The organist librarian

We sang "Thee we adore" which fitted very well with the excellent sermon from Anne-Marie Garton. I played Boellmann on Adoro Te, Peeters on Lasst uns erfreuen and a new piece for me Parry's Bridal march from The Birds. Started a new jigsaw. Antiques roadshow and  Call the midwife excellent and now watching the wonderful Antonio Pappano on arias.

Up early after waking several times and got early bus so at church early. Played Bridge Adagio and Peeters on St Stephen. Ironically we did sing that tune as the wrong number was in the leaflet and that hymn goes to St Botolph! Started practising carols. Found hall was booked so back to church and lost practice time as there was a baptism. Watched 3 programmes on the new London sewer. Nice brisket for lunch and a mincemeat tart. Watched Prince Charles on Parry and Canadian canal journey on Rideau canal. 

Listened to BBC singers prom from Cadogan Hall on radio. Good programme. Parry, Holst with scores. Had falafel salad at Union.Sparse attendance at Prom 51. Parsifal prelude, Strauss 4 last songs sung by radiant Malin Bystrom. Dausgaard launched into Per Norgard Symphony No. 3 an impressive opening organ and bells but oh dear it was just loud waves of sound. The talk had not really told us much - "a modern masterpiece" always makes one nervous! Home to find match just ended. Ontrain watched Proms extra and spotter prommer in NYO, 2 songs of praise. 

Swam,  Mass Fr Sunith did it all and read writhe as rith! Penge library for 3 scores from Bromley and bought new washing up bowl at Poundland. To art and progress on holocaust painting. Lunch and then to Balham to return scores, recycle batteries and pick up ordered buttons at Waitrose. A good hour with Clare. Still hot and no rain. Everyone very excited about Clare and Mick getting married and Louise and family going to Sydney for Christmas. A delightful programme by Richard Hills at St John Upper Norwood with light and serious well-mixed.

Missed train so train to West Croydon and 207 bus which beat the train by 5 minutes. Music from The Little organ book in honour of Hubert Parry 1918. Sang Panis angelicus and the Schubert adapted for Walsingham. Postlude on a ground by Herbert Murrill. Good to see quite a few children at the service and Fr Jerry Garton did a great reflection on what we should be grateful for and could we share more. I certainly try to share my skills but the enemy is time! Trying to do too much can also be a problem. Good food, exercise, sleep all  matter. Selina Stone spoke at St Paul's "Was Jesus political?" In a broad sense Yes. I think the Dean changed my question which was really about getting people to vote and being engaged but it is true that we need to stop bickering in the church and take a stand. Political influence better than political power? Perhaps Yes think of Nazi Germany and the apartheid regime. Individuals can do so much especially on social media and so can communiti...

Went down on buses and back on train. 4 in choir and another lady will join later! We sang Martin How's Day by day and went through the Anthem books finding out what items are familiar. I played Dad's voluntary on Ar hyd y nos it being Father's day, Parry on Melcombe and Willan on Dominus regit me. The Nardone setting going well. To Penge congregational church for a recital in aid of Alzheimer's. Alvin Moisey played Chopin, Debussy and Gershwin. His wife Hiroko played Massenet on the violin and their sons played Bartok - amazing talent for their age. They are embarking on Land's End to John O'Groats cycle ride. Alvin's mother had Alzheimer's. He thanked their neighbours for their patience!

Woke early. To All Saints for "What is an icon?" art. Loved Judy Pascoe's Raphael and Sydney Opera House. Did not like large photos of religious statues with pricetags on them. Surely the prices would be underneath? And some people make a living from them e.g. Bethlehem Palestinans. Commercialising religion is inevitable. Watched the Trooping and great to see the flypast and the whole Royal family apart from Prince Philip who is 95 tomorrow! Catenian emails and loading lists onto mailchimp. Victoria choir sang better at Mass Parry and Vierne and we had the blessing of engaged couples. To big iftar at Hyderi Streatham. Excellent talks on worship by Rabbi Mark Solomon (worship in the home, sang Psalm 23) Fr David Howell (Abraham and Thomas Aquinas) and the imam (3 types of worshipper slave, business man and free). Nice food and banana drink and trifle. Good to see Habib and William Rhind.

