The organist librarian

Finished the book about Savute. Beautiful coffee concert at St John Upper Norwood today billed as Tim Posner. The piano trio played Rachmaninov Trio elegiaque and Schumann trio No. 1. The latter has a last movement where I felt Schumann was trying to convince himself all was well despite his depression! Soulful playing from all especially the cello (who I think is the son of the LMP principal viola). I spoke to the young violinist who hopes to go to Basel. What a treat and I did some sketching.Fr Michael Quaqoe celebrated vespers and First Mass of Epiphany lots of incense. We will miss him when he goes to Rome to study for his doctorate. Heard the last act of Otello with Stuart Skelton (we have seen him in the role at ENO) and Dudamel making his Met debut. Chester Zoo. 

Is there anything more annoying than a train leaving Selhurst 3 minutes before it is due to leave just as I got on the platform? Luckily there was another soon after. I have complained. I was not alone in my complaint. Celebrating Mary so sang Ave Maria by Lindley and I played Gounod, Griffiths and Dandrieu. I skipped pre-lunch drinks at the vicarage and went to 12.15 mass at St Mary's which was far too long. Fr Michael went on and on about last weekend, funerals, Mary, evangelisaton, etc. Most annoyingly he adds to the prayers and repeats what we have just prayed for.  2 Rachmaninov proms and an excellent talk with David Nice. The playing in the piano concerto No.3 was phenomenal and Symphony No. 2 was excellent. The Latvian radio choir were disappointing in the Vespers. Wayward altos, a light rather than a heavy sound, where were the deep basses and the dark vowels. Took car up and home by 11.30. 

Woke late and electrician cmae and fixed perspex next to cooker - at last! To art and drew an arrangement and borrowed an excellent book on drawing hands and feet - one of my weaknesses! To interfaith lunch and Fr David brought Fr Matthias (studying in Rome) and Teresa. Emily Howard's music did not impress at the talk and Prom. What is all this stuff about maths and computing? The tuba piece should have made us laugh but we sat there po-faced while the young man near me tried not to laugh! It sounded like Mary King's puppy imitation! John East and Colin Hartley were there but spoke to neither as once again had to go back for seat reservation tickets. Petrenko conducted Rachmaninov 3 and Shostakovich cello concerto no. 1. RLPO. Alexey Stadler stood in for the concerto and played brilliantly. Home to watch Alice Coote singing Mahler at the prom.

It's hot - flopped out in Tshirt and shorts watching Ben Fogle Great animal migration!  My back has been playing up despite rest. Sao Paolo symphony orchestra are doing fantastic work - makes our English orchestras educational programmes look very thin! They played really well especially the strings for Marin Alsop. Nobre, Rachmaninov and Villa-Lobos and 2 encores. Gabriela Montero played the Grieg piano concerto and improvised an encore on Land of hope and glory. She was back for the survey of Brazilian popular music with the Sao Paolo jazz Symphony orchestra and strings of Sao Paolo Symphony Orchestra. We stayed until 11 and enjoyed it. Home at 12.20.

Woke late.  Watched Gergeiev and Gershwin proms on TV and university challenge and Come dine with me.  A very interesting discussion on the Devil with Revd Richard Coles and Imtiaz Dharker. A well attended Prom Prokofiev 3, Tchaikovsky Hamlet and Rachmaninov variations on a theme of Paganini played by Stephen Hough and BBC SO conducted by Alexander Vedernikov. It's been so hot today just flopped about in T shirt and shorts and sorted email network and chose some anthems! 

To Cadogan Hall  after coffee at Peter Jones for an excellent prom Debussy and Mozart - not so keen on the Ditilleux quartet! Came home as it was so hot and then back for the talk on Charlotte Bronte. Met Damian Howard and Adrian was at the Prom Munich Phil with Gergiev. Ravel Bolero, Rachmaninov 3, Strauss. Train very late and slow home at 11.45!

Fascinating film on Rachmaninov on BBC4 by Tom Service. Saw the rest of Gypsy. We  sang at Anthony and Consola's wedding at St John the Evangelist Upper Norwood - Zadok the Priest, carols and hymns - a very happy occasion. Alexander Pott played superbly. To 6.30 Mass at St Matthew West Norwood - pews are better arranged but the new parish priest Fr Cassidy is very Scottish and used a small table in front of the altar which made it feel cramped and candlelight. Guitar not in tune flute OK. Endured Silent night and all of First Nowell. Sanctus and psalm said. Jennie Mitchener was there. W atching fascinating BBC programme on Shostakovich's Leningrad symphony.

