The organist librarian

Louise came to pick up the boys The wooden car and one of the side tables need glue. Lovely playing from Gary Sieling at St Stephen Wallbrook. Welcoming at the cathedral. Victorian giants of photography at NPG worth a visit also suffragettes. Simon Schama on story of the Jews. BBC Young musician of the year string final won by excellent cellist Maxim. Canterbury cathedral with Tony Robinson. 

Liz went off to Vaughan House. Louise had stayed overnight and went off shopping.  I submitted my Dialogue account and did the reading Michael had given me. An interesting article by Denys Turner about "Do we worship the same God" - answer we don't know. To Bloomsbury Baptist for Gary Sieling's excellent recital. Saw Jane and Gary before and afterwards - for once I was able to stay for the tea! A nice programme Bach Passacaglia, Brahms, MacDowell (there is no truth that he wrote this to a girlfriend called Rose who was a bit wild) Clerambault, Stanley, Britten and his own Toccata and Fugue on the Pink Panther theme. Great to have some humour! Then to the first part of Mass which was for new Christians - Alistair sang really badly. Archbishop Vincent. 507 bus to St John's Smith Square for the long awaited memorial concert for Lisa. Saw Richard Wiegold and met Jenny Bacon who is the widow of the first general manager of the Sydney Opera house - Lisa used to go to t...

Liz to college and then marriage preparation at the cathedral. More reading on Judaism and Christianity. To Bloomsbury Baptist for Toccata and fugue+ Doug Tang formerly Croydon Minster now King's Cambridge played Bach and Jongen Sonata Eroica and a horrid new toccata by Bernard Heyes. Martin Ball, Christopher Town and Gary Sieling there and spoke to Margaret Phillips. Gary Cole spoke about her Bach recording project and showed slides and DVD of highlights. Charles Andrews from All Saints Margaret Street played Saint-Saens and Durufle superbly. I left as John Mander was starting. Fr Alexander at Mass and Cardinal Vaughan school choir sang Palestrina. Watched Ancient Rome programme and Songs of Praise from Dunblane. Spoke to Bruce in his mansion and he showed us the facilities. Food looks good!

To Bromley to return some scores and attend Gary Sieling's recital at the parish church of Fantasias and Fugues by Parry, Bach and Liszt - very fine playing. He remarked that the programme was like Bank Holiday weather i.e. stormy and sunny. Stanley Vann encore. He also said that as the programme had spelt his name wrongly he reserved the right to play the notes in the wrong order! Ken Baker was there. After lunch I went to the Family prom. Why do people not remove noisy small children? The Delius was ruined by screaming kids, Falla, Dvorak, Rodrigo. Second half Proms family orchestra and chorus did really well and Blind Boys of Alabama sang gospel with audience clapping along.Northern Sinfonia played well. To pre Prom discussion on lyric writing with Don Black - Clive James did not show so a charming singer stepped in called Barbara. The Broadway prom with John Wilson was terrific including Rodgers, Kern, Porter, Gershwin and Bernstein. We left before the last number. I told a man...

Thursday Liz was serving at 5 p.m. Mass as Francis was away. I took the car to Acton and went by trains and to Alexandra Palace for the organ recital. Had a pint of ale on arrival and saw Jack and chatted to several people. I became a friend so get a cheaper rate for the concerts. Thomas Keogh and James Luxton 2 young organists from Birmingham and they had fun playing a variety of pieces including The Lost chord, Finlandia (very impressive pedal trills), Solemn melody, Vierne and Bach. They finished with Sousa Colonel Bogey as a duet including playing pedals with hands and fists! That got a well deserved encore! Got back to Acton the same way about 10.30 p.m. Friday a.m. Ciaran enjoyed a story 3 times and went off in the car with Louise. We got to Paddington in good time and train to Gloucester. Edward hotel very comfortable and not too far from the centre. We visited the excellent Gloucester museum and the packed folk museum. Bought a picnic. Saturday spent rehearsing with Richard and...

