The organist librarian

Delayed bus meant I lost practice time. We sang Veiled in darkness by Glenn Rudolph and I played Statham on Veni Emmanuel and Lloyd Webber on Helmsley. The carol service at St John Upper Norwood went really well with Norman Harper on the organ. The Bob Chilcott Midwinter came together well. Lots of people came.

A stimulating session at Dulwich with Norman Harper. I have not been getting Couperin registrations correct. Dulwich gallery Sahlberg Norwegian disappointing. To Wallace collection to see impressive Henry Moore helmets and sketched 3. Simon Gledhill entertained us at Bloomsbury Baptist. Peterborough Chamber choir sang Howells and Mathias beautifully at Mass ably accompanied by Michael Butterfield. Like as the hart was gorgeous. Earth hour so dinner by candlelight including strawberries. Race around the world reaches China. 

To Mass then took Henry to Kelsey Park. He loved it! Pub lunch with Beckenham Catenians. Quiet time at St John's. Liz went to servers council. To Peter Sanders at Petts Wood for an evening of recordings made by Chris Town. An interesting mix including carols by Norman and Christian Strover, Bromley orchestras and 2 of my pet hates harpsichord and Messiaen! Good audience. I took popcorn. 

To St George's cathedral to sing in RSCM service of remembrance. A good programme well conducted by Norman Harper. Considering this covered three RSCM areas not a large choir and do not like the idea of areas being joined up. Victoria choir at Mass still not much improved. Royal British Legion service from Royal Albert Hall was different. Bryn Terfel and Sheku.  

Swam, Mass. An enjoyable first visit to Godalming to hear Marilyn Harper play. A fine Hill organ in an interesting church. Liked the Bedard, Mendelssohn and Norman Harper's piece. Lovely autumn day in leafy Surrey. Peter Halliday and a bass from Bridgemans and organists there. A good audience and tea.  To the British Museum to see the stunning Scythians exhibition. Their craftsmanship amazing and knew very little about them. 4.30 seemed to be a good time to go as one could see things well - it was not crowded. I also saw the prints about Luther. Iberia have refused to pay the 30 Euro for the taxi after delayed flight! Had some more green soup and to 9 p.m. showing at Clapham Picturehouse (met the nice couple from Cadogan Hall proms) to see "Call me by your name" beautiful film but did find the situation rather tiresome (idle people in Italy) and the father had some strange views - it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all might be the moral. 

Swim and Mass and had a lovely chat to Sean at coffee. St Luke's day doctor and patron of artists.  Excellent playing from Lukas Arvidsson from Sweden at St Michael's including Parry and an improvisation.  Qaisra Khan gave us 5 daily tips for mental wellbeing and asked how our faith helped us. To Holy Trinity Sloane St to hear Norman Harper play Bach, Howells and Mathias most enjoyable. Watched Bake off. 

Norman Harper gave a fine recital at Grosvenor chapel ending with Bach's Passacaglia. Charles Dickens museum has a lot about Dickensian a series I really enjoyed.  Evensong at Westminster Abbey Byrd 2nd service, Wesley Cast me not away. Canon White excellent talk on Benedictine stability. Like Comment

Delicious salmon and homemade chocolate profiteroles for Christmas Eve dinner. Carols from King's on TV was lovely and O magnum mysterium by Ola Gijola with cello is a real discovery!  Played for Mass at 11 pm. Noels and Bach In dulci. 41 there mostly strangers! 3 in choir sang On Christmas night, Salazar Gloria. Some discussion about last verse of O come all ye faithful - played it! Now listening to Brentwood cathedral on radio 4 while waiting for Bruce and Liz to emerge from St John's!  21 at 10 am Mass at St Michael's. More Noels and Andrew Gant's Paean on the morning of Christ's nativity. Went to 11.15 mass at Anerley. Good to see Fr Sunith and Fr Stuart - the latter celebrated and played the organ for 4 hymns (3 of them the same as at St Michael's!). Presents opened - very nice! Fr Leon gave me chocs and rioja!  Very impressed by singing from Brentwood, Southwark, Ripon and Bath Abbey broadcasts. Well done all!  Enormous dinner at Croydon Park hotel and st...

