The organist librarian

The two programmes on releasing lynxes into the wild were interesting. With Dennis to see Dr Ojo and get a referral to Dr Shaw following the MRI scan.Terrific concert from Berlin Phil with Kirill Petrenko and the stunning Diana Damrau. Gershwin, Bernstein, Weill, Sondheim, Arlen, Waxman, Loewe. This lady can do everything from Send in the clowns to Over the rainbow. If your necklace comes off scoop it up and down the bosom and laugh!In Acton so Lou and Tom could enjoy party at Station House, salmon, chocolate tart and prosecco. Tv pretty dire Dame Edna and Norton but fireworks were impressive Heard some locally. Put up 10 new calendars and watched Romeo and Juliet ballet and Vienna New Year concert. Wrote SLIFG minutes. Contacted art listing sites and radio stations about the exhibition. So pleased with the art exhibition catalogue! Looks fab. Watched festive bake off and animals in the snow. 

Swam 20. The Chinese man who always swims too slow in the medium lane asked where I had been. Cleaned my study - the dormer had been left open so bits of tree had come in and some rain. To quiet day and Michael Dorey on Fear of the Lord and hope. Only 9 there. I fell asleep during the quiet times. At mass Fr Michael Quaqoe back from Rome gave an excellent homily on Jesus's daily life. We all need to have quiet time. To Pre-Prom talk on Korngold in America. Lovely playing from Vienna Philharmonic Dvorak 9, Korngold violin concerto, Strauss Polka encore. 

Loved the Postal museum and mail train with all 3 boys. The pre-Prom was a selection of players enjoyed the violin and piano. Glorious Prom Vienna Philharmonic Bernard Haitink Emmanuel Ax Beethoven piano concerto 4, Bruckner 7.

Very lucky. I put my Bethlehem cross on the strings for the Maltese cross. The Maltese one fell off and when we got to the Kerala restaurant I found the Bethlehem one was gone as well. Luckily the waitress spotted it on the floor. Have now done triple knots! I have worn it for at least 10 years. The annual trip to Vienna to watch the New Year's concert in company with the wonderful Petroc Trelawny. One day we will get tickets for this. Radio Times thinks Ricardo Muti was going to conduct but it is Christian Thieleman at the helm. We had a lovely day in Vienna on our honeymoon 44 years ago. Interesting to note that the music online stream before the Sydney fireworks was some old Ozzie rocker nearly as bad as the music churned out before the London fireworks. Bring back the Royal Fireworks music please! And the presenters were naff! QI for Christmas was good but Graham Norton got switched off for crudity. The new calendars are up - we have 9! Crossword from Christmas ...

Both of us to 10 a.m. Mass at Anerley with Fr Stuart. Turkey in oven. Watching New Year's day concert while preparing prawn starter and cherry dessert.  A delicious New Year's Day lunch 12 of us! Miss  Bruce Woodhouse ! My cherry and kirsch dessert was much enjoyed. Grainne and Clare came with Sophia and Alexis. Henry on great form and the boys so good with him. They stayed the night. Saw more of New Year's day concert. Muti looking older. Took boys to see Henry and Molly and Liz took them home. I spoke with Dennis. 

Watched panda babies, interview with Cilla Black. To Anerley for Midnight Mass with Fr Sunith. 3 Marian hymns sung unaccompanied, Sunith has been unwell and is very slow. Home to whisky. New Year's day concert from Vienna. Resolution to use my oil paints! Highlights of 2015 include Iguassu, Amazon, Venice, Jerusalem, Galilee, Jersey. 2016 offers prospects of change at church. 

Swam 20 - the windmill knocked into me and I told her to go in circles. she said "You go" no apology. To art and did a picture only a little bit to finish off! Catenian minutes done. To dentist and a piece of filling had got stuck in a gap so that has been removed.  Most enjoyable Vienna Phil Prom Brahms 3 and Schmidt and a good talk about the composer. Nimrod as the encore. Listened to  Nielsen violin concerto with score and Ives. Finished readng The Night watch by Sarah Waters.

