The organist librarian

New mould for new hearing aid so much better and I have a fine tune session for February at Guys. To Selfridges to get musical crackers and St George Hanover Square for excellent playing by Wyatt Smith from Seattle - Bohm, JSB and Bruhns ideal on that organ. Copied Walsingham Mass. 

Finished reading Mustafa Akyol's book "Islam without extremes: a Muslim case for liberty". Played the paino after a pizza lunch - Mendelssohn and Bohm Lyric suite. It needs tuning. Evensong at St John's Dyson in F and The heavens are telling. Cathy off key again! We sang The spacious firmament a good Enlightenment hymn by Addison. A very pleasant dinner at Alan and Ivor's and met lots of interesting people. Ella from Pakistan said a lot about Muslims which was interesting. Sarah spoke about the interfaith walks and we had a short service including The old rugged cross.

Woke at 4 a.m. and looked up local choirs. I suppose it depends what we really want to do now. It's great to sing with an orchestra rather than the organ. A good chamber choir doing things like Bach Magnificat and the Passions would be good. We are not used to paying a subscription! I have a gut feeling that all this has happened for some other purpose yet to be revealed as is so often the case. Swam 34. Watched last programme on Impressionists but dropping off! To St Matthew's Westminster for Andrew Sampson's recital including Parry, Bohm, Durufle and his own arrangement of Parry's Lady Radnor suite which worked well. Liz to hospital for stitches out. Lovely letter from Rene thanking me which bucked me up no end.

Service went well and I played Gordon Slater's Easter Alleluya. I skipped the church AGM and got train and bus to Austin Friars in the City. From top deck of bus saw the London Marathon runners - hope Ian from the cathedral choir finished! Arnfinn Tobiassen was pleased to see me and Steve Garnett was there. The Dutch church is fine with excellent stained glass. Arnfinn played the Letourneau organ - Sweelinck and Kerll and then a Bach trio sonata and Bohm Prelude on the fine van Leeuwen organ. Tube to Brixton for Lambeth interfaith meeting at Corpus Christi (a fine church) on "Do religion and politics mix?" Clare Short MP was most impressive as was the imam from Hyderi mosque and the trainee rabbi from South London liberal synagogue. Nice to see Ebrahim and friends from the mosque again. Chatted to Michael Chandler who teaches at Heythrop. It was an excellent meeting. Home to watch marathon highlights, Songs of Praise from Windsor and evensong from Worcester. A lovely day ...