To Christ Church Streatham for the eucharist to celebrate Ivor Smith-Cameron's 60th anniversary of ordination. A remarkable assembly of friends including Andrew Wilson, Harry Bramma, Siriol and Chennai trip friends. Nice lunch and met people I used to know at Battersea Park library. Met Franciscan Fr John from Bradford. Came home and then to cathedral to put out leaflets about interfaith group and deliver letter. Saw George and Jerry. George was friendly and introduced me to his sister. Saw Rebecca and I came away - my blood pressure was definitely up and I felt tightness in my chest! To Holy Apostles Pimlico - nice Italian young priest, electronic organ for the hymns, 4 servers who did not acknowledge the altar at all! Saw Maureen and Freddie. Sean and Ciaran stayed overnight. I slept with Sian who woke at 5.30 with nappy down and bed wet! He went back to sleep OK.  Just 11 in church this morning/ I played Bairstow and Statham on Veni Emmanuel, Peeters on Conditor alme and Les Cl...

Swam 20, to Balham library to get scores, led Spirituality day at the cathedral on "Put your lamp on a lampstand" played Harris, Rachmaninov and Brewer. Holy is the true light, Serene light, Nunc Dimittis.  Interesting discussion of Walton 2 and a satisfying Prom from BBC Welsh. RVW, Grace Williams, Elgar. Watched University challenge.

A really lovely day but missed Liz. The boys loved the splash zone at London museum of water and steam at Kew and we had lunch at Gunnersbury which has a great playground. Ciaran came straight away and called me when Sean fell over and all was well. Tom brought me profiteroles! The prom was great - Prokofiev Classical symphony and Rach 2 - so romantic. Opinion was divided on the Chinese work by Qigang Chen - one soprano sounded like a cat but I thought some of it was like Delius and Mahler. Xian Zhang conducted BBC National orchestra of Wales. Great photos from Jersey by Bruce. Pleased that the blood test was negative for prostrate problems. Listened to Prokofiev piano concertos 1 and 4 with scores from Gergiev's prom.

played Bach Ich ruf zu dir, Vernon Griffiths on Maria zu leben and the Toccata and Fugue in D minor today. Watched the service for Afghanistan. Andrew Carwood sais yesterday the Queen was 8 minutes early hence the wait at the start for the first hymn? The Harris, Durufle and Vaughan Williams were all beautifully sung and the Archbishop gave an excellent sermon. Those of other faiths joined the bishop at the end! Watched programme on the racist Smethwick election and Indian summers. I went to Lent group and Father John not there. At evensong we sang Rachmaninov Bogoroditse. 

Sunday was welcomed back to St Michael's very warmly. I played the Willan and voluntaries on Carlisle and Cwn Rhondda. Sue has been playing the piano. A lady joined the choir! I ws asked to speak about my travels so I mentioned St Joseph's. Picked up Dennis and we proceeded to Acton where we had a delicious meal of pate and lamb. Lovely to see the family again after nearly 4 weeks. Monday Louise dropped us near Wood Lane and we got our train without a problem. Ciarán behaved impeccably. We walked to Jorvil which he thought very smelly but it has in fact been much improved although there were too many people in the exhibition area. The ride was good. Lots of people everywhere so a long wait for Carluccios table and the meal but it was OK. We arrived at the Minster at 3 and met Esther. She provided a children's trail and pack. While I handed over the King's Penny and she scanned a lot of my postcards and photos for the children's box. It was great to see the King...

Lie-in so no swim. Listened to Salome from the Prom with the vocal score -  a splendid performance.  After lunch watered the garden and went to Central music library. I got to the hall at 3.45 and the talk was about Philip Larkin featuring Andrew Motion. Excellent. A very fine Prom conducted by Simon Rattle of Rachmaninov and the Firebird with full score. Liz was babysitting as Louise went to Budapest. Watched some University challenges.