This year we celebrate Claude Debussy, Rossini, Tchaikovsky and Leonard Bernstein. None of them wrote anything for the organ but there are some transcriptions! Charles Gounod is perhaps best known for “Ave Maria” based on the Bach prelude and the opera “Faust”. However Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry 1st Baronet (1848- 7 October 1918) did write a great deal for the organ including some very difficult chorale preludes on hymn tunes and the towering Fantasia and Fugue. I can play the preludes on “Rockingham” (“When I survey”) and “Melcombe” (“New every morning”). His Bridal March and Finale from The Birds of Aristophanes is little played nowadays but there is a beautiful Elegy composed for the funeral of Sidney, 14th Earl of Pembroke April 7th, 1913 which I will be playing in November. Parry is probably best known for “Jerusalem” and the tune “Repton” for “Dear Lord and Father of mankind”. He also composed the splendid “Laudate Dominum” for “O praise ye the Lord” (A and M 753). Also ...

Cardinal Vaughan schola sang I was glad and Mozart Coronation Mass at Mass. Well done! Umberto Ferrando RIP always smiling, a great Catenian and faithful Altar Server. To interfaith iftar at West London Synagogue. The food was excellent, the company less so in fact I would seriously consider not going again. Amazed to learn CCJ were meeting at the same time!

Swam. Mass. Finalised Old Johannian dinner choices. To St Lawrence Jewry for excellent recital by Andrzej Malitowski Bach and Parry. John East, Michael O'Leary,Peter Wright, Michael Butterfield  and Paddy Russill.Very fine exhibition outside Guildhall about 14-18 War. Meditation at St John's accompanied by ladies choir Blossom Street singers Preparing for CD of women composers including Roxanna Panufnik and Judith Bingham. Sounded great but not silence.Enjoyed Secret life of 5 year olds and history of British Airways which is sadly not what it was and we prefer Emirates or Singapore airlines. Lou and Tom went to pub and Sean woke me around 9.45! A lot done in the library. I found I could add simple stock and listen to BBCIplayer at the same time. To Dulwich meeting and we heard Raleigh ICS in Niicaragua and Tanzania.Programme on Palmyra.

The dementia talk underlined that the brain has two modes -so one half can forget people but the other half has a feeling of wellbeing and happiness as the result of a visit. So it is vital to keep visiting those who appear not to know you. Does the same thing apply when someone is very ill or dying? Talking to the person can break through in some way. Did this happen when Jesus said "Mary" to Mary Magdalene? Recognition came at the supper at Emmaus from an action. I have been reading "The grace of waiting" by Margaret Whipp and she has much to say about waiting with those who are ill. Palm Sunday played Bach and we sang Drop drop and To mock your reign. The way of the cross at St John Upper Norwood was beautiful. Monteverdi, Walton Litany, Monteverdi, Parry on Rockingham, Bach and Philip Moore. The Durrells and the repair shop.

I warmed to the  new Mander organ at St Mary Merton Park after a while. Lunch at Elys. Fine organ at St Mary's Wimbledon village. Rather a lot of walking. The Mass at Anerley for feast of St Simon and St Jude was for Canon Gerald Coates RIP long a member of Society of St Gregory and a wonderful man. His funeral is Nov 9 at noon Arundel cathedral..  Why do some organ teachers tell students not to wear shoes? It is so dangerous and Peter Hurford is adamant that shoes improve your pedalling.  Daniel Cook from Durham cathedral played superbly at Bloomsbury Baptist - Parry, Byrd, Elgar Prelude and Angel's farewell from Gerontius (one of my favourites) and Bairstow. I was sorry to miss the Howells and Willan. Piccolo Lasso from Dublin sang beautifully at the cathedral Bodley Mass and Welsey Love one another. fr Michael was chatting about Hereford and Fr Michael Quaqoe is back from Ghana. Furious that it appeared that the cassocks I had taken off the rack for replacement had be...

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. 

2 choir members in Walsingham and we sang Ave Maria by  Simon Lindley . I played Parry on Melcombe and Hurford on Song 34. Rehearsed L.J.White Prayer of St Richard first sang that as a choirboy, Andriessen and Mendelssohn 6. After Fr Daniel Trott's first mass with 2 baptisms BBQ.  Linda Baker  and I sang in the Caterham Festival evensong at St Mary's. The walk up the hill is exhausting and I rested in the cemetery and delighted to find tea and delicious walnut cake at St Lawrence's. Brewer In D, Ouseley From all that dwell, Rutter The Lord bless you and keep you, Justin Thomas responses. 3 good hymns including Thy hand O God has guided. Chris Buck at the organ. I asked about the future of evensong in the area and combining like this say once every 2 months makes a lot of sense. It was all a bit on the loud side and some more softer singing would have been good. Lift to station. Had to change at Purley and get bus from Norwood Junction to Selhurst. Antiques roadshow. Pold...

