The organist librarian

Swam, breakfast in the garden sunny but an autumnal feel in the air!  Listening to Shostakovich 5 from the Proms. Sorting out exhibition dates for the autumn - so much to go to!  Downton!!!! Fantastic!!!  To Balham library and got some guides to the Far East and saw Des. Choir practice with Joe Matthews and lots of Anglican chant!  One of the contestants on The Great British bake off plays the organ and made one for the showstopper!

Delicious salmon and homemade chocolate profiteroles for Christmas Eve dinner. Carols from King's on TV was lovely and O magnum mysterium by Ola Gijola with cello is a real discovery!  Played for Mass at 11 pm. Noels and Bach In dulci. 41 there mostly strangers! 3 in choir sang On Christmas night, Salazar Gloria. Some discussion about last verse of O come all ye faithful - played it! Now listening to Brentwood cathedral on radio 4 while waiting for Bruce and Liz to emerge from St John's!  21 at 10 am Mass at St Michael's. More Noels and Andrew Gant's Paean on the morning of Christ's nativity. Went to 11.15 mass at Anerley. Good to see Fr Sunith and Fr Stuart - the latter celebrated and played the organ for 4 hymns (3 of them the same as at St Michael's!). Presents opened - very nice! Fr Leon gave me chocs and rioja!  Very impressed by singing from Brentwood, Southwark, Ripon and Bath Abbey broadcasts. Well done all!  Enormous dinner at Croydon Park hotel and st...

Monday swam 20. Quiet day at home and put Christmas cards up and watched programmes on defection of Nureyev and history of modern dance. Sent Catenian circular. Excellent programme on the Queen's Christmas broadcast and Downton Abbey. Louise came with Seán and Bruce arrived from Geneva at 11.40 p.m.

A rather mixed day. I played Solemn melody, Elgar For the fallen and Nimrod and St Anne fugue. These were spoilt by the new choir member Shirley laughing and joking which upset me a lot. I spoke to Bill about it and he seemed unaware. Also told Leon and we are meeting tomorrow. I said nothing to Shirley which was perhaps just as well as she left with the Williams. The act of remembrance was very low key and in the porch which made it impossible to hear. I did hear the intro to the National anthem but I only played 2 verses and the people sang verse 3 unaccompanied and went very flat. 19 in church. No Last Post. After lunch worked on invites for next year and have 5 speakers so far Catholic, Anglican, humanist, Muslim and Jewish. I went to evensong. Adrian not there and Bridget talks too much. She did not rehearse the section of the Stanford which  I pointed out was not together so the same thing happened at the service in the Nunc. We sang Holy is the true light - no attempt at pp...

Saturday another lie-in. Liz resting. To the cathedral and 10 servers at Mass! Met the new intern Francis and new organ scholar Alexander Pott who played Bach at the end. Fr John celebrated. Victoria looked very gray and wet after the vibrant South American colours. Caught up on Downton. Sunday took Blackberry to send off to Manchester - it will not start. Played Adagio from Elgar cello concerto and Andrew Moore's tribute to Dom Gregory Murray and Nobilmente. Fr Herbert was there and 20 there. Chatted to council members and Christmas will be on the 20th a pageant - cannot see they have the people to mount that! Midnight and Christmas day 10 a.m.  and no crib service so that's a relief. Watched Leeds piano competition won by Anna the Russian and Beethoven with Leif Ove Andsnes. Songs of praise with a ghastly fat tenor. Sent email to APT group and Marissa sent group photos. Ben Bloor has been appointed to the Oratory. Liz went to Mass at St Mary's.

Dennis came last night. Had a lie-in. Liz was better. No chance to see the boys as the family went to Norfolk straight from school and I did not get to hear Margaret Phillips play Bach either. Watched Downton and the Naked choir also programme on 20th century romance. Tried to get Outlook email to work and Blackberry is not working. Posted photos to Face Book. 

