The organist librarian

John Ireland Piano concerto from the Henry Wood prom - unjustly neglected and beautifully played by Leon McCauley Welsh Church for an excellent recital by Jeremiah Stephenson. First visit to Cartoon museum which is fun. Met Clare who looks after servers robes. 17 came to hear Jonathan and Raphael from Standwithus on Jewish and Christian Zionist positions on Palestine. Both spoke really well and there was a lively discussion. They will be coming again.Mass and party for cathedral volunteers and good to see Canon Christopher there. A very listenable programme from Yves Castagnet at the drome which justly got a standing ovation. Watched Gaerth Thomas with HIV,

Unpacked and Ocado delivered so put all that away. Washing on the line but it rained later on. Liz went to take Henry swimming as Dennis hurt eye and AnnMarie had an infected insect bite but it wasn't happening so they went to Crystal Palace park. Fr Rajiv at Mass and he requested quicker moves as he has to cut his homily every week! I said we were obsessed with the length of Mass whereas in India time was not important!  Michael Butterfield has gone to Truro as acting assistant director of music. Watched Sheku play Elgar superbly and with great feeling and Steinberg. Also Stephen Hough playing Mendelssohn and Prince Albert on a gold piano from Buckingham Palace. Excellent prom for Sir Henry Wood 150th including Ireland and Grainger. On Proms encore they used the footage of us crowning the bust! 

Swim, Mass and coffee. Apparently the abuse I received yesterday could be considered assault. Alas I had no phone with me or even a pen. The dent in the car door will be repaired but there was no need for the shouting from the other driver. To Charterhouse Chapel which is being repaired for Peace of mind music and words on the theme of apples. I did not like the soprano much. What a joy to be in Croydon minster for their first broadcast evensong. Martin How's anthem splendid and thrilling end of Howells Westminster service. The organ sounds terrific. The Ireland and chanting were great. Next time can we sing a hymn please? Lots of singers in the congregation. Liz was at school. To Dulwich catenians - nice food. On return watched the Apprentice. Thursday Liz is 71 - she liked the books and musical mug. Scarf and flowers. Both to Mass. Art and good work on Lourdes oil. Both to dentist - one filling needed covering. Chaos over Brexit. Delicous birthday meal at Mantanah Thai restauran

Mass for Ascension chool sang 2 ditties unaccompanied and we could not join in the second was I will worship song, art drew NZ birds, collected robes from cathedral then to St George's Cathedral for 10th anniversary of Jimmy Mizen. Moving tributes and great singing by all. Tea at Notre Dame school. Catenians well represented.I shook Simon Hughes' hand and saw Sadiq Khan and Police commissioner Dickie, Christopher Jamieson was there too. Lovely Ascension celebration at St John Upper Norwood - some very fine texts. Ireland in C and God is ascended up on high. Guiilmant march on a theme of Handel at the end from Bridget West

Woke in the night - it was muggy. Thought I was going to see elephants! To Mass and then to Beckenham. Just under 2 hours and saw Richard. Hopefully in 2 days plasters off and I will not need to go back - hurrah! Ice cream in park. Liz with Ann Marie to dentist. Much correspondence on Bursary fund and Aylesford on Tuesday. Liz baked delicious fruit loaves for tonight;s recital. Henry came to visit and full of chat. Beautiful mosque in Mosul destroyed by IS.  Adrian Gunning played at St John Upper Norwood, He included Te Deum of Langlais which Dad played for his FTCL, Vierne, Ireland, Tournemire and Buxtehude. 30 there. Took Martin Ball home and had a chat to David our neighbour. Friday to Mass. Lots of emails and started putting holiday pics on Facebook -Liz took some really good ones. Watched Antiques roadshow and Japan art.  JTo Chislehurst Golf Club. ust back from Province 7 Catenian dinner for new presidents. Launch of Casper project to help young people and excellent addresses f

We sang David Ogden's Christ has no body now but yours and I played Walther Jesu meine Freud and Clarke Trumpet voluntary. Excellent talk on the Church's year at St Paul's cathedral by Canon Mark Oakley.  At St John Upper Norwood we sang Greater Love (Liz sang the solo well) and Sumsion in G. Watched Call the midwife. I had a rest and did not go to Streatham mosque open day. 

Today is my last Sunday morning "off" before St John Caterham from next week. I did consider going up to the Temple church or even the Shakespeare walk but I'm glad I didn't in view of the marathon crowds. I realy enjoyed the service at St John Upper Norwood and we sang Sumsion in F and Lloyd Webber Sing the life, National anthem and Jerusalem!! I need to find the quote but Alexander McCall Smith hs something about our patriotism being influenced by what we ate for breakfast as a child! Maybe something in that? The children like  the idea of a new tree in memory of their grandparents - Dennis wants two! At evensong we sang Noble in B minor and Greater love with Liz singing the solo. Bridget conducted and Fr John played - toccata and fugue in D minor at the end. Watched the Queen, marathon, Indian summers and Antiques roadshow. 

