The organist librarian

Glorious day and really enjoyed Matthew Beetschen's recital at Bromley Parish church especially the Granville Bantock, Preston and Jongen. The Vierne made a great ending and it was lovely to have the screen. So glad Oliver won the Big Painting challenge! Secret life of the zoo and Antiques roadshow - what's not to like. Swept patio and had g and t and dinner outside for first time this year. Got water features going. The Woman in white was excellent. Loads of emails about the Catenian conference not allowing proxy votes. How can 200 decide on motions? What about everyone else! 

To St Mary's to practise - fitted in between roaary and 12.10 a.m.mass. There was a delay starting and I played Sumsion and Bairstow and Willcocks arrangement of Veni emmanuel (Dermot's favourite) and I know. 7 choir members there so they sang well also people from the Railway club. At the end Michael Fleming's arrangement of Now the Green blade riseth. We got a little off the rack going to Long Ditton but did see the grave - it's a lovely cemetery and nice meal at the Ditton. We gave Louise Sage a lift. Parked at Battersea Park and of course the one night there was no 452 straight after the concert! LPO under Jurowski Bantock, Prokofiev Piano concerto 3 stunning playing from Anika Vavic, Sibelius and Also sprach. 

Woke early thinking abut Wagner! Swam 20. Liz's work all finished and submitted. To St Michael's for Jonathan Hope's recital of Bach, Vierne and Saint-Saens - very good. John Cooper and Pat Dalglish were there. John has moved to Saffron Square. Also saw my Proms organist friend from Catford. Nice meal then off to pre-Prom talk on light music. I commented on growing up with piano stool full of music and feeling British in Africa and wanting to come here. Catherine says it was on the broadcast. Barry Wordsworth conducted a delightful prom of Bantock, Elgar, Coates, Langford, Walton and Malcolm Arnold. Harry Bramma was there. Also saw Francis Herbert outside the RGS.

Wednesday Louise arrived with the boys and I looked after Seán while they went to get a grown up car seat for Ciarán. At first he was a bit unhappy but had his milk and rice cake and settled down to playing quite happily. He will be walking before he is one at this rate! Ciarán enjoyed being in the garden and announced the little house is No.24 and Grandad lives in a shop! We went to the prom. The talk featured Timothy West about playing Falstaff so I asked a question about Verdi's version and how Falstaff treated his followers. It was most interesting. At the prom we had Elgar and Walton's Falstaff plus lovely works by Bantock for cello and orchestra and Tchaik 4 well played by BBC National of Wales under Jan van Steen. Thursday more games including monster bingo then they went to Angela's. We will not see them for 2 weeks as they are going to Ireland and not coming to Provincial President's Sunday after all as they go to Stansted early on the Monday. Worked on Liz...