I played Buxtehude Fugue in C and Toccata and Fugue in F, Percy Whitlock on Werde munther and Thalben-Ball on St Bernard. A nother good day of weather for Open House. Depressing to tour Central Hill estate and Cressingham Gardens and learn that Lambeth council want to demolish these estates especially the latter which is very well designed and built next to Brockwell Park. Why should this housing be replaced by homes for the rich?  Tea and chocolate cake at the South London botanical institute which has a fine garden, visited an excellent loft conversion in Herne Hill Road using recycled materials and an archway at Loughborough Junction made into an attractive landscape architect's office and workshop the Edible Bus stop. Downton abbey is back. Antiques roadshow. Jerry Hall Who do you think you are?

Woke briefly when Liz arrived home and up at 8. Lovely service on radio 4 from Portsmouth cathedral. Paul gave us a lovely guide to the Holy Land. Eugene and Abe sent nice gifts. Played for 10.30 service and Liz went to the cathedral. I had time to hear the rest of King's - loved it. We all gathered at Dennis and Anne Marie's. The Queen was impressive as always. Lots of nice presents and the boys having a field day! Lunch was enormous and I admitted defeat at 3 different versions of potatoes! Dropped off later and Lou and Tom went around 6.30. We walked home to see Midwife and Downton both of which we enjoyed. Went to bed happy having packed ready for India. 

Played Nimrod, Solemn Melody, Willan on St Anne and the St Anne fugue and the Remembrance Day service was quite long. 3 had a look at the proposed carols. Home for lunch and then drove to St Paul Grove Park for evensong featuring new anthem by Simon Porter commissioned by Simon Surtees. Gary conducted. Last episode of Downton. 

Woke late Ocado delivery. To art but Julie not there so started on a watercolour pencil of the fall basing it on photos. A quiet day clearing up and cleaning. Watched 3 Downton Abbey episodes.

Sunday played 2 of the Willan Fugal trilogy (seems good to take Wyton and Willan to New York and Canada!) and Thalben-Ball and Stanley Vann on Gopsal. 16 present. Bill announced he was going dancing rather than attend St Michael's on Monday when Ian is playing. I cannot do Nov 3 so suggested asking Ian. Nothing has been said about carols or crib service! Did Sept invoice and John rpelied saying he had not had Aug invoice so sent that again.  Just a minute on way home. Watched Bake off while I backed up this computer. To evensong and we sang Brewer in D and O quam gloriosum. So much better without Cathy! The vestry has been redecorated and cleared so robes are now in the chantry. Downton and Antiques roadshow. 

Played preludes on Richmond by Willan, Vernon Griffiths and Peeters and Thiman's Postulde on Harwood's Thornbury. Only 16 in church for St Matthew's day and no server. To St Cuthbert's Philbeach Gardens on the way to Acton - open day, High and wide and 4 manual Hunter organ. Lovely party for Sean and he loved the presents especially the dumper truck. I also presented the pictures and letter mosaics. They liked Thomas. Home to watch Downton!

Played Solemn Melody, Nimrod and St Anne fugue. Said psalm and alleluia and Last Post was a recording after all. Asked about Christmas and Louise, Liz and Stephen's wife will sing at carols on 22nd. Abide with me and For all the saints were odd choices and I felt Fr Paul went on a bit too much and didn't really address current wars. Nice lunch and heard a little of evensong from Canterbury and The Choir with Mary King. At evensong I read first lesson about Solomon and we sang Dyson and Peter Aston - he died this year - nice man. To Hyderi mosque for drama and film ostensibly about Wahab a Christian martyr but really about Husain and his death. It was violent and unpleasant with severed heads and dead baby. Is repeating this sad tale helpful? The equivalent would be inviting Muslims to watch a bloody account of martyring Protestants and Catholics. It was very crowded and I escaped. Whether Conversations for the soul is possible is debatable. Watched Downton Abbey.

Caught up on University challenge and Downton Abbey. 

