The organist librarian

Early start as first service at 9.30. We sang Beatitudes to Greek chant really well! At second service with Royal British legion a good bugler but not told we were starting as late as possible so played Thalben-Ball Elegy, Solemn melody, Nimrod and Willan on St Anne and they came in in silence! Pie Jesu of Faure went really well (2 part version), St Anne fugue at the end. To Memorial hospital Shooters Hill an hour's drive in time for lunch and saw the memorial. To Firepower museum Woolwich for interfaith service with film. Fr Scanlon led it. National anthem to a recording did not work - band too slow and ran out of music in verse 2. Cup of tea and Hindu contact and Peace pagoda monk there so asked about a visit. Home and not to evensong - bit tired!

Sang "Holy is the true light" by Harris at morning service and Nicholson in C - choir sounded a little strained I thought - coughs about. I played Howells "Sine nomine" and Francis Jackson on "Sine nomine". Chose music for December and watched video of Holy Land in 1972 - I am sure there will be many changes. To 5 p.m. All Souls service. Vickie was playing a Taize CD beforehand and asked us to rehearse downstairs. I think this a mistake as we were not used to the keyboard organ sound and the pitch in "Thou knowest Lord" took a while to settle. Psalm 121 to Barry Rose's chant. Candles lit on the altar and quite a good congregation. I played Vierne Epitaphe, Thalben-Ball Elegy and Elgar Angel's farewell at the end. On way home Peter Maxwell Davies 8 songs for a mad king was on radio 3 - I still object to the mangling of "Comfort ye" just as I did 34 years ago when I heard it live. Watched Antiques roadshow, Come dancing, Stephen F...

Put a new hook on bedroom door and got the water feature working again. Did tax forms for church. To Kent House and left car there and got train to Rochester. Tea at Cathedral tearooms and to evensong sung very well by the voluntary choir. Sopers there and Dan was playing. Lovely setting by Grayston Ives and anthems by WHitlock and Parsons. Served at Catenian province 7 Mass. Liz was mitre and I was book. Both Bishop John Hine and Bishop Michael very friendly - latter knew Mum and Dad! Good music Dan played and voluntary choir sang Rutter "For the beauty of the earth". Dan played Thalben-Ball Elegy and Boellmann Suite Gothique. Train back.

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.

Saturday evening to St Chad's South Norwood for Mass. Walked down with Mary across the road and saw Mary Crinnegan. The new marble altar is impressive (it's their centenary) but why is there a classical pediment at the base? Alas the Ghanaian parish priest is very hard to understand as he talks too fast. At the start he mentioned Remembrance Sunday but we did not pray for the dead of the wars in the prayers! Tomorrow's 10.30 a.m. Mass is for the people of the parish so what has happened to the requiem for the dead of the wars? It's odd going back to a church where you used to worship - much is familiar but some things have changed. Today we practised at 9 a.m. so left home early. The 9.30 Eucharist was attended by the Methodists and was said with hymns. We did sing the Darke Agnus Dei. I played the Last Post and Reveille for the 2 minutes silence as the guides paraded. There was a gap before the Royal British Legion service at 10.45 a.m. This started late so the Croft s...