14 in church. Played Stanford Gartan, Pachelbel and Walther Jesu meine freude and Murrill Postlude on a ground ready for the Festival Hall organ! More work on old photos for the family tree. I sang at evensong Stainer in B flat and Wood Expectans expectavi. To All Saints West Dulwich evensong there only finished at 7.30 so recital by Jonathan Vaughn started late. Met Alan Littell who is deputy organist there and plays at Addiscombe. Anthony Sisley plays at Our Lady's and at Anerley! Harpers, Carl jackson and the Vaughns were there. Watched War and Peace, circus and story of zoos.

At service today played Rhosymedre (played at our wedding) and Intrada of John Ireland also voluntaries on St James, Ratisbon and Malcolm Archer on Evelyns. At the end I substituted Karg-Elert with Mendelssohn Elijah section about the wind, fire and earthquake and still small voice to fit the first reading about Elijah. We sang Dear lord and Father of mankind after communion. Fr Paul had been at St James Elmers End 50 there with choir and servers. He said 120 turned up last Sunday for the baptism. I chatted to the family whose baby will be baptised next Sunday (not at the Eucharist). We had Devonshire honey cake made by Sue using the honey from the hive in the vicarage garden - delicious! I woke at 5 a.m. but reserved scores. Prom at 4 was Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted by Joshua Bell - Beethoven 1 and he played the Bruch. Sir Neville Marriner who is 90 conducted Walton Henry V which used the organ and choirs effectively. At 7.45 the NYO conducted by Edward Gardner were

Swam 20 with Liz. Liz got an alb from Anerley for Lourdes. To art and the charcoal is did of my school badge and lilies is to go in the exhibition tomorrow! Good selection of art to display. It was hot. Took fliers to Alan and had tea and a chat. To St John's for Jonathan's recital which was memorable. Wagner, Saint-Saens, Whitlock, Ireland, Mendelssohn 5 and Willan. Alan's photocopied scores have fingerings and some very difficult passages. Good audience including Martin How and Robert Cooper. Jonathan has small hands but very flexible thumbs! Ian Tompsett was there.

Dennis came to lunch which was nice. At evensong we sang Noble in B minor and Ireland's Greater love. Watched some Winter Olympics and young teachers. Call the midwife was quite sad. Come dine with me was good. 

Bank Holiday Monday and nice weather after all the rain yesterday morning. Up early and worked on Michael's suggestions regarding the dissertation. To Bromley parish church for joint recital by Norman and Marilyn Harper. They played a duet by Wesley and divided the programme between them including Dupre, Leighton and Mango Thrist (Lovely girl commented Norman). I left before the Bach Passacaglia to get home for lunch and then to Royal College of Music for 2.30 workshop with Mary King on singing musicals. Muriel was there. Enjoyed singing Somewhere over the rainbow, opening number from Show Boat and the scarecrow song with actions. Also a Waxman song. The light music organ prom was well played by Richard Hills and included Ireland, Sullivan, Waller and German and a fun encore. Excellent talk on film music with David Benedict and the John Wilson prom was excellent with a wide variety of film music and songs. I am playing for Dermot Molony's funeral on Friday at St Mary's.

Trinity Sunday so played Willan on Nicaea, Wyton on St Patrick's Breastplate and Harper Triptych. We sang "Holy, holy, holy" and "How shall I sing that majesty" to Coe Fen - what a tune! Had a chat to Paul about contacting local mosques which I have been doing. Practised and Liz was home early from cathedral. Worked on Knitter essay. Dennis arrived looking well and we had a nice lunch and worked in the garden in the sunshine moving stones and compost to fill the new wooden raised beds. To Holy Trinity Sloane Square for the opening of the splendid 4 manual Harrisons organ by David Goode. A full church paying £12 each! Champagne at the break. Martin Ball, Christopher Town, Gloria and Michael Toplis, Michael Armstrong and an organist from Buffalo who played for 2 years at St Mary's Cambridge. Met Stephen Smith who does organ recitals.com and Michael Brough who's toccata was played. Bach Wedge (with score) Schmidt, Alain, Durufle, Mendelssohn, Parry, Durufl

Tuesday Harry Mellor gave me a lift to Catenian provincial council - I was presented with a bar for my miniature so I can now return the second miniature. Harry is about 85 and his driving is a bit erratic! Liz went over to Acton. Music was good and Seán enjoyed it. We had a lovely Indian meal with delicious naan bread. I looked after Seán while Liz and Louise went to help with the garden at nursery and he was good as gold. It was lovely and warm so we ended up in the garden. Liz went to RCIA and I really enjoyed Andrew Read's recital - Ireland, Parry, Vierne, Franck and thrilling end of Firebird.  I was reflecting how lucky I am to have heard Peter Wright and Andrew play this week, the 16 last week and the Royal Academy and Laurence Freeman speaking tomorrow. Met Dominic and Rosa, told Andrew about Saturday and Andy Scott.