To All Saints West Dulwich for Tim's funeral which started at 12 noon. We got there early and the service lasted 2 hours. It was touching and the singing was splendid both from the church choir and the choir of friends. Ian Partridge spoke. James Bowman, Peter Wright, Stephen Disley, lay clerks and the Tobins with Colin Mawby from the cathedral. Norman Harper played Wesley. We heard some of Tim's music and Edgar Bainton, Byrd, Wesley and Purcell. It was all splendidly done but with a human touch catching Tim's eccentricity. Liz stayed for the buffet but I went to Bloomsbury Baptist where I heard John Peacham talking about German chorale preludes and their use. After tea Ben Bloor played brilliantly. He is to be scholar at the cathedral. Wills, Bach, Karg-Elert, and Farrington. I doubt if he will play Bolcom on Amazing Grace at the cathedral. His technique is brilliant and he looks like a schoolboy. He plays in flat shoes which look like sneakers! Confirmation by Bishop Joh...

Played Christ the Lord to Jordan came of Bach both versions in Clavierubung. Found a box at church for the organ music which I am selling and also had a first look at Alan's organ music - he must have spent a fortune! Watched Christmas university challenges and some Christmas Songs of Praise. How can O holy night be the nation's favourite above In the bleak - it's not even a congregational carol! Evensong Stanford in B flat and There shall a star of Mendelssohn. To Christ's chapel Dulwich for a joint recital by the Harpers in memory of Tim Penrose and also the organ builder Bill Drake. Purcell, Wesley (which didn't work so well with the tuning), Buxtehude, Bach, Nigel Ogden. Vincent Nicholls is to be Cardinal - brilliant! 

To Tesco pharmacy for flu jab for the first time - very nice pharmacist explained it all. My arm still a bit sore. To Hurtado centre Wapping for an excellent Advent pilgrimage with Paul Nicholson SJ and bought his Advent book of reflections for each day. The walk round Wapping was most interesting. A lovely section like a Dutch canal scene then dull estates. The mosque is currently on a top floor and very dark. St Peter's Anglican church very high and quite lovely compared to the Catholic church which is cold and very Roman - St Patrick's. Pat and Kerry and a nice group. Damian was there and lent hats - I chose a splendid black one from Bailey of Hollywood. It was a great chance to reflect on pilgrimages especially the Holy Land and my role. John the Baptist seen as someone who decreased. To Bloomsbury Baptist for Norman Harper being funny and playing Thalben-Ball complete with happy stickers on his soles, Bach, Peeters, Leighton and Karg-Elert. Large crowd outside for auditio...

The Couperin went really well and I felt very confident having played movements in Cambridge. It really worked as an entity. It was the first time I had played it right through with the chants sung. I played the Kyrie movements before the service which overran by 20 minutes - we had 5 long hymns too! It was good of Stephen to bring communion to the organ - I played Benedictus during communion. There was a good spread for the bring and share lunch and Liz came to Kent House. Adrian conducted and we had a good choir of 10. The Vespers was lovely and the Bishop censed and blessed the organ and Pitoni's Cantate domino a perfect choice! Norman played brilliantly - lovely Faure, Finzi and Strauss. 2 fun items and the Bach Passacaglia. It was great to have the screen and watch him play. Lovely tea and cakes! To St John's for a splendid evensong Wood Coll Reg and Faire is the heaven requested by Fr John. Watched Antiques roadshow and Downton Abbey. 

Bank Holiday Monday and nice weather after all the rain yesterday morning. Up early and worked on Michael's suggestions regarding the dissertation. To Bromley parish church for joint recital by Norman and Marilyn Harper. They played a duet by Wesley and divided the programme between them including Dupre, Leighton and Mango Thrist (Lovely girl commented Norman). I left before the Bach Passacaglia to get home for lunch and then to Royal College of Music for 2.30 workshop with Mary King on singing musicals. Muriel was there. Enjoyed singing Somewhere over the rainbow, opening number from Show Boat and the scarecrow song with actions. Also a Waxman song. The light music organ prom was well played by Richard Hills and included Ireland, Sullivan, Waller and German and a fun encore. Excellent talk on film music with David Benedict and the John Wilson prom was excellent with a wide variety of film music and songs. I am playing for Dermot Molony's funeral on Friday at St Mary's.

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...