Friday woke late. Watched Downton Abbey which was horrid - why change it so much? EJ and Bruce brought luggage over and picked up parcel from Post Office and a huge picture they are taking back. They set off again and I met them at 4 at the National Gallery. We saw all the major pictures well most of them. It's interesting how easy it is to be distracted by other pictures! We walked to Covent Garden and met Liz and had a lovely meal at Jamie Oliver's. The ballet was terrific - great dancing and nice music, inventive sets and production - most enjoyable. We got home at 11.30 p.m. and slept well.

Liz went on bus to the cathedral as the trains were awry. Bill rehearsed for next Sunday and so did Fr Paul. We finished we 'O praise ye the Lord' and I played Karg-Elert. To South Norwood Children's centre in Cypress Road - amazed to find a London open day venue so close to home and a lovely playground and building. There was a match but I was able to get home and pick up the laptop and later Lousie sorted out the Microsoft word problem. To Sean's first birthday party and he loved the presents. Cara and Jack came and Pat and Mark dropped in. Wrote article on 'How green is the cathedral?' at last and watched Antiques roadshow, Educating Yorkshire and Downton Abbey is back! 

Listened to radio 2 chorister of the year - not impressed by the girls - sound too like grown women. Pleased that the boy from Portsmouth won - a lovely touching voice. King's Cambridge head chorister not impressive. It does seem unfair that ordinary choir singers compete against cathedral choristers who get daily singing, expert help and public exposure on TV and radio to deal with nerves. Downton Abbey ended more's the pity with a cricket match. Jewish Mum of the Year good final and Sandi was the right person to be an agony aunt.

Gave out leaflets about Norwood circle at 3 masses at Virgo Fidelis Upper Norwood. Bill spoke really well. 190 leaflets taken and I found it best to give them out as men arrived at Mass. SOme of the brothers will not wear name badges or really engage with strangers! Liz came to the evening Mass. The new priest Fr Clark is conservative and the music is dire! Did lots of reading and in fact finished the Clarke book. After lunch to Penge Congregational church to hear 4 organists play the magnificent Lewis organ - Martin Ball, John Webber, Marilyn Nicholson and Robert Cooper. We had some splendid Dubois and Vierne, Schumann, Rheinberger and Buxtehude. A sumptious tea! Watched Downton Abbey, Antiques roadshow and Come dine with me. Songs of Praise from Royal Albert Hall.

By car to Clapham as trains in a mess. 6.7 miles nearly as far as Coulsdon! Arrived 9 a.m. and time to sort out things. Vicar very pleasant and is to be area Dean. People friendly. Good cantor for the psalm. Difficult to judge volume as console is under the pipes but told it was fine. Men in congregation sing well and descants in the Thorne setting! All went well and got paid as well. There are 6 applicants including youngsters and professionals so unlikely to get it! Rehearsed There is a redeemer using Bluthner piano. Did some work on Helios. To St John's for evensong - Murrill in E and Mendelssohn Verleih uns frieden. Antiques roadshow - fell asleep. Downton Abbey took a sad turn. Servants programme very interesting. Good evensong from Bath.

Took Lou and Tom to Queen Charlotte's Friday evening. Watched Parade's End final episode. Text at 7 a.m. waters had broken. He was born in the water at 10 a.m. and weighed the same as Ciarán! In fact he looks just like him. Took Cairán to the park and had to shout to stop him on the scooter. Had lunch there and he had a sleep having watched "Blue mountain mystery" about 10 times. Sean was finally checked by the midwife at 8 p.m. and I collected them. Ciaran was so sweet with him kissing him and speaking softly. A great start! Sunday he got his special present of an engine shed. Bruce came Saturday with organ music, bubbly to go with the pizzas and my recharged razor. We recorded a book for him! Lightning McQueen. To St Joseph Bunhill Fields to play for Mass - rehearsed with Martin Pendergast and recognised Fr Peter. One manual with pedals which belonged to the Knights of Malta. A very pleasant experience. Walked in the rain through the graveyard where Defoe, Blake a...