Played Bach O mensch bewein and Descent from the Cross from St Matthew Passion bass Recit which mentions Adam. We sang Sweelinck Miserere and Walsingham Shrine Mass II. I commented that the latter is essentially a waltz and Jerry was amused by that.  Excellent talk by Stephen Cherry at St Paul's cathedral on the dark side of the soul. His clusters of sins very helpful e.g. Temporal disjunctions, tragic desires, malicious tendencies, impossible ideas, vicious regards, naughty but nice. How refreshing to hear snobbery, cruelty, lack of self esteem named.  Temporal disjunctions include getting time wrong, boredom, business, nostalgia and forgetfulness about the past. Tragic desires include lust, greed, insatiability and desire for control. He spoke about disengaging cynicism in face of modern politics. What am I For? is the? for young men. I liked sin defined as anything that makes God frown which implies that God smiles at good deeds but even there compassion can be tricky. Hom...

14 in church. Played Stanford Gartan, Pachelbel and Walther Jesu meine freude and Murrill Postlude on a ground ready for the Festival Hall organ! More work on old photos for the family tree. I sang at evensong Stainer in B flat and Wood Expectans expectavi. To All Saints West Dulwich evensong there only finished at 7.30 so recital by Jonathan Vaughn started late. Met Alan Littell who is deputy organist there and plays at Addiscombe. Anthony Sisley plays at Our Lady's and at Anerley! Harpers, Carl jackson and the Vaughns were there. Watched War and Peace, circus and story of zoos.

Played Flor Peeters on Cwm Rhondda, Bach Descent from the cross from St Matthew passion and Fugue in G minor by Lasceux. Drove to Norwood Junction and train and buses.  Brilliant talk by David Ford at St Paul's cathedral on "The drama of living" - I met him at Knead for Peace but did not know he was Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge! What insights into John's gospel! He underlined interfaith scriptural reasoning. o St Paul's cathedral.Getting home took 90 minutes as trains were cancelled and thanks to TFL I came via Elmers End and Woodside and bus. To Lent group which was better as the chapter was not as long. At evensong and benediction we sang Parry My soul there is a country and the Lent prose. John tells me there was a pub meeting of the people who left St Michael's when Paul came. Sounds sinister. Adrian cannot come on July 19th (Singing session for Jean Taylor). Call the midwife and Indian summers and discussion programme on the future of the ar...

Scanned a lot of photos and printed some off to take to York. Dropped everyone at Selhurst and to Bromley Parish church for Jonathan Vaughn's excellent recital of Franck, Bach, Sweelinck, Widor and Parry. He played well and I bought his new CD of Wagner played at St Mary Redcliffe. His programme for St John's sounds great! He is now at Wells. Back to Selhurst and to South Bank where we sat outside in the sun and then got the London Eye cruise which was very enjoyable. The boys enjoyed playing in the Jubilee gardens. We came home for dinner and I again played the piano and sang a bit. Voice is rusty! Packed small case and fell asleep during Rev. Saw the mouse again this time in the lounge - horrid things.

Monday swam 20. Back to mosaic and Linda back from Greece. Tai chi and 9 in class! To Heythrop and saw Michael for 30 minutes - says essays are good solid work. In library for an hour checking Vatican documents and references. Liz had been to see Kim, Ausra and Tony -seems she submitted wrong essay (hence the plagiarism hearing). Told her to keep calm and carry on! To Balham library to get scores. To Glyn close to get box of wires and lady came to recycle them. I rescued nice headphones and microphone for my laptop. To Catenians and Frank Savage Provincial President was there. He presented the circle with the book about Jimmy Mizen which I want to read! It was a happy evening with some great jokes. But only 8 of us and a lot of visitors! Tuesday swam 20. Liz got her laptop cleaned up - 114 items needed removing! Watched the Coronation 60 year commemoration from the Abbey. Terence was on duty. Stack and Hopes represented RCs and other faiths in prominent positions. The reformed rabbi ...

Trinity Sunday so played Willan on Nicaea, Wyton on St Patrick's Breastplate and Harper Triptych. We sang "Holy, holy, holy" and "How shall I sing that majesty" to Coe Fen - what a tune! Had a chat to Paul about contacting local mosques which I have been doing. Practised and Liz was home early from cathedral. Worked on Knitter essay. Dennis arrived looking well and we had a nice lunch and worked in the garden in the sunshine moving stones and compost to fill the new wooden raised beds. To Holy Trinity Sloane Square for the opening of the splendid 4 manual Harrisons organ by David Goode. A full church paying £12 each! Champagne at the break. Martin Ball, Christopher Town, Gloria and Michael Toplis, Michael Armstrong and an organist from Buffalo who played for 2 years at St Mary's Cambridge. Met Stephen Smith who does organ recitals.com and Michael Brough who's toccata was played. Bach Wedge (with score) Schmidt, Alain, Durufle, Mendelssohn, Parry, Durufl...