The organist librarian

To Lisson Grove for 11 a.m. to take minutes for trustees. New chair is Mgr Kevin McGinnell - he has lots of ideas and contacts but there seemed to be little sense of structure or decision as to who was doing what! Michelle asked about the new website and didn't really get answers. It was exhausting and finished at 4. It's also frustrating nt being able to comment. I cried off the March Coventry meeting - it's on London organ day and Beckenham quiz night. Vespers and Mass with Fr Andrew. Fr Michael enjoyed Sta Lucia. Home to put lights on the tree and watch Apprentice and programme on the Viennese Secessionists. 

Up early to get to St John's Wood for SSG trustees meeting at 9 a.m. result was I kept waking in the night! Minutes went OK - sad that Caroline is giving up as chair but Kevin McGinnell has agreed so looks as though future meetings will be in Luton! To St Mary's Beddington for organists visit - lovely Lewis organ and amazing windows and decorations. Mass was long because of long intercessions about the family synod and an appeal for SVP. Watched Junior bakeoff.

To Allen Morris's lovely presbytery in St John's Wood to take minutes of SSG trustees meeting. Lots of nice eats. 11 to 3.30 of concentration! Tea at Pret and bought birthday cards. Served vespers for Christ the King and Bishop John confirmed adults at Mass. As always he spoke well. QI and film about Lawrence followed by one about Keats.

To St John's Wood for SSG AGM and Crichton lecture. An interesting talk on the New-Catechumenate which raised questions. Served at Mass with Bishop Alan Hopes. Lovely music from the Inwoods. Fr Allen was very welcoming. The "lecture" was given by Bishop Kieran from Arundel and Brighton  - amusing and too the point. Keep going! AGM was short and sweet. It seems thet need another trustee so not quite sure why we are to be clerks to the Trustees 3 times a year. Why not make one of us a trustee? Had tea at Pret and served Mass with Fr Paolo. Ed played from Elijah and Bach Fantasia in C minor. Mgr Mark O'Toole is to be bishop of Plymouth. Watched Royal British legion festival of remembrance.

Swam 14. To St Matthew's for 2nd session - several had missed last month's session. Nigel spoke on the Bible and spiritual direction. We ended early with compline. It was a good day. Met Charles a Baptist minister from Sevenoaks who described himself as an Anglo Catholic Baptist! To the cathedral for Martin taking boys rehearsal of Bach and Durufle - vowels, consonants and superb musicianship. Served at Mass and a good meal with SSG at Jugged Hare after Ed had shown us the consoles. Alas no warning we could play so no music to play. He played Vierne Carillon in his socks! 

Sunny days! Liz went to John O'Brian's funeral. Picked up Harry and were early at Russell hotel, Maidstone despite missing a turning! Spoke about need for recruitment. Nice meal beef stew and sat next to Tony Welch from Canterbury and chatted about music and liturgy so next day sent him SSG magazine! Home by 11 p.m. Wednesday did more reading - only one Tablet left to finish. To Brixton for lunch at Hindu Caribbean society temple - vegetarian, Nagase was there from the peace pagoda. A warm welcome. Originally Liz was going to bring Ciarán but logistics not good so I met them in Chiswick and Louise as well - did some shopping and back to the house. Great news about Lou and Tom buying the house form the landlady at a good price. We got home quite quickly and watched the final episode of The Crimson petal and the white.

Up early despite a day off and watched end of Big silence part 3. Also more episodes of Michael Wood's history of England based around Kidworth in Leicestershire. Changed to thick quilt, hoovered and took out vegetable stuff to compost heap. To Towards Advent in cathedral hall and saw John Ainslie and Mary Rouse on SSG stall, also met Clare and Polish tenor from Acton who sang at the wedding! Bought a CTS booklet on praying with Newman. To Royal Academy. The Glasgow boys very crowded. Nothing new under the sun an intriguing collection of old and new. Dennis was late for tea and we only saw him for 15 minutes! Vespers and confirmation with Bishop Alan Hopes who does it so well! The new Westminster children's choir enthusiastic but not very much on the note and this caused younger servers to giggle. We sang Now thank we all our God and Peter played the Karg-Elert. Car in Pimlico and home amid fireworks. We got fish and chips. Watched Michael Palin on the end of World War I. Alexa...

Thursday to Battersea for stock day. Geoff started by saying he was there to listen and then he talked and kept on talking! To WHSmith Croydon to choose book with token from Derek Phillips. Jon Cannon's "Cathedral" about English cathedrals perfect - have visited every one of them and sung in some and played the organ too. Liz has a mug from each one! Friday to choir practice. Practised Compline and one of the sopranos said I wasn't playing the tune as she had heard it on her recording. I pointed out I was playing the tune as in the plainchant but trying to find the right pitch and key. So she said "there are only 4 lines" to which I replied "I know that". I should do after 50 years of being a church musician! Also rehearsed the Stainer - unfortunately it tends to stick in the brain! Saturday did a lot of catching up and to Mass where we had the wonderful gospel of the raising of Lazarus which always reminds me of SSG summer school when the altar w...

At last I have watched the BBC series "The Retreat" and found it moving. This is the Muslim equivalent of the Worth Abbey programme set in Andalusia. Ramadan is daunting and makes our Lenten efforts seem paltry. My Lent so far has been very mixed with some excellent reading material and the Lent group. There's the preparations for Holy Week especially the St Luke Passion. The feeling of sadness every day especially today on Mothering Sunday when we enjoyed a lovely lunch of beef and Louise and Grandma were with us. The pilgrimage to Greece last year was a moving experience and like so many activities where one is working and worshipping with others uplifting. Singing in the chorus and working in a community are aspects of this communal activity. Society of St Gregory summer schools are like this too - hard work but very rewarding! It was heartening today to think about women in Zimbabwe and try to do something to support them - the USPG and Christian Aid daily prayers hel...