The organist librarian

Spoke to Ann. To clergy house for first Lent group meeting only to find room 2 was not booked in my name and Mary Maxwell who should know better had taken over the room! I was most annoyed and said so! Any way Joan and I met in room 1 and had a great chat. Bus 170 to Albert Bridge and visited Doris Clements in her new flat which is nice. Had my lunch and carrot cake, fruit and tea. She looks more drawn but pleased to see me and had a good chat. Walked around the area and found Catholic church of Holy Redeemer but not Carlyle's house! 49 bus underground to Turnham Green and 272 bus to Acton. Ciarán's winning smiles and expressions a delight! To chorus MacMillan rehearsal. Shocked to hear Francis Herbert was thrown out by Stefan after 40 years in the chorus. Liz had been at King's with Grandma and went up to stay the night at Glyn Close. A cause of concern - seems doctor prescribed wrong medicine.

18th staff meetings and to ACCL for excellent party to farewell Selma Elrayah. Met her husband. To choir practice on train because of snow. 19th to reading group. Philip Neale and Lyn were late coming from Essex and used Power point. Unfortunately this meant that we did not really discuss "A ticket to Tewkesbury". The lunch at Antipasto was excellent but went on rather long - I had zabaglione! Met Liz at Hammersmith hospital to see Doris and no time to meet Louise. Only there for 20 minutes and then to Mass. Archbishop was starting 5 deacons off! Ann's birthday. 20th Stayed at church all day because of snow and read The Tablet with lunch from Waitrose. Nine lessons went really well. Only one mishap where Norman was late at rehearsal and came in on wrong note in Noel nouvelet! To Vickie's for nibbles and drinks. Most enjoyable. 21st King's Cambridge concert at Albert Hall. Stephen Cleobury as friendly as ever. Rutter Gloria good and Messiah choruses. The choir on g...

Wednesday to St Paul's cathedral for the festival of St Cecilia. Nasty fanfare trumpets from the back of the nave. Alistair from the cathedral was there as part of the worshipful company of musicians and we also saw Sr Stella. Sitting halfway down the nave, the combined choirs of Westminster Abbey, Cathedral and St Paul's were too far to the left and the new console too prominent. The boys were on the floor and couldn't be seen at all. Excellent new anthem by Cecilia McDowell and Stanford For lo I raise up. Sermon on music in difficult times by the Revd Dr Carolyn Hammond Dean of Gonville and Caius Cambridge. 3 good hymns "Thy hand O God" (Basil Harwood's anniversary) God is love and There's a wideness to Coverdale Maurice Bevan's tune. Chris Hollis told me later that Martin Baker could not hear the organ from the console! Canon Christopher and Fr Swavek spotted us! To Southwark Bridge to find 344 bus stop not working and works on the bridge. Eventua...

Elizabeth came in last week to tell me that Doris had breast cancer and leukaemia so I will visit her later today. Fiona Jarrett came in. She is back in the U.K. as the recession has hit the U.S. so badly. She still works for Virgin airlines where 1000 were made redundant. Zia spotted a cutting about Maureen and Eugene in the local paper.

Doris on the left at a Christmas party some years back! Thursday to Dulwich Catenian circle meeting at their new venue the White Horse pub in Peckham. 2 pints of Guinness and quite nice eats. Chatted to John Cahill who is on dialysis. Kevin Ingram told a good joke. Brendan gave me a lift home. Liz and I put photos in album for Doris and finished the big card. Friday was wet and woke late so only 14 lengths. Some pain in back and side. Doris's farewell went very well and she loved the album and card. Khadija brought some eats. Trish came and David. Marina, Barbara and Hilary 2 of the older readers came to the party. I had to leave to get to practice - only 4 there bit we did all the music for September. Good to be back. Stravinsky's Firebird on radio from the proms.

Last Sunday without choir. I played Thalben-Ball on "Monk's Gate", John Stanley voluntaries and Adoro Te by Boellmann at Communion. At the end the tears filled my eyes as I started to play Dad's Bishopthorpe March but I kept going and managed the 5 sharps section much better. I practised and then met Vickie to choose hymns up to the end of November. This is necessary as my Wednesdays are taken up with holidays and the group on Paul. Liz was cantor at 12 noon Mass and I picked her up from the swimming pool where she had rescued my swimming stuff from my 40 length swim yesterday. I am feeling fit! A pleasant afternoon listening to evening prayer sung by the RSCM millenium youth choir in Holland featuring Sweelinck. Then Lang Lang's piano prom which was later on TV. Scanned photos for Doris's card and cut out letters for her card.

Woke up early again so wrote to Malcolm Hicks M.P. about the Human fertilisation and embryology bill and the Battersea Crane disaster. I can deliver these letters on my way to the pool. Boiler was turned off at the library on Tuesday and I was most impressed that fan heaters were supplied within the hour! Man came to inspect last night and told me the boiler was 22 years old. The woman who was so rude to Elizabeth and received a letter came in to apologise. I was amazed so see who it was and she is usually very pleasant. It turns out she is a defaulter any way. I told her she must apologise to Elizabeth. A busy day - came to look at guiding. Doris will have to stop putting up so many posters and leaflets. Doris retires in September. I stressed the need for better guiding and outlined my plans for a rearrangement of the adult library which has been the same for 5 years. To practice and went through Holy Week music and Stainer again because Monica was there. I do find it to be poor musi...