The organist librarian

Played Bairstow and Statham on Veni emmanuel and Walther Wachet auf. Practised carols and suggested singing at the station to give out the church Christmas cards with details of the services. Listened to St John's carols which featured Tippett, James Long and Michael Finnissy. To St John;s for a well-attended carols which included Goldschmidt, Archer, Lloyd and Howells  -lots of sightreading but it went well. Bridget played Bach very well  -her father died this week. Dennis and Ann Marie were there so we went for tea and cakes (which Liz had made). 

Played Willan on Caithness and Aberystwyth and Peeters on Aberystwyth. The booklets for Holy week produced and need to sort out psalms as texts are quite different - why? To Greenwich from Clock House. Nobody turned up at 1 for the family walk so enjoyed the visitor centre then to the Painted Hall and chapel of the Old Royal Naval college. Turner and the Sea at the National Maritime Museum was lovely and then saw the new Nelson exhibition. Art at the Queen's House and Morgan cars parked outside. Met Liz at Kent House - she had been to 2 Temple Place. To evensong Byrd 2nd service and Tippett Go down Moses. Adrian has taken some of Alan's vocal scores and I have lent him the index.

Tuesday to the Horniman where Liz took Ciarán to see the Amazon adventure and aquarium. He liked the animals section and the bees which he remembered. I enjoyed the music section and the Art of Harmony exhibition. We had a very nice lunch outside and loved the chimes in the garden and the water fountain. Had ice creams. What a view on a lovely day! I was pleased to see that there are now lines across the glass doors where Ciarán ran into one. The Prom talk was about Britten's setting of text. I asked a question about Pears and Britten's religious beliefs which was well answered but it did not make the broadcast. Pears was the dominant one I think. Britten veered between conscientious objection to declaring himself a Christian in the 60s. The prom featured Ian Bostridge singing Les illuminations, Tippett and Elgar 2 instead of Sibelius 2. It was LSO and Daniel Harding's tribute to Sir Colin Davis. The Elgar was very fine. 

Swam 20. The man came to fit the ADT alarm and it seems easy enough to control! Who will be first to set it off by mistake? I was up early and did final draft of dissertation adding the material collected yesterday at the British library. Sent it to Michael. Compiled a list of jobs to be done. To Acton and went to Gunnersbury Park. Sean gave me a great big smile and loved the tunnel. Had tea and then to the hall. I slept through much of the talk on Tippett but enjoyed Midsummer Marriage following the full score from Senate House - not all that easy. Liz came for Act 1 only. Delighted that Johann Strauss;s sons are in tough with photo and obituary. Lovely tribute from Jenny Gandar about Mark. Very excited! 

I should have mentioned that Liz went last night to 6 p.m. Mass at Farm Street for Feast of St Ignatius. I was full of Heythrop folk and she was unimpressed by the choir singing Schubert Mawby and Peeters. The reception in the Mount St gardens ran out of glasses! She came to the second part of the Prom. I swam 20 and went early to St Pancras and the British Library. Did a lot of work especially using the Keel book on Eckhart; an Asian perspective. Had lunch there. Got a 10 and it was very hot. I missed the talk on Tippett. The prom was a non-event. Noisy Henze, Stravinsky concerto and a wierd piece where he was trying to be modern. Tippet Symphony No.2 doesn't end right - pity he did not go back to his first movement themes and do something with them! 

To St Mary le Bow only to find the sung Eucharist is in fact on Thursday - misheard again and I ahd my hearing aids in that time! Bus to Trafalgar Square and booked for "Death in Venice" next June! Read the excellent programme, The Vaughan Williams was splendid - wonderful music (well I knew that I had played it ont he piano) singing, production excellent, chorus and conducting by Martin Brabbins, Had a nice chat to the man next to me who knew a lot about Tippett! At Bromley PC met Garvin at tea beforehand. He told me about their Holy Land Easter pilgrimage when a donkey pissed during their open air Eucharist. The vicar still uses a Holy Land palm on Palm Sunday! TV programem about William Klein.

After the excitement of the tennis Tuesday was a quiet day with Liz working away at reflective theological journals and me tidying up, cooking sausages, sorting out washing, etc. Have finished the book on Sydney Nicholson at Chislehurst which was interesting and it mentioned the blind tenor at York Minster. Louise brought the car back and did some work and then I went to Bromley library to get more scores. The prom featured RVW Fantasia on Tallis theme. Ireland These things shall be which is a fine piece. Delius and Belshazzar's Feast - it was well sung. We skipped the late Prom and went to Acton and caught up on more Olympic action. Wednesday we all went to Ravenscourt Park and met Rufus. They enjoyed the hour long football taster! Had lunch there and Liz had her hair cut. To the pre Prom discussion with Simon Halsey and Ken Burton. Good to hear many young people are singing around the country. I think the BBC would have done well to tell us that the new choir is in fact 5 excelle...

Friday 13th to Balham library to reserve and get scores. Good to be back at the Proms. The Turnage new piece left me cold. Cockaigne was much more fun followed by the gorgeous Sea Drift. Tippett suite and Elgar Coronation Ode (extra movements not in the score). Liz went to party at St Helen's. It was different to have 4 conductors. Saturday 14th Croydon interfaith walk. About 35 in all. Started at the new CRERC centre then St Mark's South Norwood with an interesting baptistery. South Norwood mosque a nice display and good talk (none of the usual preaching!) and some of the Muslims walked with us to the Hindu temple (Hare Krishna) where we had lunch. Then tried for 410 bus and ended up on 75 to get to the Gurdwara where the welcome was incomprehensible. I did not go to the Ahmadiyya mosque but headed for the cathedral for Vespers and Mass to a warm welcome back. Fr Wansborough was at mass as the schola of the Cardinal Vaughan was singing and Charles Cole's last service condu...

Liz was due to be cantor at 5.30 mass but had train problems and when she tried to drive up she got stuck in traffic. I listened to evensong from Windsor which included My song is love unknown and Bach's Passacaglia played by Roger Judd. I also did the April music list. Earlier I was watching "The hidden face of Jesus" which claimed links with other religions. To St John's Upper Norwood for service of meditation on the Passion. John Linley was there with Bob Atkinson. We sang Blow Salvator mundi, Greene Lord let me know mine end, Crux Fidelis by King John of Portugal and 3 negro spirituals including 2 arranged by Tippett. Cathy sang sharp as usual. It was hard to hear Beverley at times. The service began with Vexilla regis. Kit plays the hymns far too loudly. 11 in the congregation. Adrian's Mum is sinking fast - Joy said it would not be long now. Watched part 1 of The Passion on TV - bit hard to follow at times but I was a bit tired.