Liz off to the cathedral after a request from Nicolas Moodie for a soprano at St Michael Cornhill - £50. Decided against it - I used to sing there in 1974 and met Harold Darke there. Read article on Jewish/Catholic relations. Listened to evensong Bramdean school 1990 including Harris in D and Ireland Ex ore innocentium. Djokovic won Australian Open final beating Murray again! Lovely sunny day and cleaned kitchen floor.

After the excitement of the tennis Tuesday was a quiet day with Liz working away at reflective theological journals and me tidying up, cooking sausages, sorting out washing, etc. Have finished the book on Sydney Nicholson at Chislehurst which was interesting and it mentioned the blind tenor at York Minster. Louise brought the car back and did some work and then I went to Bromley library to get more scores. The prom featured RVW Fantasia on Tallis theme. Ireland These things shall be which is a fine piece. Delius and Belshazzar's Feast - it was well sung. We skipped the late Prom and went to Acton and caught up on more Olympic action. Wednesday we all went to Ravenscourt Park and met Rufus. They enjoyed the hour long football taster! Had lunch there and Liz had her hair cut. To the pre Prom discussion with Simon Halsey and Ken Burton. Good to hear many young people are singing around the country. I think the BBC would have done well to tell us that the new choir is in fact 5 excelle

Proms prospectus online and much excitement about the operas and British music. Only spotted one clash which is Hymnus paradisi and Whitacre on the night of the opening of the paralympics for which we have tickets. Ironically I have a ticket for the Trojans at Covent Garden and it is being done at the Proms. The week we go to Eastbourne is not very exciting and we will be back for Peter Grimes on the Friday night. Good they are foing Elgar and Ireland These things shall be. Jury service deferred to November which is good. So far no response at all to my adverts about organist available so now relying on the online site and grapevine.

Maundy Thursday went well in the round using piano and organ. Small choir coped well. John did turn up although he was on call. I did not get to communion but no matter. Not many congregation. To Morning prayer and I was mitre bearer. Beautiful Vittoria from the choir. Liz went to the Passion play in Trafalgar Square and I helped a Spanish lady get to Central Hall where we had coffee and hot cross. Met Philip, Stephen and Miriam. Good turnout and excellent addresses from Archbishop Vincent and the Mike Rayson Illinois Methodist minister at the Abbey about the death of his 11 year old son. 3 p.m. liturgy beautifully sung. Had to leave before the Casals to get to Selhurst to pick up car to drive to Coulsdon - got there 5.45. Cross of Christ went really well. Adrian played and Bob X 2, Terence, Tony and Francis sang. Greater love and the Somervell Praise to the holiest thrilling. SOme good soft singing in the Mozart and Ouseley. To White Hart Chipstead for a lemonade and took Francis to t

To St Lawrence Jewry to hear Catherine Ennis play - interetsing programme includign Delius and Durufle. To St Stephen Walbrook for walk round city churches. Chose St Bartholomew the less, St Sepulchre, St Andrew Holborn and Tony Tucker who is outstanding took us also to St Etheldreda's - quite a walk but lots of fascinating detail including an unusual clock and garden near St Paul's Greyfriars where queens are buried. Henry Wood's ashes at St Sepulchre, windows to Nellie Melba and John Ireland and Sargent memorial. St Andrew's has lovely icons and organ Handel played from Coram foundling chapel. Served at volunteers mass and to the Abbey to hear Margaret Phillips play Guilmant, Alcock, Bach and Fredrik Sixten. Had an excellent seat so could see her at the console. Wed last music session until Sept. Very nice soup at vegan cafe in Bethnal Green and Liz took Ciarán to the museum of childhood. To London Buddhist centre and 8 came - excellent guide and beautiful Buddha pain

Good breakfast. Jet ill so packed up both cars and left around 11.30. Stopped for fish and chips at service area which had been burnt down and a temporary structure! Got to the new house outside Guildford around 4.15 having driven through Bracknell forest. Nice room and a share with 5 others. Drove home and back by 6 having listened to Hereford evensong. Ireland Greater love and Franck Choral No. 3. Dad's book is beautifully bound in 7 volumes and called "Finding a balance". The last sentence is "If music be the food of love, play on" - a fitting ending! Still more boxes to bring down.