place and the concert on the Saturday was now Verdi requiem conducted by David Parry. Fortunately we were not doing the concert as I was working. Friday night to choir practice only to find I had forgotten that it was cancelled as the choir were not singing on Sunday so I practised the organ and piano and checked on the programme up to the end of November. Dealt very firmly with difficult children on Thursday and the result was a quiet library over the following days! I missed the choir on Sunday. Most of the congregation were at Teresa's ordination at Southwark cathedral. Richard celebrated on his own with one server. I played the whole of Milner's variations on a Northumbrian tune and Willan's Chora...