The organist librarian

Saturday to Battersea Park library to pick up a reserved book and renew all items. To St Margaret's Westminster for annual day of prayer. The Dean read the talks on Transfiguration by the late Bishop Kenneth Stevenson featuring 4 paintings. Inspiring! It was great to be able to visit the Abbey and the shrine. St Faith's chapel is quiet. It was cold. Fr Michael Durand, Sally, Beryl there. Had coffee and soup. At 3 p.m. to Hinsley room for talk by Fr Richard Nesbit about vocations. Fr Alexander at Mass and Ardingley college choir sang Haydn and Bruckner rather well. Sunday we celebrated Candlemas at Coulsdon. Dennis stayed over night and left his bag containing his stethoscope so I took it up to Queen's square and then to Glyn Close for tidyup. At evensong we sang Stanford in B flat and "I was glad". Lark rise and Terry Wogan on TV.

Lark rise to Candleford was good and so was Terry Wogan's Ireland.

Sunday and Vickie spoke to the choir about the new arrangements. I did the music lists for February and March. We sang a lovely setting of "Brightest and best" by Malcolm Archer and at evensong we sang it to a tune by Handel in AMR. We had delicious goose roast - last night we had a M and S £10 meal with excellent white wine and tiramisu. Songs of Praise was from Arundel cathedral and Lark rise to Candleford was as gentle as ever. The highlight of the day was the top Gs in Brewer in D. Harris's The Call is effective. I am to play the Sydney Opera House organ and Elizabeth Connell will come to listen! Wow!

Tai chi with DVD before going to work - cannot get used to the 9.30 a.m. start on Saturdays. To 99p shop and got weedkiller, trowel, plug strainers and washing up brushes for the library. Did game plan and polished up staff meeting minutes. To Tooting Bec for Mass - church cold again and mike not working so Fr Daniel whose English is not good any way was hard to hear. To Gillian Warrior's flat at Prince of Wales Mansions for reading group farewell which was lovely - nice eats and Liz came. A nice card from them all. It was delightful! To church where we sang "Bread of the world" arr Bullard and Ps 61 to plainchant. The Wood setting was a bit thin - 2 sopranos not there. Molly very keyed up about getting first badge next Sunday. Practised and then to King's for lunch with Liz - nice lamb. I tripped outside the hospital and fell - my shoulder and left thigh hurt a bit. Grandma in pain from her arm. To Compline and played Bach and Brahms - 9 there. Watched Antiques road...

At church we sang Shaw in C minor in 3 parts and a lovely setting by Anthony Greening of Bourgeois' "Virgin-born we bow before thee" also one verse of "O thou who at thy Eucharist didst pray" as I rather felt the week of prayer for Christian unity had been downplayed. The booklet this year is excellent and I used one of the prayers at the interfaith group. I played Walther's partita on "Jesu meine freude" and Isobelle was baptised. To my surprise Vickie again included the Gloria (Peter Jones) and the service was an hour. Molly doing well and I practised Bach and Flor Peeters - I am playing several of his pieces next month. The organ recital at Beckenham is sensibly changed to the 7th at 3 p.m. Picked up Dennis and Grandma and to the Thatched house which is excellent and very child friendly. Ciarán was on good form. Had roast beef and sticky toffee pudding with white wine. What a treat! Took Christmas presents back to Acton and brought back stuff to...

This morning we sang 3 kings and Tim and Tony joined us. I didn't feel the choir were watching me enough. The Buxtehude variations on How brightly shines went really well. Nice lunch. Put Christmas stuff in the shed and tidied up - a nice bright day. At evensong we sang Moeran in D and Wood's Expectans expectavi. Watched Antiques roadshow and Lark rise to Candleford. Did programme for organ recital at St Edmund's.

I got annoyed at practice this morning - too much talking and back chat about Hilary Lystan Jones' excellent vocal tips. We sang Attwood's "Turn thy face from my sins" and my attempts to improve the diction were met with .... I played some Buxtehude and practised the Dorian. Just a minute on the radio coming home and picked up Liz at East Croydon. Dennis went over to Bow to sort out agreement so I went to the South London interfaith group AGM at St Mary's West Croydon. Excellent talks on Jainism and Zoroastrianism and I think the speakers may come to my group also a Sikh! Watched Baroque, Lark rise and No 1 ladies detective agency until Ann and Louise were on skype!

At Friday's practice I was quite firm and insisted on everyone doing the exercises and warm-up. Saturday had a lie-in. I have finished "The 39 steps" for the reading group and enjoyed it if a little dated and imperialistic! I am currently enjoying "John" by Niall Williams (Tablet recommendation) and "Only strange people go to church" by Laura Marney. My Lenten reading is all set with new book by Gordon Giles, Timothy Ratcliffe and the Holy Spirit booklet. To Hinsley Room for talk by Fr Augustine Hoey on a Way of life. He told us about monks and nuns and the questions were more interesting than the talk. John East and Louise Sage were there. These "Justice and Peace group" talks have little to do with J and P. Tablet has much about the Pope's decision to excommunicate Bishop Williamson who denies the Holocaust! How stupid can you get! Now we learn some Austrian priest who says hurricane Katrina was a retribution for homosexuality in New ...