Had a lie-in. Liz went to get her new Boots glasses (2 pairs) and I listened to Walton symphony No. 1 with score from the Prom and the Maxwell Davies Prom which was heavy going! I went to Clapham Junction to get my resized ring and said hello to Isabel Losada in the window ar Waterstone's for the Battersea literature festival. The discussion was about Singapore and I asked a question about our experience of the attentive mixed age audience and made the point that I had waited 10 years for them to play at the Proms. Glinka very fast, the Zhou Long concerto was attractive and Haefliger played a Berio encore which was quite bearable! Rachmaninov 2 very well played and a Walton march for industry as an excellent encore. To Acton. Wednesday Louise was home working and the lovely fireplace was installed. We went to Bekonscot which the boys loved. On the way back we went through Burnham Beeches - very pretty. The interview with Sir Roger Norrington was amusing. He spoke a lot about vi...

Swam 20. To CML and got 4 scores. Liz just got to Cadogan in time. Alice Coote was indisposed but Anna Schwanewilms accompanied by Malcolm Martineau was a delightful replacement and she sang Debussy and Strauss. To Somerset House and had a look at the rudeboys photos and after picnic Colour in the work Josef Albers, Anni Albers and Gary Hulme then to the Courtauld for the prints from Breughel to Freud and some of the collection has been rehung. The cheaper Monday price is going from Monday. To St Martin's in the Fields and had a look in the Dick Sheppard chapel (statues were dedicated by Desmond Tutu and I was present) and drawings for the Bible by Annie Vallotton and touching pictures of Indian untouchable children from Hyderabad. To the National Portrait gallery for the Virginia Woolf special exhibition. Had to wait several times to look in the cases and the BP portrait award was very crowded. To Royal Academy for Stephen Hopper the lost album interesting that the cross appears ...

Watched R.achmaninov 2 conducted by Pappano and Starvinsky Rite and Rameau eij period instrumenst.s.

Woke up too early - still have Wagner on the brain! Swam 20 - the pool was busy! To British Library to finish what could be looked up there. Shopped at M & S St Pancras and got the train back to East Croydon. Arrived early at St Matthew's but the caretaker let me in. 3 ladies interviewed me about undertaking the spiritual direction course over years on 2nd Fridays. Went well.  I had bought flowers and chocs for Liz for the 39th anniversary tomorrow. Put shopping away and then off to the preProm talk with the composer Naresh Sohal. We heard string quartet extracts and an attractive song. John East gave me some details for the reunion yearbook.The commissioned by Sohal was attractive. Rachmaninov Piano concerto no. 3 very well played by Nikolai Lugansky but the miniature score was very small. I was drooping for Tchaikovsky 5th. Finished late but we were home by midnight. Apparently the young man we met last night is Nicholas and he is to study organ at the Academy and be scholar...

To Heythrop library as Michael could not see me today. Met Liz and the family at the gym where Ciaran had his tennis lesson and swam. Seán was very good and standing a lot.  To the hall and saw a lot of the familiar faces in the queue. Anderson Harmony well sung but diction not great. Britten sea interludes are now a modern classic. Stephen Hough played Rachmaninov and Lutoslawski variations on a theme of Paganini. The Sea symphony was excellent and the young chorus did really well. Met Dennis at Selhurst and took him to No.3 - he looks well. 

Lie-in. Unpacking, cleaning, hoovering. Sorted out hoover, bedroom chair and bedroom carpet lip. Read 3 articles. Watched Leeds piano competition (amazing to think we there on that stage this week) Rachmaninov 3. QI and Andrew Marr History of the world part 1. Programme about Fanny Waterman.

Wednesday to Wigmore Hall for free concert by Connaught Opera who go around entertaining old folks. Good pianist Carol Wells and bass but the soprano had no high notes and a wobble. She changed her dress 5 times! Then to St Michael's for excellent recital by Richard Townend with flautist Hans-Georg Reinertz - Bach, Salome, Buxtehude, Dubois, Hilding Carlsson and Dudley Buck. Proms Plus was Jane Glover with her literary choices read by Simon Callow. I asked a question quoting Elif Sharak on why we read novels to get out of our box and this went down well. Saw John East in the queue. Nice new piece by Fung Lam. Rachmaninov 2 played well by Kirill Gerstein and Prokofiev 7. Last concert Handel Water music and home by midnight.