The organist librarian

Left home at 8 a.m. and we got to Acton early so found Adan's cafe and had coffee. Coach was early and we reached Cardiff after one stop around 1.30 p.m. Rehearsal went well. To St David's cathedral for mass - unaccompanied hymns and people saying everything faster than the celebrant who was probably the Dean. The reredos is most distracting during Mass - too bright and dramatic with diamond shapes. The concert went very well and Owain Arwel Hughes on good form. Bryn Terfel was the best Elijah ever - commanding, fantastic diction "leap upon the altar" a good example. Ohter soloists very good including the boy. Jean and Doreen there and the Judds. Chatted to Christopher Allsop the organist of Worcester cathedral who was playing. Ian Ball has left to go to Gloucester, Roger Judd to Hereford from Windsor. Left 10 p.m. and with one stop at Acton by 2 a.m. and home in bed by 2.50 a.m. having slept on coach and finished "Arabesk" by Barbara Nadel.

Thursday our wonderful library system came up trumps yet again! When we visited Vancouver, John Fulton's wife Yolande told us about the Everard family of artists in the Eastern Transvaal and the book about them called "The Women of Bonnefoi". I duly looked this book up on Amazon (no copies available) and found it was published in South Africa in 1970 and Frieda Harmsen wrote it. On "What's in London libraries" I found the sole copy at Westminster Reference library. I rang them and the assistant duly rang back to say she would keep it for a week. So I went to St Martin's Street behind the National Gallery and read parts of it. Pity the illustrations were so poor as they were clearly a talented bunch! To Elijah rehearsal with Owain Arwel Hughes who seemed very happy. Much of Edward Caswell's legato style went out of the window as expected. Liz had to leave early to go to Homerton hospital as Bruce went in to have a cyst removed from his behind. Gill sa...