The organist librarian

To Mass at Thornton Heath. The new pp celebrated. Art and Mind, body, spirit started late and not a full hour. Liz to Prom as we only got one ticket. Dennis popped in. We now have a new car seat for Henry. Watched John Wilson prom and Bavarian radio SO Sibelius, Prokofiev and Strauss. Listened to prom Rach and Brahms 2. Watched Joyce singing Berlioz with Pappano.

Cleaned the white plastic window surrounds and porch and back windows. Cleaned up the patio. To the wedding at Addiscombe of Clare Kingman and Anthony Longhurst - it was lovely! To Dave West's 60th birthday party - lovely house and garden. The Prom of West Side Story was great. Packed. Good talk.  Brilliant tenor and soprano and John Wilson at his best. Liz went to the party after the cathedral Mass.

Yesterday I went to Mass and we took the boys to Forest fun in Grangewood Park. 2 and half hours it was great. Liz went to the Prom. I was intrigued by the Norwegian soprano. I think the vowel sounds in Finnish must be different. The talk on Hindemith interesting.  Went swimming with  Louise Maher  and the boys. Impressed by Sean. Played Oklahoma on the piano. Sat in garden and read The Tablet. Travel to and from the hall disrupted by trespass at Norbury. Thoroughly enjoyed the Oklahoma prom.Home at 12.

Mass St James day.  Catching up on TV watching Diana our mother.  Diana her fashion story at Kensington Palace beautiful dresses and photos as is the garden which is white for 20 years on.  Excellent John Wilson prom RVW 9 and Planets. Glad I went to preprom talk as broadcast left out 2 stories from Tony Palmer. Holst's room at St Paul's had double glazing so he could be hot for his arthritis. His pen was strapped to his hand. All composers dread old age. Britten was 52 when Prince Philip remarked at Snape "What has the old man written this time?" Britten was so angry he sent the newspaper cutting back to the critic saying you may never come here again and do not call me old!! Home by 9.30 so watched Proms extra and Japanese cities.

Lovely concert by Emma Tring at St John Upper Norwood especially the amazing Ariel by Jonathan Dove - the sea in one shh sound! Lovely to see Robin Martin  and Mary and all the kids! Liz's cakes very good! Lunch in the garden.  Magic Prom at the Sam Wanamaker playhouse with Arcangelo. The venue is perfect for Purcell, Locke, etc. Is this a Prom first? A bass trying to kiss a tenor? Hilarious. Beautiful singing too from Katherine Watson, Samuel Bodsen and Callum Thorpe conducted by Jonathan Cohen. A special mention for the percussion and theorbo! Got to the cathedral in time to do incense at vespers. Liz at Gershwin John Wilson prom - now watching it on BBC2.

18 in church. Organ so out of tune I did not play Elgar Spirit of the Lord as a result. Sumsion Cradle song, Peeters Canzona, Andrew Moore and Walter Webber on Lobe den Herren. I have no idea why we are singing Lead kindly light to dreary tune Sandon! As I have been told by email that my contract is to end when the church closes for building work I am now actively looking elsewhere.  Lovely concert at the Royal Festival Hall John Wilson conducting the Philharmonia - Sea symphony well sung, Wasps overture and Finzi clarinet concerto. Sally Matthews and Roderick Williams. We saw Susanna Martin and Fr Michael Holman. We went tith the gallery prommers and enjoyed the meal at the Persian Sigurgh restaurant.

Swam 20. Fast lane closed for life saving exams which meant we had fast and slow in one lane and the awful woman with the handbats charging up and down the middle. One lady was wearing spectacles! Enjoyed Pappano's series on voices especially Janet Baker. To CML and got some full scores. I was lae at the cathedral for guiding but there were 6 on so left scores in locker and went to the National Gallery.  Soundscapes interesting but variable. Nico Muhly and the Wilton diptych worked well creating the right atmosphere as did the Lake Keitele picture. National portrait gallery BP awards I went for the egg tempera double portrait and the 2nd prize winner!   Lovely travel photos of the year at Royal Geographical Society!  20 pages cut in La Valse and programme order changed but still enjoyable! Mozart, Messiaen and Ravel piano concerto. We went to the bar between Proms and had ale. The Sinatra was good and we left after an hour. People were dancing in the gallery and mobile p...

:Liz is thurifer and I am mitre. Oddly I did not feel as though I had been to Mass. I hardly heard the readings or homily. Don't know why because Paul shows exactly what to do! Arrived at church to be met by Paul and Hayley. He announced he is leaving. Apparently some people have complained to the patrons whoever they are and he is going. He is fed up with John and we agreed he is impossible. It is confidential at the moment. Carrie confirmed it after service. It's a blow and I might need to consider my position as an interregnum will not funny and the church might close if the money runs out. It is of course very convenient. The flies in the ointment are the tuning of the organ and the treasurer! I gave Paul 2 magazines which he was pleased about "Music and liturgy" and PMM newsletter. I wonder if he will go to Rome? I played Willan on Bishopthorpe and Song 34 and Hurford on Song 34. For a change I played the Intermezzo from Cavaliera rusticana which Andrew like...

No swim again. Listened to Walton Sinfonia concertante from the Prom with a lovely full score from CML. The HDD version lost the last 3 pages which I found on Iplayer! To Cadogan Hall for a super Prom of Shostakovich waltzes which were fun and Facade conducted by John Wilson and the Nash ensemble with the superb Dame Felicity Palmer and Ian Bostridge perfect as narrators. To Science museum basement to meet Lou, Ciarán and James. Had coffee and salad. I went to the V and A for the lovely wedding dresses display which was pricey but worth it. The Duchess of Argyl had a huge train carried by footmen through crowds at the Oratory. Some fine modern dresses too especially the Indian and Chinese style ones. The Duchess of Cornwall and Sarah Chatto dresses very fine. Some were too revealing for a church wedding! The talk was about Robert Frost and Edward Thomas and was excellent. Great to hear Frost read by an American. The Cleveland played Brahms Tragic overture and No. 2 beautifully. The Jo...

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.

Nice day and considered various options but in the end played at home. Cleared up lounge and hoovered. In course of this found dead mouse in trap in cupboard next to fireplace also one closed trap had gone off - why no smell? Must have been there a while - ugh! Ciarán played in garden and with tracks. He dropped off while watching John Wilson prom so I listened to Debussy sonata from the prom with the score I got from Bromley. Liz went to see Josie in the assessment centre - it was her birthday. Spoke to Louise on skype - she had seen midwife. Ciarán baked Thomas cakes with Agga.

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...

Watched comedy prom and enjoyed some of it. Reading text book and watched Seb Coe on finding ancestors. Took chorus score to Gill's and popped creditcard I found in hire car into hire office. Scott Farrell gave an excellent recital at Bormley Parish Church and was delighted to see me. He signed my Bach score and told me Rochester RSCM committee is disbanded! Bach, Jongen, Saint-Saens, Darke, David Liddle, Mendelssohn 3 - he told a lovely story of his teacher forgetting last movement and then finding the music and forgetting crescendo pedal was on! To pre-Prom talk with John Wilson and Ed Seckerson. The Prom was brilliant presenting film scores in the best possible way. Bought a programme which helped.