The organist librarian

No Mass today as I was due to see Dr Ojo at 10 and in fact very short wait. He took out stitches but two come out on Friday. He gave me wipes and cream. To St Michael's for  a  disappointing recital especially as I seldom get there. Saw Howard and Dorio. Why did Enrico Presti play so much unusual music with no respite? The Shostakovich, Bossi, Liszt and Respighi he played very unrepresentative of their work and so discordant. I got my glasses adjusted at Boots and got the cream for my arm. To Fairfield collection at Museum of Croydon -  a few interesting picture and items. i plan to send in my memories of the hall. Got to the hall early and it was damp so chatted. The preprom talk on orchestration by Liszt and Ravel given by David Owen Norris was excellent and enlightening and I took a fresh look at the scores.  Really enjoyed the Liszt and Mussorgsky prom especially after the preprom talk. Forget the Julian Anderson which is not a piano concerto.

Swam. To art and worked on Jersey picture. Liz off to Newcastle until Monday so gave her birthday present and card.  An interesting lecture on chant curing people in medieval period at St Sepulchre. . Cards and calendar posted to Oz. At last to Leighton house (took a bit of finding). Interesting Arabic material and photos of the last surviving guardians of Mohammad's tomb. On the 9 to National Gallery for Goya portraits (expensive but worth it) but I do wish they would limit the number of visitors. The film is good. To Festival Hall for free Philharmonia concert of two Julian Anderson works which he introduced. Then bus to St George's cathedral for Nick Gale memorial concert. Stephen Disley played. Durufle requiem was too loud - organ and choir. Diction very poor and not a blended sound - very little difference in volume. Some voices stick out especially altos. Chatted to two of them at reception in Amigo Hall and saw the Harpers and Richard the organ tuner. Home via Vauxhall....

To Heythrop library as Michael could not see me today. Met Liz and the family at the gym where Ciaran had his tennis lesson and swam. Seán was very good and standing a lot.  To the hall and saw a lot of the familiar faces in the queue. Anderson Harmony well sung but diction not great. Britten sea interludes are now a modern classic. Stephen Hough played Rachmaninov and Lutoslawski variations on a theme of Paganini. The Sea symphony was excellent and the young chorus did really well. Met Dennis at Selhurst and took him to No.3 - he looks well. 

Tracy, Chris, Rebecca, Linda and Sabina at BBC. After work with 5 colleagues to BBC opposite the library. Had ale £3.40 a bit steep but nice to sit in the garden after a clammy day moving stock around and sorting out basement. National Youth orchestra Prom on HDD including Sorcerer's Apprentice and Julian Anderson's Fanfare. Liz the photographer joined us at the BBC and claimed there was smoke rising at the Prom of Scriabin Symphony No. 1. She was wondering about going to the Prom of Hansel and Gretel and had borrowed the CD from the library. We are going to Somserset House tomorrow for the relay from Glyndebourne! Hope it doesn't rain!

Peter comments on "I saw the Lord" which I agree is a wonderful anthem especially the final section "O Trinity, O Unity". I told Simple village organist in L.A. about the Beethoven 9 at the Royal festival hall jamboree next weekend with a colour-coded choir. Sopranos orange, altos green, basses brown (well what else!) and wait for it tenors ..... pink! I'm glad I'm not taking part - I have evensong to play for. Add to that it is in English (yuk!) The real opening concert features the 4th movement of the Beethoven in German conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi. The Tablet has an article this week about "Alleluia" by Julian Anderson and a fine article by Stephen Hough about Elgar's Catholicism. Stephen was involved in the excellent Radio 4 morning worship on Sunday about Elgar and his Mass is to be sung at the Cathedral on Sunday.