The organist librarian

To Mass and the lovely reading of the Visitation. Delightful recital at St Stephen Wallbrook by Jonathan Dods and eats and chat to follow. Sebastian and Ray were there. The lady doing the teas gave me some nice foliage for our wreath. The turner over also played well - he is 13.Tate Britain if film makers must win the Turner prize please provide seating and make up a cinema. I liked the sculptures in the Duveen galleries but hated the enormous slugs on the front. They are just horrid! I avoided Burne-Jones as I do not like the pre-Raphaelites. To choir practice at St John's for the carol service. The Whitacre is tricky.

Delightful recital by Paul Hale at St John Upper Norwood. Harris, Bach, Bedard, Willan, Schumann, Mulet, Franck and Nigel Ogden as an encore. What a treat! Loved his story about FJ being asleep during the Willan. 

Mass and Henry played very happily eating an orange. To Penge congregational for a light-hearted programme on the fine Lewis organ. 30 there Penge festival. To Acton. Library backlog now only 3 shelves! Michael Dorey excellent on doubting Thomas at Hinsley room only 8 there. To Natural history museum fab wildlife photographer of the year. St Stephen's Gloucester Road fine art especially Sarah Bryant. English Baroque choir were rehearsing. To Sisters of Sion for Cardinal Bea lecture which was very interesting. Fr Andrew Gadney and Jonathan Gorsky excellent on Divinu Afllente Spiritu. Archbishop Kevin, John O'Toole, Rabbi Mark, Michael Barnes, William Rhind. Harriet Crabtree told me my emails were going to spam and use Mailchimp. 

Swam, Mass. An enjoyable first visit to Godalming to hear Marilyn Harper play. A fine Hill organ in an interesting church. Liked the Bedard, Mendelssohn and Norman Harper's piece. Lovely autumn day in leafy Surrey. Peter Halliday and a bass from Bridgemans and organists there. A good audience and tea.  To the British Museum to see the stunning Scythians exhibition. Their craftsmanship amazing and knew very little about them. 4.30 seemed to be a good time to go as one could see things well - it was not crowded. I also saw the prints about Luther. Iberia have refused to pay the 30 Euro for the taxi after delayed flight! Had some more green soup and to 9 p.m. showing at Clapham Picturehouse (met the nice couple from Cadogan Hall proms) to see "Call me by your name" beautiful film but did find the situation rather tiresome (idle people in Italy) and the father had some strange views - it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all might be the moral. 

To the AGM of Friends of Grangewood Park. Impressed by the committee's enthusiasm and ideas - 47 joined this year. To Widmore Road URC Bromley for organists composite recital. I played Walton 3 pieces from Richard III. We had Rowley, Vierne, JSB, Pachelbel, Vierne, Bedard. Vespers and Mass at the cathedral then to Clapham Picturehouse for the outstanding RSC Shakespeare celebration. You name they were in it! Twice this week I have gone out without my right hand hearing aid. This is because of the bad habit f only putting one in to go swimming! I am still waiting for a hearing test.

Up late and sorting out numerous emails. To Brook Green St Michael's on trains and underground for the recital by Jonathan Dods standing in for the player from St Martin's in the Fields. Naughtily he did not give us a programme and mentioned Bach, Demessieux and Bedard and left us naming that tune! I got Attende Domine, Ubi caritas and O sacred head right! Watched programmes on monasteries. Lots in The Tablet today. Practised Gigout and Bach on piano. Watched University challenge and The Boy in a dress, also Betjemanland.

Took Liz, Louise and Tom to Crystal Palace as Liz went to Derek and Brian's first masses at Homerton and Poplar. Brian will not be doing confirmation at the cathedral alas! Not much mention of Peter and Paul as there was a baptism - 90 there. Paul went on far too long 90 minutes in all. I played Bedard and Stanley. The hymns were pretty naf too. To Becket fete to promote Catenians and we got 3 names - I blew up balloons and left at 2.15. Fr Joe "Oh my God" and chatted to Brendan so no change there! I had black bean fajita - very nice. David Dibbs played the recital - 14 came. Bit of a mixed bag including Sullivan, Handel and Coates. Nice new march by Bishop. I think if you must play popular stuff you have to be accurate and his Walton was certainly inaccurate. I got given the left over wine and Paul would not take payment for it. To Anerley St Anthony's for Mass - Sunith a bit slow again and saw Stuart afterwards. Home to eat and rest. Come dine with me and Antiques...

