The organist librarian

Ghastly weather but at least the buses were running although I just missed a 407 coming home! I played Peeters and Willan on Song 1 and Gigout Toccata. We sang David Ogden's "Christ has no body now but yours". It seems Andrew Chadney had over a 100 at Munch with music so the potential for an event on National Organ day is there.  With dinner we had a Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 from near Cape Town on special offer at Lidl for £2.50! Watched University challenge. First thing on reaching home trousers and socks changed! Watching Great pottery throw down. Keble College Oxford evensong featured Lennox Berkeley and Parry. No way am I driving to Christ Church Dulwich this evening for the organ recital in this weather!  At evensong Statham in E minor and Philip Ledger Loving shepherd of thy sheep. Psalm 4 to Bairstow chant.  Call the midwife and the Great pottery throw down continue to delight. BBC on Picasso very interesting. Up early Monday searching for my mobile which must hav...

AgeUK art group enjoyed the exhibition and art in Farm Street church. Mass at the cathedral. Catholic Times half a page on Journeys in hope. We both enjoyed David Copperfield at West Norwood Picturehouse some delightful performances. Took Liz to maths after dinner and she goes to Acton for 2 nights.Thursday the day of the auction swim, art, interfaith lunch and commitee. Phil not doing a good job as chair. He brought Ivor to see the show. Not as many came as expected but we still sold nearly all the pictures. 3 of mine came home. £6000! Nelson 2 portraits. Jennifer Scott was lovely and said the work is beautiful!  Met Alex Roch at Farm Street and we watched videos from last night. Took glasses back to Majestic and pictures to the cathedral. Fr Daniel and Fr Andrew Gallagher had been to the exhibition. Mass and a quick look at the Tents of meeting. Tom Hanks for an Oscar. A beautiful day in the neighborhood made me laugh and cry. If you ever worried about being a son and ...

Delayed bus meant I lost practice time. We sang Veiled in darkness by Glenn Rudolph and I played Statham on Veni Emmanuel and Lloyd Webber on Helmsley. The carol service at St John Upper Norwood went really well with Norman Harper on the organ. The Bob Chilcott Midwinter came together well. Lots of people came.

Harvest so we sang Greene Thou visitest the earth. I played Peeters on Wir plufgen, Statham on Monkland and Recessional on St George by Vernon Griffiths. We sang For the fruits but to Ar hyd y nos. Liz came for the harvest lunch and Julie entertained us with poems and 3 flute pieces. Richard Sutton conducted evensong and John Pritchard played. Sumsion in G, Attwood Teach me O Lord, Benediction. Nice to see Nicholas Ansdell-Evans and his mother.

Advent 3. Bairstow and Statham on Veni emmanuel and we sang Veiled in darkness by Rudolph. Dyson in C minor and Ord Adam lay ybounden at evensong. Sports personality and The apprentice won by Sean. 

Harvest played Statham on "Monkland" and Peeters on "Wir plufgen" and we sang"Thou visitest the earth". Excellent Harvest lunch. Dennis went with Liz to King's and she has a hiatus hernia. At evensong sang Grayston Ives canticles (the Common Worship texts caused confusion) and Parry My soul there is a country. Watched Vanity Fair and Simon Reeve on the Med.

A day of mixed fortunes spent at Caterham. 2 girls came to sing one of them 5 minutes before the service and Folake was late. We sang For the fruits of all creation at both services. Good Harvest lunch.  A day spent at Caterham. Harvest and we had 2 youngsters singing this morning and choral evensong. Harvest lunch was excellent. Our table lost out as we did not have all the clues! We sang For the fruits of all creation at both services and I played Francis Jackson's voluntary on East Acklam - happy birthday 100 year old! Also played Statham on Monkland, Lloyd Webber on Fair waved the golden corn and Peeters on Wir plufgen. Very disappointed that the first choral evensong since Jill left was marred by the cleaner of the hall who was unpleasant to me and downright rude to Andrea. Sadly Andrea chose the moment to have a go at Jerry about poor publicity which he of course did not like. She quoted  Matthew 25 and I am afraid that Margaret's comment was very unfriendly. I cannot b...

I  played preludes on "Veni Emmanuel" by Bairstow and Statham and Wachet auf by Walther. We sang Martin How's Advent Message. To Mass at St Joseph's Bromley and then to Maidstone Catenian candlelight dinner at Aylesford wh the excellent Salvation Army band and we stayed overnight. To mosaic lunch at Fish in a tie - the 3 Kew ladies are OTT. Decorated tree. To Bedkenham circe and scroll to Eddie Synott.

Practised before service. I woke at 5 a.m. but got back to sleep eventually. Played Boyce Solemn March, Parry's Tranguilly and Darke from Little Parry book, Statham Divertimento on Monkland. Straight home and via underground to South Kensington as buses affected by cycle race. Choral workshop on Spring symphony by Anna Flanagan as lively as ever. Tenor next to me Ian Jones from ALlegri singers Bromley felt like me she could have covered more ground and not spent so much time getting bits right. The whole point is that we want to sing the music and get a feel for it. Tea outside at Victoria and Albert and had a look at the Jain manuscripts display. To PreProm talk about the concert and really enjoyed it. It was a repeat of a concert conducted by Britten himself in 1963. Purcell Chaconny (newly arranged by Jody Talbot in Hamilton Harty style!) Cantata misericordium with score - beautiful, compassionate, Sinfonia da Requiem (score) and Spring symphony (score). New torch makes a differ...

