The organist librarian

Delightful programme by Tim Harper at Bromley parish church Schmidt, Bach, Bairstow, Whitlock, Jackson, Sanger and Reuchsel.Liz went to Aylesford servers Mass. Sad to hear St Michael Cornhill will no longer have Sunday sung services and will become a Chinese church. Watched The Casual Vacancy at last by J.K.Rowling and Miranda Hart also Jago Cooper on Easter Island. The Rowling was brilliant on the haves and havenots and quite disturbing. 

Set out to go to St John's coffee morning but discovered front tyre needed checking. It was resealed. Liz went to Lourdes Mass. To Chorus 2016 at South Bank centre and heard Choir with no name, Bexley and Gospel Oak groups. Plenty of enthusiasm, not my style of music. the conductor even got me moving arms and singing! One guy was wearing a deerstalker! Drawing at National Gallery - the Michelangelo entombment. Listened to some speeches at Trafalgar Square Refugees welcome demo. Foyles and then to Tim Harper's excellent recital at Bloomsbury Baptist. Vespers and Mass for Palm Sunday at the cathedral.

Listened to Ripon cathedral broadcast (well done Tim Harper) and watched History quiz on the Tudors and Mrs Brown's Boys. Nice chat to Ann in Tasmania. We walked up to Grangewood park - railings need painting. C atching up on recorded TV - Dickensian, Carlos Acosta in Carmen, Darcey's ballet heroes. Dennis came for dinner and I played the piano and we watched Christmas lecture and Michael Palin on Artemesia Gentileschi. Brentwood cathedral Midnight Mass was splendid.

Delicious salmon and homemade chocolate profiteroles for Christmas Eve dinner. Carols from King's on TV was lovely and O magnum mysterium by Ola Gijola with cello is a real discovery!  Played for Mass at 11 pm. Noels and Bach In dulci. 41 there mostly strangers! 3 in choir sang On Christmas night, Salazar Gloria. Some discussion about last verse of O come all ye faithful - played it! Now listening to Brentwood cathedral on radio 4 while waiting for Bruce and Liz to emerge from St John's!  21 at 10 am Mass at St Michael's. More Noels and Andrew Gant's Paean on the morning of Christ's nativity. Went to 11.15 mass at Anerley. Good to see Fr Sunith and Fr Stuart - the latter celebrated and played the organ for 4 hymns (3 of them the same as at St Michael's!). Presents opened - very nice! Fr Leon gave me chocs and rioja!  Very impressed by singing from Brentwood, Southwark, Ripon and Bath Abbey broadcasts. Well done all!  Enormous dinner at Croydon Park hotel and st...

Posted videos on Face book. To St George's cathedral for Tim's recital which included the Whitlock Plymouth suite and a Bach trio sonata. There was no swell but one would never have guessed as he remained so calm! Not many there and various noises off! Had a nice chat as he is now at Ripon cathedral. To Imperial War museum which is awful. Confusing, muddled, crowded. Went in a circle to find the Sargent in gallery 3, could find nothing about Gallipoli in World War I section although it was busy. Did find 3 books in the book shop - have complained. To Victoria library to pick up Channel Islands guide book -£1 charge. The biographies are in a mess! M & S for tea. Cross with Gerry as waited 10 minutes to get into sacristy and got robed only to find him going on about child protection. Liz and I will have to arrive together so I can go to vespers. Wore new cotta for first time. Cardinal Vaughan choir sang Britten Missa brevis and Dupre Ave Maria well. Watched Indian summers an...

Had a lie-in and chatted about retirement in September 2011. Did some emails from last night's provincial council and found items on "Blessed are the gentle" on internet, also checked CDs for music. To Town Hall for JCC on Health and Safety. Met Meryl in foyer - she remarked on my magic touch to tidy up Balham! Directors never mentioned the appointment but it was cordial. Still not budging much on PRP for full-time LAs on lowest grades. Flagged up closing up time. To Victoria and popped into St Paul's bookshop before evensong at 5 sung by St Paul's cathedral choir. Stainer in B flat, Achieved is the glorious work, Bernard Rose introit and responses. At the reception afterwards met Andrew Carwood, Tim Harper and Simon Johnson and one of the Westminster cathedral basses. Good white wine and sandwiches. Train to East Croydon for President's Wednesday at Croydon Park hotel - excellent buffet. Sat with Austin, Mike, Carol and Brendan and took photos. Colin and Mary...

A mirror image! Fred Irvine played after me. Now have 2 work experience students who seem to get on well with each other. The newspaper cuttings file about Battersea is now up to date at last. Catenians was a delightful meeting with lots of visitors. Tuesday July 7 to Moira's for organists committee which I chaired and a full house. Interesting programme ahead including Belfast tour! Wed July 8th to unison committee meeting. After they had wittered on about the racism report I gave my health and safety report and then made tracks! Parked at Croydon Parish church and to Tim Harper's excellent recital at St Michael's. Whitlock sonata. Back to the parish church only to find Andrew had not booked my practice time and Fred Irvine was there. He said Sanderstead would take part in the deanery evensong in September. Back home and tried to put Grandma's new metal garden chairs together (Liz took them back and got the shop show ones!). To Coulsdon and chose music with Vickie for ...

To the cathedral on the train for Vespers. I was cross and boat. Superb anthem by Purcell "Jehova cum multi sunt". Excellent recital by Tim Harper and saw his Mum and Dad. I followed the Bairstow Sonata using Dad's score - how hard he must have worked to learn such a difficult piece! The Sonata by Peter Tranchell was somewhat heavier listening. Cantor at 5.30 p.m. mass. Deacon Ed gave a good homily about the Samaritan woman. Panic beforehand as there was a hole in my trouser pocket and my keys had fallen out but I found them in time for a quick runthrough with Oliver. All went well. Met Joan O'Grady and Henrietta at the back afterwards and they were very impressed but I said I tried to make the psalm a prayer and not a performance. Had a hot chocolate with Joan and discussed supporting the Cardinal's HFE Bill campaign. Train I got said Selhurst on destination boards but not on the train so got off at Clapham Junction and waited for later train. Watched a bit of La...

Yesterday Tim Harper looked at me quizzically and said he wasn't sure who I was. I reminded him that 2 years ago he helped me to organise the Cambridge visit of the organists association! Ian Linden told a story of hearing an Ayatollah in Teheran speak of his reception in Rome. the interpreter said that he had met a Rock singer. Of course he meant Ratzinger! It was good to talk to Angela again this morning and she gave some useful advice about the road ahead with the wedding and an understaffed library! I have actually seen Joe Bloggs famous Catholic blogger - see my comment on the Pueri Cantores from Poland on his blog.

Tuesday to the final lunchtime talk on Hinduism - this time about festivals. I gave out details of our visit next week to the Sacred exhibition. Monday night was organists association committee and Tuesday Catenian council at Gerry's. Wed a.m. to see Grandma and met Sr Sheila in the corridor. To organ recital by Tim Harper at St Michael's and had coffee and a bun with Adrian and Terence. Tim played well and Chris Moore sorted out the cipher. Marion his Mum turned over for him. She too is a talented player like Norman his Dad. Tim was at Clare college, Cambridge and now goes to Canterbury Cathedral as organ scholar. To Guy's to see Roger Snewin who has lung and spine cancer. Alas the doctors were with him so I left a note and card for him To the Hinsley Room for Catholic Bishops conference meeting with Muslims. Good turnout and the Archbishop of Liverpool spoke well. He was followed by Ian Linden, Alfred Agius and Fr Michael O'Boy. I would have liked to stay for the eats...