Liz to Heythrop and I got train and tubes and bus to Harrow school and St Mary Harrow-on-the-hill with a fine view for RSCM revalidation as an examiner. Did sight reading section in one test and observed 2 others - a fine alto whose sight reading was dreadful! Ginette and Frances there. On tube back to town with John Wardle news came through that Fr Leonard had emailed from All Saints. I am baffled that such a good interview should not lead to an offer of the job. What are they really looking for? Why was it all so unbusinesslike? There was no mention of a contract, job spec, references, application form, references, CV! I did not even know it was to be a full interview and there was noc hance to try the organ first. Vespers and Mass with first scrutiny with Fr Gerard - lots in the RCIA group. To St George's tavern for Gary Sieling's birthday but we did not stay long - too noisy and service very slow. Watched library in Sarajevo programme also first part of Catholics second pro...

To All Saints Upper Norwood for 10am sung Eucharist and Dennis came as well. Church is lovely and vastly improved. Organ sounds good if a little loud. Choir of ladies, girls and Martin. St Anne's Mass for Sanctus. Fr Leonard very friendly and Christine is church warden (lives opposite Clare). To Festival hall to meet the family for lunch - wet and crowded. They had been to an OAE concert for tots which wasn't entirely successful. To Tate Modern to see Tacita Dean's Film in the turbine hall which I enjoyed, Alighiero Boetti: Game plan which left me rather cold and Yayoi Kusama which was crowded. I liked the room with the polka dots in the dark and the amazing lights in the mirrored room. Met Annalisa who used to be in the chorus! To the cathedral for Gary Sieling's excellent recital of Dyson, Murrill and Stanley Vann - very well played. Saw Jane and Gloria Toplis there too.

Liz to Acton and working with Louise on her PowerPoint. Big match at Crystal Palace against Cardiff. To Moira Budds's home for recordings by Chris. Enormous variety and a very high standard. Bromley Youth. Ian Grendel tribute conducted by Daniel and him accompanying West Side story at Fairfield Halls. Some nice Sibelius and Shostakovich. Not keen on the harpsichord including Murrill French suite played by Gary Sieling who was there. Whitlock and Langlais. Wednesday met Liz and Ciarán at Gunnersbury after finding I had left freedom pass at home when I got to Selhurst! He has moved up to the higher music group and enjoyed the new songs. Had a nice tandoori lunch and Henry's birthday cake. A quiet afternoon playing with trains and finger painting. Home by 8 p.m. and watching bake off.

Monday to Beckenham circle arriving late - found a good way tube to Stockwell, tube to Brixton, train to Beckenham junction. Long chat to John Parker was GLC architect. Meryl has been twice to look at selfissue positioning and take photos for possiboe refurb. Tuesday off at 2 after more weeding. Picked up Harry Mellor and drove to Redlibbets golf club near Sevenoaks for provincial council meeting. New PP Peter Stevens urged us to be more professional and then waffled on and gave summaries of reports submitted by people sitting there. I got my raffle prize of wine and miniature for 3 years - how long as this sentence? Wed lie-in and spoke to Ann at length. To St Michael's for Gary Sieling's recital of anniversaries - Stanley Vann, Schumann, Boyce, Wesley. Liz shopped and joined me. Mackerel for lunch. Wrote article for Oremus about interfaith group and rang synagogue. To see Ciarán and he rolled over from back to front for first time. Louise off to Whitney Houston concert. We w...

Woke early so watched first 2 episodes of "All the small things" which I enjoyed. To Bromley Parish church for recital by Gary Sieling who was delighted to see me again and saw Jane as well. He played variations by Scheidt, Vann and Andriessen, the Bach passacaglia and Mendelssohn 6. The encore was his own composition Toccata and Fugue Enrico Mancini which turned out to be the Pink Panther theme. I took along the proposed Belfast organists tour and chatted to Michael and Ken about it. It was a delightful concert. Met Liz at Penge and bought compost at Homebase. Watched progammes on Messiah including Songs of Praise with everyone singing the Hallelujah chorus from memory and programme on Caravaggio's Betrayal of Christ. To Southwark cathedral for rehearsal of Songs of Praise which went well. Liz is in the choir stalls, I am behind a tall tenor and next to Jack Bentley from West Wickham. Home at 10.30 p.m.