Friday Molly came in good time and we did some useful work and the new anthems went well. Karen was back although still coughing. Saturday I was off and went to Our Lady of Hal Camden Town for session on Lent groups theme "Holy Spirit" 3 of us but Mark Nash is always inspiring. Liz was at confirmation class. To Vespers and mass - 6 servers! Sunday Liz summoned to Grandma's after midnight and ended up at King's hospital - compressed vertebra so she couldn't sing at morning prayer or Mass. Coulsdon went OK - we did Alan Smith's "Like the murmur of a dove". I returned for evensong - Malcolm Archer's Brightest and Best is delightful, Shera setting, Psalm 97.One lapse in Ayleward responses. Visitor from Old Coulsdon was impressed. I played Daquin Noel etranger. 2 of the choir were late for rehearsal. Antiques roadhow and Lark Rise which was delightful. Monday a foul day with heavy rain. I couldn't find front door key (it was with church keys) and ...

The water feature yesterday shows how cold it is but today it is even more frozen although still flowing! Liz went up to Grandma's while I got up early to get the hourly train to Coulsdon so I had lots of time to practise. Choir turned up late and wandered around getting glasses so I got rather cross and said we must start singing at 9.20 a.m. Actually the anthem "Three kings" went really well and there were lots of compliments for John Linney. 2 buses home straight away and walked home from Grandma's for late lunch. A delicious ham and finished off the Fish Hoek white wine. Watched Songs of Praise about astronomy, a programme on the Star of Bethlehem, Antiques roadshow, Lark Rise to Candleford and a fascinating play about Shaun Greenhaulgh who fooled the art world.

Liz was luxuriating all day at the Sanctuary with the girls - it was her Christmas present! To Coulsdon where Vicky was refreshed form her time in Milan. She had noted that Westminster Cathedral choir had sing a concert there (Rheinberger Mass) and it was very wet! The Bob Chilcott Psalm 23 composed last year went well and so did Statham in D so that is one setting we can manage with me singing tenor where needed. I spoke to Dudley Coates about joining us occasionally and bought my usual Fairtrade muesli and yogurt coated raisins. To garden centre to pick up more compost. I had been planning to go to the Buddhist prayers for Tibet at the Imperial War museum gardens but as it hailed I decided to have a rest and watch the last episode of "Lark rise"! and the delightful "No 1 ladies detective agency" by the lamented Anthony Minghella. Also Songs of Praise episodes which I had recorded. Simon Lloyd playing Mendelssohn No.4 which was a treat and an improvisation on ...

I practised the organ and went through Compline with Vickie. Liz stayed at the cathedral - she was cantor at morning prayer and 5.30 Mass and she fitted in a visit to John Lewis. I watched Protestant Revolution part 1 and Songs of Praise school choirs (all 6 excellent) and Lark Rise. Listened to fine evensong from Kings' College Cambridge on radio including Rachmaninov canticles. To the cathedral for Oliver's recital - Vierne Symphony No. 3 well played and then to Westminster Abbey for Michael Martin's fine recital. Bach Prelude and Fugue in F minor, Brahms O welt ich must dass lassen and Alain Trois Danses. Met Isobel. Brought Liz home and then to Compline. I played Bach Erbarm dich and O sacred head preludes. All went well.

Oops! Loaded wrong photos - read on to learn about Chris Hewer and the Battersea Park mystery! On Friday evening I was listening to radio 3 in the car on the way home from choir practice and there was some very haunting singing in an Arabic style. The melody reminded me of the hymn tune "God of mercy and compassion" which is a French tune arranged by Pergolesi. The composer was Osvaldo Golijov born 1960! It was a very different morning with the band from Battersea Technology college playing black music in the foyer. I worked on Saturday having had 3 Saturdays off in a row and served at 6 p.m. Mass as usual. Good to have deacon Peter with us again. The organ was silent and we felt that some singing like the Lent Litany was needed at the preparation of gifts so I emailed Thomas Wilson. Fr Tim agreed. Today Liz was at the cathedral all day as there was the 2nd rite of election and she was cantor at 5.30 mass. At Coulsdon there was a baptism and we sang "Jesu grant me this I...

Thursday to Dvorak rehearsal having been at Mass at the cathedral where we had lovely Victoria and Palestrina. Friday choir practice as usual. Saturday being the Feast of the Presentation and my 3rd Saturday off in a row (I swopped so Calix could go to Bulgaria) to 10.30 a.m. procession and Mass with the layclerks. We were acolytes. Byrd Senex puerum and plainchant. Liz stayed for confirmation class but I came home for a rest and tidy up. Back for 2nd vespers sung by Thomas and 1st mass of Sunday sung by the boys as it was the 3rd "chorister for a day". 40 little boys in cassocks. Mendelssohn I waited for the Lord and Elgar Ave verum. Sunday to Coulsdon where we sang Nicholson in C and "Virgin-born we bow before thee" - wonderful tune and words. Procession "As candles are lighted" and Nunc Dimittis to Tonus peregrinus. I used keyboard and piano so I could sing tenor. Matthew Greenfield played in public for the 3rd time and coped well. I did not stay for US...