The organist librarian

Woke late after a long dream about a lost library book which was issued to me but I had never seen! Liz had her hair cut at home. Finished art auction letters and poster looks great thanks to David. Excellent supervision for SDs meeting in Vauxhall. To Royal Academy to see Lucian Freud self-portraits. Met Martin Foster. To The Black Penny for tea. Part of Simon Gledhill's light music organ programme at Freemasons hall. Who knew Haydn Wood was a Yorkshireman? The Suppe and Elgar worked well and it was fun to have some cinema music from Bobby Pagan, Felton Rapley and Harold Ramsay and a piece from Wally Stott. A good large audience too! Tubes and train to Beckenham Junction and bus. Dulwich circle went well. John Almeida took me to Penge and Liz picked me up. Watched The Apprentice. Thursday Mass at Thornton Heath. Seems Fr Len is leaving. Art and Mind, body, spirit. Watched Botticelli programme, George Eliot and reliquaries. Is there a Hindu caste system in UK? Answer seems to be ...

Liz took Sean to Natural History museum. I went to 6 Provinces meeting at Eccleston Square (saw  Martin Foster ). In the evening to Chislehurst golf club for Blackheath and Chislehurst meeting and dinner which was most enjoyable! I won whisky on the raffle! 

Swam 18. We set off for Salisbury and drove via the A3 and M3 and A303 to Salisbury. The speed limit on the motorway was 50 mph and we had one stop so we did well to get there by 2. The Panel of Monastic Musicians is always a pleasure and it was good to see old friends and note that many familiar faces were missing not least Abbot Richard from Roscrea who is on sabbatical. Our room has a lovely view of the cathedral spire so I draw it and also did a drawing of the cathedral font. Retired bishop David Stancliffe gave us two excellent sessions on his online resource on the Sunday gospels with art, music and literature. He wants us to produce our own imaginative linkups. Canon Jeremy Davies retired Precentor spoke on Sarum use and Shakespeare and showed us a DVD of a medieval liturgy staged in the cathedral and Sr Jean asked me to write it up. Martin Foster did an excellent session on choosing Mass settings just what I need. We did 3 new. Mass settings Missa Camino with. Paul Stubbings w...

Monday swam 20. Spoke to Ann and Paul in Cape Town – all well. General clear up and set off at 12.30 via Earls Court and M4 arriving early at Douai abbey – 57 miles from home. We have a nice double room with disabled ensuite. At first the window would not close but I sorted it. It felt cold. After tea and greeting folk we rehearsed. The Latin vespers should have been accompanied. The community here have a very sketchy idea of some of the chants! Fish soup/stew for dinner and Compline which was marginally better than Vespers. Good to see Martin Foster and he says he heard my questions on the Light music talk and the John Le Carre extended interview! Some leading lights like Philip Gaisford are missing this time so we are a smaller group.

To Coulsdon where we sang Barry Stronge's attractive introit written for us "Levavi oculos" I had to do bass which doesn't suit so I accompanied it. Hughie was baptised - what a name- Hughie Green? We sang Beethoven's The heavens declare and I played the Mozart Jupiter symphony theme and the Holst Jupiter theme. No practice and after coffee to OLd Coulsdon congretional church where I met the minister and had a look at the interesting Bibles exhibition. To Victoria and open day at Westminster City Hall - great views and lovely silver and maces. Lovely gifts to the city as well form Jordan, Israel and Oslo among others. Got on 11 bus to go to Quaker meeting house only to find it was diverted. I got off at St Thomas hospital and walked over Westminster bridge which was closed because of the cycle race and got underground back to Victoria. The mass was at 3 p.m. empty seats. The new bishop very friendly, saw Martin Foster and Canon Jack Madden, Bishop Richard Moth, St...