Sunday stayed at church. We sang "Rejoice in the Lord alway" (anon) and I played Bairstow and Statham on Veni Emmamuel. We sang carols at Clifton and Crystal homes and it was much appreciated. I took the keyboard back to church and took Caroline home. Tried to print off Christmas letter without success but emailed it. Drove to Acton and on cookery course at Prue Leith's for the week. At first a muddleup over the booking and cheque but Liz started Intermediate and I on basic key skills. Monday making pastry and crudites with hummus and Tuesday delicious mango and chili salad with spinach. Demo on roast dinners - lovely meat. Wednesday made Italian bread and filleted sole with difficulty. Baby sat Ciarán. Tuesday to mass at the cathedral - the boys sang Stanford's A song of wisdom, Rorate coeli and Faure Messe basse superbly. Fr Alexander sang Mass beautifully and homily on St John of the Cross. To talk on Newman and friendship by Fr Seward from Oxford oratory - interes...

We sang Farrant "Turn thy face from my sins" and Statham in D. By request I played "land of hope and glory". The children had a delightful practice which was a relief after last Sunday. I practised and then home. Meanwhile Liz had gone to East Croydon and I did not get the text messages! Had quick lunch and back to church for 3.15 on a glorious day. The rehearsal and evensong both went really well. 34 in choir and 25 in congregation. Walmisley in D minor, Bullock Give us the wings of faith, Sanders Responses, Psalm 91 and 3 angel hymns. Good sermon by Richard Slade reader at Purley. Scrumptious Mothers Union tea with sandwiches and chocolate cake. It was a joy to conduct and Fred Irvine played well including Alla Marcia of John Ireland. Watched Antiques roadshow and Kevin McCloud in Rome. Took down dining room shelves. Roll on the next joint event! Pleased that Molly came and sang.

We sang Statham in D and Mendelssohn "O for the wings of a dove" and took photos at the end for recruitment purposes. I played part of Mendelssohn 3. The new folders and copies had arrived and the choir processed from the back during the first hymn. Enjoying Mendelssohn all day on radio 3. John Sessions was hilarious pretending to be interviewed as Mendelssohn and taking sideswipes at other composers. We had delicious trout for lunch. Evensong at 5 p.m. went really well with Adrian Adams at the organ. We sang Murrill in E and O for the wings again. The introit was "Good Joseph had a garden" to the Cherry Tree carol and the responses by John Sanders. I wonder if Mendelssohn would have enjoyed the Wagnerian aspect of them being based on the Dresden amen much used in "Parsifal". At the end we all sat and listened to Sonata No.3 in A.

At Coulsdon we sang Statham in D and "What wondrous love is this" beautifully arranged by Geoff Weaver. The baby to be baptised was keen to fall into the font! I played "Come unto me" from Messiah (gospel of the day) and Toccata and Fugue in D minor. This was much appreciated especially by Molly and Ella who seem keen to join the choir in September which is great. The problem will be fitting in choir practice in the their busy lives. Rehearsed with Karen for her ACertCM exam on Friday and she told me more about Jo Richards (formerly Richard Jones). To Vespers at the cathedral and we were acolytes. Stunning "Great is the Lord". Liz stayed to turn over for the Czech recitalist who played an odd programme. To evensong at St John's Upper Norwood. Paused for a moment in the rain where the ashes are buried - it will be 2 years next month since Mum and Dad were called to glory. We sang Noble in B minor and "O Lord my God" by Purcell. Dad's favou...

No rose vestments at Coulsdon. Teresa got 3 kids to light candles on the wreath but did not light the pink one! We sang Bach's "Zion hears" and I missed the repeat so managed to get back on right track again! We also sang "The Lord will come and not be slow". Walker's "Stay awake" and Palmer's "When is he coming" both going well. I played Bairstow and Statham on "Veni emmanuel" and Gordon Giles has an excellent meditation on this hymn in his book "O come Emmanuel". A lovely Christmas lunch with Louise, Tom, Bruce and Josie. Big turkey, spinach soup, ginger and pear souffle, Christmas pudding. To the hospital with Bruce and Josie to see Grandma who has moved wards for the 3rd time - this time to the urinary one. Watched Antiques Roadshow, the last Cranford and last Parkinson. David Beckham on his best behaviour!

Today we sang Psalm 121 "I will lift up my eyes unto the hills" to the chant Barry Rose composed for the Queen's Silver Jubilee service at St Paul's. Clare had asked for this - she went to school in India and the hills mean a lot to her! The readings on the weekly sheet gave the Easter Alleluia verse instead of the post-Ascension one but I maintained we must stick with what the people had in their hands even if it is "wrong". The psalm was supposed to be next week as we had no tenor apart from me but in the event all went well. Statham in D is a good setting and Tallis's "If ye love me" a favourite motet. The tenor has a lovely phrase going up to a top G and the counterpoint is a masterpiece with the alto sailing over the soprano at the end! We also sang "Our blest redeemer e'er he breathed his tender last farewell" from A & M - such a lovely sentiment! I played the Dubois Toccata and Bach "Christ is erstanden" prelu...