Corpus Christi procession after Mass. Fr Paul was amazed that people did not kneel during adoration. I played Boellmann, Bedard and Stanley. 24 came to the duo recital by Robert Munns (he is 81 and did not recognise me) and Brian Newman. I felt the modern pieces worked better than the Schubert and Mozart which seemed rather dull. Liz came along later. Lovely programme on Glyndebourne and Rosenkavalier on BBC4.

Mouse No. 4 seen in the lounge last night - yuk! Saturday to St George's cathedral to hear Marilyn Harper play very well. I made myself known to Mylene. She played Bach, Rootham and Bedard. About 25 there. A lovely day and visited the Tibetan peace garden. I had parked at West Norwood so took bus back and then to Dulwich picture gallery for Hockney prints. Overpriced at £10 for pensioners - the rooms are too narrow and too many people. Parked at Kent House. Fr Quaqoe at Mass and there were 5 of us serving and all went well. To Hayes Catholic church hall for a delightful May supper with Beckenham circle - lots of nice food. Gabrielle who is German was rather dogmatic about the Church! Enjoyed the chat as the house is so quiet. Liz was at the diamond wedding celebration.

Liz to servers Mass. Road closed by police outside Safeways so just missed train. I went to Queen's chapel of the Savoy. Philip Berg welcomed us and played Bach and Elgar Imperial march and a piece by a Victorian organist of the church. I played Andrew Moore and really enjoyed looking round the robing room and the Lancaster Hall. Steak and kidney pudding at the Wellington in the Strand - long wait for it but it was very good. For some reason the Strand one way was closed so got bus from Trafalgar Square to St Patrick, Soho where  Breda eventually arrived. I played some Stanley - the short swell was confusing. All agreed it is a lovely instrument. Bloomsbury Baptist I turned for Philip Luke who played some Bach and Bedard based on a Canadian Huron carol. I too played some Bedard then off to Vespers and Mass with Fr Alexander and choir of St George Sudbury. Dennis came down for dinner with Louise and the boys were in bed.

Spoke to Ann, up early and did blog and printed off music for chorus which in fact was incorrect so a waste of time and paper and ink! To dentist and now have 2 top teeth without a gap! £150. Finished off tar on gutter and roof and no sign of leaks. To St Michael's for interesting recital by Maxine Thevenot a Canadian who plays in Albuquerque New Mexico - Preston, Vierne, Mulet, Demessieux and Canadian Denis Bedard. It was good that she introduced the pieces from the loft. Home for stir fry and then to Hinsley room. 9 came for talk by Ross Kempsell about World Youth day in Sydney last July. He said he would speak for 20 minutes but in fact spoke for nearly 2 hours - he was brilliant and so interesting! His mum came too. To chorus to rehearse music for first "Merlin" recording with Debbie Miles-Johnston. To Victoria to meet Mark and Mariana who is charming and glamourous - pizza express. Very nice!

Only 3 in choir at Coulsdon so we sang the unison Rutter setting and "We love the place O God" from A & MR. Words are good! The girls seem to have assumed that if there was no Sunday school there was no choir too! There was a powerpoing presentation about planned giving - not good timing! The church needs another £267 a week! I have now done my tax returns showing my expenses for 3 years - I cannot claim for travel from home or for another pair of trousers! To Royal Hospital Chelsea. I was early so visited the excellent National Army museum - good art gallery with some famous pictures of the Boer War! Very well presented for kids especially about Waterloo. The chapel at the Hospital is very fine and Gabriele Damiani plays well. Denis Bedard's Suite Romantique is very like Suite gothique in structure and quite delightful and amusing. Corelli Concerto grosso OP 6 No 10 and John West to finish - not quite to my taste. Met a member of the library reading group. The dining...