To St George's Beckenham expecting Andrew Kirk but he was ill so Norman stepped in - first time he had played a recital in a hoodie! Ridout 2 Nativity dances, Finzi Prelude and Bach Passacaglia - excellent. Saw Jo Harvey and Ken. Louise arrived with Ciarán - he has a nasty cough but enjoyed Cornwall. We enjoyed looking at the photos. To Sacred Heart Wimbledon - went wrong way! David Briggs on stunning form playing from memory. Guy Bonnet, Bach, Franck No. 3, Nimrod and Widor Toccata, Haydn and a 4 movement improvisation! The organ is splendid and a good audience. Liz to Heythrop and Louise went to visit Gemma and Sebastian. Ciarán happy to watch Thomas and Gruffalo and read Thomas books. Nasty cough but quite OK. Have now done all reading we were given on Helios and submitted first bit of essay on discussion forum. Watched the rest of Terry Gwilliam's amazing ENO Damnation of Faust on Iplayer. Fr Durand at mass and Huddersfield Boys choir sang Keith Roberts mass - met him - he...

I am on the back page of the Catholic Herald leading the procession last week! On bus to St George's cathedral and a warm welcome from the Dean Canon John O'Toole. The men were singing and good to see Norman Harper, Nick Gale and Mark Johnson. The turn out of Catenians not that great - about 50. We were serving but took a back seat. The servers arrived at the last minute and there was no MC and they certainly need training! Shambolic! The plainchant was far too fast and the whole Mass felt rushed with no silences at all. I'm not sure I woudl want to repeat the experience and I only went because of our deceased brothers. We came home on the bus and I started work on my first essay. Evensong from Exeter (again!) At St John's we sang Coleridge-Taylor canticles and Bainton's "And I saw a new heaven". Terence has a crutch but recovering well from the hip operation. Watched Antiques roadshow.

All went well at Coulsdon - a baptism for Baptism of the Lord. Ellie Lyon came to start with Molly - she plays cello and sings well! Practised. Liz went to Croydon Primark and BHS. I went to St Paul's Cathedral to hear Norman Harper play Buxtehude, Finzi and Reger - what a sound. Marilyn, Michael and Martin were there. Antiques roadshow and Lark rise is back! Monday swam 22 - Mervyn was there. Diane asked me to move into the slow lane and there was music on! To tai chi - 3 there. To Catenians on Monday evening - got 2 new Norwood ties for £15. 22 visitors and 2 visiting gentlemen. Philip was back. Tuesday swam 24. Took AnnMarie to pay for new carpets and get swatch and she painted at Glyn Close.

Liz set off early as she was acting as sacristan for the morning so Gerry could play in the folk group. At Coulsdon we sang "If ye love me" by Tallis and Bairstow in E flat. We rehearsed Gibbons and Croft for evensong and I felt so confident after the conducting workshop and was using some of the techniques I had learnt. Vickie says the church will pay for it! I practised and then to Purley for Mass. David Palmer group and it was far too long. Blessing of water with sung responses then sprinkling then Gloria. A good young cantor for the acclamations. Canon Frank went on rather long about the need for all to evangelise. It was a Mass for new members of the congregation followed by a reception in the hall but by then it was 1.15! To Dulwich to meet Liz. Restaurants all full so had soup in cafe and then to Christ's Chapel for excellent recital by Timothy Penrose counter-tenor and Norman Harper. The organ has been rebuilt by Drake and is ideal for Purcell and Gibbons. Timothy...

There was a baptism at Coulsdon - Autumn a lovely 8 month old who had been very ill. I played Arthur Wills's Lullaby for a royal prince, some Andrew Moore and Mendelssohn Song without words in E. I didn't think the Venetian gondala song suitable! Chat to Jill Cliff about the magazine. we are to try a half hour with the girls after Sunday service which avoids me going down there again on a Wednesday or early on a Friday. Listened to Roberto Alagna's Desert Island discs (his second wife died) and Just a minute. Liz had been shopping in Croydon. To Geffrye Museum in Shoreditch to see the excellent photographs of Ethelburga tower in Battersea and Newlyn copper. The herb garden and formal gardens are delightful and it was very sunny. The smell of rosemary and thyme very strong. They even have hyssop and valerian! Swopped buses to get to Museum of London to see the excellent history of Anti-Apartheid movement exhibition. Walked to St Paul's cathedral through the lovely Patern...

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...