The organist librarian

We sang Litany to the Holy Spirit by Peter Hurford and I played Rawsthorne on Bread of heaven and Descent from the Cross from St Matthew Passion. Service started late and 2 admitted to communion. The had to wait while Elaine rehearsed kids!  Buses were not good today and I have complained.  At evensong we had a fine Walmisley chant for Psalm 135, Willan in E flat and Crux fidelis. It wasn't great as we never rehearsed in church! Richard does bang the piano too much. To Dulwich for recital by Michael Overbury which was dire! Hildegard, JSB and Messiaen. Wests and Rossas there. 

Mosaic. Benjamin Newlove played well at St Michael Cornhill. Certainly knocked the spots of Mendelssohn 4! To Forest Hill to see Ros. Beckenham circle attracted 30 with sausage and mash. Watched Couples come dine with me, Bronx Zoo and sporting icons.   Noel Rawsthorne died. Father Brown was good. 

Friday to St George's Beckenham for Norman Harper's recital. Super Liszt BACH and Wachet auf then hilarious hornpipe by Noel Rawsthorne and Departure of the Queen of Sheba by Paul Ayres - great jokes. Gave Mass music to Dorio who is still having problems with bullying priest and bishops have been! Liz went over to Chiswick and to Enfield for Swavek's induction. To St John's for recording of superb evensong by King's London - Vittoria and Bach. At choir Tony Trent came but no Karen or John. Janet went home sick. Oh dear. Saturday to Heythrop for Advent retreat Prof Richard Price Heythrop prof of theology on Augustine - I commented on the words from the Cross. Met Liz and she came for tea int he convent. Sr Hilda gravely ill. Talk on Marie Eugenie Assumptionist founder - a remarkable woman. To Vespers (late) and Downside Abbey school choir sang well at Mass - Bruckner, Christopher Tambling conducted by Edward, Byrd. Farewell party for Sr Bridget with some Irish singin...

Caroline rang in some distress - she will be off for a week and her mother has gone into hospital. Gillian has been great. Thursday I missed train at Selhurst at 6.48 but still did 30 lengths. Staff meeting still held despite Leo and Ryan not turning up! I was furious that they did not contact me. I left at 4 and after dinner, Liz and I went to the Old Library at Dulwich college for an organ recital by Norman Harper in aid of the new organ at All Saints West Dulwich. He plays very well and we knew Betty, Chris, Christian, Marilyn Harper, etc. The organ was given by Dr Thwaites (it was made by Jennings) and the donor insists that Bach's Passacaglia be played. the weakest item was "The new commonwealth" by Vaughan Williams. The Messiaen did not work well and I don't like it any way. There was some Mozart and Bonnet and John Reading's manuscript. Moel Rawsthrorne's Hornpipe Humoresque is good fun. Had a glass of wine and met a friend of Tom Creagh-Fuller's, N...

To work. Liz was supposed to be on sacristy duty but Grandma not well. I was thurifer at cope vespers. Nick flapped about at confirmation with Bishop John. Oliver had told me he was playing "Heut triumphiret" of Bach before the Alleluias. I was ready to go and be boat but Nick hared across and off they went despite me saying wait! Result Alleluias sung as Deacon reached the ambo! The bishop got the priests to lay their hands on the 19 candidates and he as always spoke well. Still it all went off O.K. Sunday we sang Praetorius Ascensiontide motet and Statham in D. I played Heut triumphiret. Watched programmes on medieval mind and Dan Cruickshank on architecture. Also "Am I normal?" on believers. Returned to Coulsdon for evensong at 5 p.m. 2 tenors David and Bob. Harwood in A flat, Hutchings God is gone up, Sanders responses. All went well and I played Willan on "Miles Lane", Mawby and Rawsthorne Festal trumpets. 2 great hymns "Christ triumphant" a...

To Vaughan House for a meeting organised by Westminster diocese. Fr Michael Heher, the vicar general of Orange county California reflected on the priesthood and how the laity can help. He was over to lead a retreat at Allen Hall. There was much to think about and he gave us a useful handout. It is a lonely and hard life - he said it is not a sprint to the next event but a marathon. There were lots of comments including a request for deacons. I chatted to a lady from Harrow. It seems to me that priests need to hand over the plant to the laity and meetings need to include the gospel. We need to address the desire for spirituality. As Fr Michael said we are to follow Christ, love God and love people. What the priest needs to hear is that we are doing that. The meeting finished early so I got my pasta chicken salad and carrot cake from Marks (I forgot to take a picnic!)and went to Tate Britain where I watched a 1984 film by Derek Jarman "Imagining October" which was rather intere...