The organist librarian

Planning meeting for auction. I now have a better idea of how charities operate. To St Dunstan in the West. Hamish Wagstaff from Sydney lots of noises off and the organ itself not in tune or very impressive! Dupre, JSB, Buxtehude, Franck, Howells. 4 hotels including Claridges took the exhibition leaflets. To St Paul's for vespers sung by Westminster cathedral choir. Palestrina. Langlais Fetes.Took Henry swimming - he loves it. Drawing, Thomas the tank and Night Garden. I missed Hurtado and Bloomsbury organ day.Oratory chamber choir sang Haydn and Elgar at Mass, confirmation candidates, appeal for the Passage, kids hyper. Fr Andrew. The week of prayer for Christian unity has just ended. Did your parish take part? I went to 3 events but only at the Coptic church were there specific prayers for unity! At the Masses I have attended this week only once was it even mentioned!!! Interfaith has taken over. But we do need to work and pray for unity. Revd Sara Goetscher had an interest...

An interesting day.Coffee concert at St John's with the Dunn family - Kodaly Duo Op. 7 and gorgeous Ravel with the harp. I did not sketch as the playing was riveting! To Bethlem for Dr Peter Tyler on Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross on melancholia - fascinating. Tea at the Toby. Fr Andrew at Mass and Victoria choir sang well- Archer and Langlais. There was a small accident before Mass and Fr Daniel recorded it. More work on jigsaw sky -slow going! 

We sang Malcolm Archer's delightful setting of Brightest and Best and I played Walther on Jesu meine freude and Von himmel hoch. It was good to be singing "Be still my soul" which always reminds me of Liz's Dad. Sleet and light snow!! At evensong we sang Brewer in D and Bullock Give us the wings of faith. To mosaic and then to USPG regional day in Great Suffolk Street which I enjoyed especially Helen on India.

Watched Poldark and Victoria. Practised Faure and Rachmaninov. To Bloomsbury Baptist which is being repaired. Sarah Kim played Bach, Danse macabre, Durufle and Krebs. Pity I had to leave. Fr John at Mass and the choir of Holy Redeemer, Billericay sang well. Good to see Andrew Wright's assistant again - Archer , Kerll, Nardone and Haydn.

Slept badly.  Played Archer and  George Thalben-Ball  on Gopsal, Moore on Bread of heaven and preludes on Nun komm der heiden Heiland by Bach, Walther and Buxtehude. 15 in church. Chatter before and after service. I stopped playing and had a break - let them finish their chat. Watched Sr Rita to the rescue programmes. To evensong and sang Purcell, Played the organ (Bairstow and Buxtehude) and a very nice organists dinner in the vicarage with money going to St John's appeal and the pianola. Booked for Malta.

My second Sunday of the interregnum - there are significant changes in the congregation and new church wardens. Fr Leon sings everything including the Gospel. He is enthusiastic and clearly enjoyed my playing. We managed the psalm on minimal rehearsal and I played Ridout;s fun piece on "This joyful Eastertide" (A lady asked about this hymn - she really liked it) Archer on St Fulbert and Willan on Vulpius and also did some improvising! When practising had a go at Bach passacaglia and final section of Messiah. Service now startsa round 10.50 so it means getting to St Paul's cathedral for 1 p.m. talk unlikely. Nice chicken for lunch and watched Sex and the Church and National Gallery and Rick Wakeman on Vivaldi Four Seasons. At evensong we sang Walmisley in D minor and Wesley The Lord hath been mindful of us. Benediction. Dennis and Ann Marie came down.

I found a Bachain prelude on "All for Jesus" by Malcolm Archer and played Buxtehude Fugue in C and Toccata and Fugue in F. Rehearsed psalms with Bill and Hayley. Bill says he is having cataract done before Easter. Lovely lunch from M and S which made up for last night - scallops, sea bass, chocolate dessert and cava. Watched Call the midwife and Dennis came. 

Played Bairstow and Statham on Veni emmanuel and Walther Wachet auf. Practised carols and suggested singing at the station to give out the church Christmas cards with details of the services. Listened to St John's carols which featured Tippett, James Long and Michael Finnissy. To St John;s for a well-attended carols which included Goldschmidt, Archer, Lloyd and Howells  -lots of sightreading but it went well. Bridget played Bach very well  -her father died this week. Dennis and Ann Marie were there so we went for tea and cakes (which Liz had made). 

Swam 20. Cold day again. To Beckenham Parish church to hear Nigel Groome play. Chat to Ken. Joan Conway was a bit odd. Nice pieces by Harris, Alain, Willan, Archer, Alcock and Wesley - no mention of Britten or St Cecilia. Also 50 years since Kennedy was shot! Liz to doctor - she has virus. I went to Tescos to try and get Real Advent Calendar, Liz's prescription and ordered oasis for Advent wreath at florists. Catenian council at home - lots of drinks and snacks - went on to 9.50! I am to do President for another year! 

Picked up Marie and Caroline at bus stop. Liz stayed home to work on essays. We sang Love came down at Christmas verse 1 as introit unaccompanied. Malcolm Archer's "Brightest and best" is quite delightful. John Bell's Jesus calls us to Hyfrodol, Ye holy angels bright and I the Lord of sea and sky both with descants. Kids rehearsed and bought Fairtrade stuff. I played Stanford on Gartan and Buxtehude and Gade on "How brightly shines"

Swam 34 despite being late up. Discussion about what needs to be done and I have loads to read. Liz to serve at schools Mass. I went to Beckenham for Nigel's half hour of Handel, Bach, Darke In green pastures (which as he said is a delight) Archer and German. Home by 1.30 to get on with reading articles. I sent Damian an paper on policing which duly apeared on Helios! Not sure I understand or agree with the articles and not sure I've got time to reread them! Is religion inherently prone to violence? Can an inside understand a religion? Evensong from Winchester 3 choirs featured Howells Te Deum and Stanford in A. The evensong from Exeter included Shephard canticles and Laudate Dominum by Ronald Corp written for the St Cecilia festival this year.

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!

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 ...

We enjoyed the Saturday evening recital on the Klais organ of Bath Abbey by Mark Swinton. Mark is assistant at the abbey and comes from Chester. He studied at the University of York and had lessons with John Scott Whiteley and Francis Jackson. We were able to watch him on the big screen and he introduced all the items. He began with a transcription of the Marriage of Figaro overture taken at a furious pace. Then a selection of Walton from Henry V and the glorious "Crown Imperial". Next the Scherzo in A flat by Bairstow which is almost cinema organ music! Malcolm Archer's "Bluesleeves" (Gershwin meets Henry VIII) and English country gardens in the style of Bach had us all smiling. Bizet's Caprice ws written for harmonium and was followed by Dad's favourite Tuba Tune by Norman Cocker. He was mentioned as a cathedral organist who also played in the cinema - apparently Nigel Perrin (?) also does this? Pietro Yon's Humoresque for one flute is a delight. T...