The organist librarian

Swam.  Stunning music at St Cecilia service at Westminster cathedral.  Michael Berkeley  new work a wonder from a small cell. Schutz, Malcolm and Croce and superb Stanley on trumpet. Martin Baker said to tell him if there are concerns about music. Lovely singing from Francesca Pringle accompanied by Martin Ford at St Matthews Westminster - she just needs to get her face to match what she is singing! Nice chat to Martin who is now at the Guards chapel.  Lo The day ended with an excellent meeting at St Mary Magdalene Canning Road with Helen Bradley and the Bishop of Croydon speaking on Safe passage and religion in the lives of young asylum seekers. It is appalling that everything is done to make it hard for the people who have the right to come here to actually do so. What has happened to this country's proud record of welcoming people? v Triple firing on The Apprentice!!! el Triple firing on The Apprentice!!! y to see and hear   t St Matthew WestminStster ...

Waved off the kids and Louise and Tom - they will be back on Wednesday. Listened to second half of King's - lovely Michael Berkeley, Harold Darke, Howells, Lennox Berkeley and Warlock Bethlehem Down. Listing composers I have seen or met. A lot! Carols from King's. Dennis announced yesterday that the baptism will be on April 23rd in Dublin so booking flights. Nice walk round South Norwood lake very clear sky. Met Mary from St John's and had a good chat. Dennis and AnnMarie came for bubble and squeak. Watched videos from the 60s featuring Michael Goldthorpe and little Ann! Programme on elephants in Tsavo.

Woke up too early so looked up scores.  A most enjoyable morning at the London Wetlands centre and a quiet afternoon. The Prom was good - Dukas, (shades of Ravel and Debussy) Michael Berkeley 's rather sad violin concerto and the superb Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet.

Seán has chicken pox and Ciarán, who has had it, was pointing out a spot thinking he might have it as everybody else seems to have done! Swam 22. Thinking about last night. It'a so important as Andrew Carwood said to put support into training church musicians especially young ones and pass on the tradition. I spoke against using CDs to replace live music. Andrew said hymn singing is in decline and looking at recent braodcasts one sees many people not singing the hymns which is sad. The decline of the Methodist church and churchgoing plus the move away from teaching children to sing has had an effect. RSCM is reviewing its education programme and there are gaps in that too. We need to get back the workshops where young people are encouraged to sing more. Michael Berkeley's new anthem for Canterbury was excellent and let's hope it gets taken up by Benedictine foundations. It started like Taverner's The Lamb - maybe that was deliberate? It is encouraging that cathedral ch...

Heard the rest of the programme on Music and Silence. It seems one should wear hearing aids as soon as you need them otherwise there will be more cognitive loss. To hearing aid clinic and got more batteries and tubes. Shopped at Tesco for Liz - horrid "Silent night" sung by some woman and everything has been moved! Worked on coursework 2 on Francis Clooney. Evensong from Westminster Abbey featuring Peter Maxwell Davies setting of Rowan Williams "Advent calendar" from Choirbook for the Queen.

Finished at court at 4.30 so home and had dinner and watched Julia Bradbury doing canal walk in Wales. Listened to a bit of Michael Berkeley on hearing loss. To the cathedral for Gillian Weir's final recital. Splendid playing and a good audience - Demessieux, Bach, Franck, Martin, Willan and Mulet. Standing ovation and she walked the length of the cathedral and into the pulpit with flowers from Madeleine. Even Marie-Claire Alain didn't go in the pulpit! A memorable evening. Nice to see David Hill there. Met Liz at the end - she had been at RCIA with Michael Dunne. Watched The Hour on return home.

To Coulsdon to play 3 hymns at a wedding. String trio largely talked over by congregation. CD to come in - Beatles instrumental but the real insult was a CD of Mendelssohn Wedding march played on an organ to exit. Keep music live! Violinist from Norwich university music dept not impressed. Practised a bit on piano. Liz was singing at a wedding at St John's as part of a quartet. On radio prom conducted by David of Tippett and Taverner. To pre-Prom literary event. Tasmin Little choosing Shakespeare, Hesse (just like Matthew Barley) Hilaire Belloc and something called Hungarian Dances. She looks and sounds fantastic - her father was an actor. Liz arrived just in time for Prom. Cockaigne overture, London premiere of Michael Berkeley's organ concerto, Rachmaninov Variations on a theme of Paganini (with score) and Kodaly Hary Janos suite (with score). A delightful concert and we went to Late event in Elgar room - wish we had known this was so good as we would have gone to more. Dran...

Spoke to Ann and reinvited her to the blog. To Hinsley Room for session on Paul - 9 came. One lady berated me about interfaith group - classic case of not listening to another point of view! To St Michael's West Croydon for recital by Martyn Rawles of Lichfield cathedral - the last of this year's series. He plays very well. Michael Berkeley sonata, Vierne, Widor, Walton and Elgar's Coronation march 1911. Met Sr Mary Clement on way out - she was delighted to see me and asked after Liz. Train to London Bridge and walked to Tate Modern. Preferred the Cildo Meireles installations to the Rothkos! Back to Hinsley Room adn 12 came for interfaith group. Ebrahim Rashid from Hyderi Islamic centre in Streatham spoke well. I had to collect him from Victoria. Next meeting is January. On buses to Holborn and Conway Hall home of humanism with a Bertrand Russell room for another Berlioz piano rehearsal with Brian Wright. Home and fell asleep watching Gryff Rhys Jones in Paris!