Dennis and Ann-Marie came while I was watching Dalai Lama interview and we watched Mehta conducted Vienna Phil from Schonbrunn - Nielsen, Grieg and Sibelius. I got it in the neck because i suggested Dennis might phone first if coming round. To King's a and e - all 4 of us and waited 3 and a half hours. A grim place with drunks. Doctor very good and X rayed it. No osteo arthritis or sepsis so powerful painkillers (2 lots) and home by 3 a.m. 

Woke at 6 still coughing and cold in head. Liz went to Mass at Anerley. A small piece of tooth came out of the socket yesterday so I did the warm water salt treatment. Still using Bruce's cough rememdy and cough mixture. Dennis rang. The fireworks last night were fantastic. Watched Vienna philharmonic concert conducted by Barenboim. I have now listed all the spare organ music (at long last!) It strikes me how some tunes like St Hugh and St Bride have gone right out of favour. Nice meal with Bruce and EJ - they have enjoyed their stay. Watched second part of Ben Fogle and James Cracknell in the Arabian desert. Delicious Christmas cake made by Liz and roulade.

Friday took Liz to St John's for 9 a.m. in pouring rain for Walsingham pilgrimage until Sunday. Servers pilgrimage is tomorrow. To Streatham medical centre and saw very nice Indian audiologist. He said right ear is bad and worse so I am to have new Siemens aids on October 1st. Left is also poor. No wonder Liz has to repeat everything! To hall for 2.30 p.m. and got queue number ticket No. 11 for Last night at 4. To Royal Academy to revisit Richard Rodgers exhibition which is most interesting. On way back bought sandwich and tea at Pret - alas the tea leaked and the bottom of the paper bag collapsed - result tea all over bus floor! To Pre Prom Poetry competition results - most interesting. At the Prom we had Bach played by Klaus Sonnleitner who is organist at Linz where Bruckner played. His approach was more Baroque than Romantic. His encore was very quiet! Vienna Phil and Maazel played Bruckner 8 beautifully but somehow it was not as impressive as the 4th the other evening. Saturd...

X68 to Waterloo and northern line to East Finchley. Asked TFL chap at station for St Mary's church and he said to walk up High Road - we should have taken the bus! Any way found church and it was a 2 manual Wyvern and all went well. Carole's mum was 92 and was buried with his first husband in Marylebone cemetery - Stokowski is buried there. Carole and Kevin took us to the very nice lunch at Albany House which has a museum about Stevens ink! Walked to station and got 82 bus to town and then to the queue for Last Night list. To V and A - fashion is open but the ballgowns display is not that cheap. Saw the Tony Cragg sculptures there and in Exhibition Road and the British photography display. Had tea and chocolate muffin -  a lovely day again! Bruce took our swimming tickets. To presentation with Juliet Stevenson of Proms poetry awards with Wendy Cope and Ian McMillan who is a scream. A lovely prom Haydn and Alpine symphony - what a storm - thunder machine, wind machine, full orga...

To the National Gallery to see Metamorphosis around 3 beautiful Titians. The Mark Wallinger did not appeal but liked the films about the ballet and the poetry. To National Portrait gallery to see the BP awards - I seldom agree with the judges. Also looked at the Olympic stars gallery. Old No. 9 to the hall - next week will seem very strange. The meeting with Roger Wright and Chris Cotton was pretty bland - none of my points were raised. Lighting in gallery needs improving, prommers hate the rope in the arena and the enforcing of no food. Coughing and late comers were other issues. Alwyn, George Lloyd, Hildegard, Bax, Arnold and Haydn were composers mentioned and an Archers prom? The concert by the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Haitink was splendid. Murray Perahia played Beethoven 4. Bruckner 9 - at start of slow movement lady fainted in front of us and hit her head on the floor. A doctor was quickly on the scene and the medical team. Watched paralympics coverage.

After a quiet evening at Acton and nearly dropping off we watched the fireworks at midnight and they were very impressive. Liz up to be on duty in the cathedral sacristy 8.30 a.m. to 8.15 p.m. and all went well. I was not playing so enjoyed playing with Ciarán who has lots of spots but seemed fine. He enjoyed having Daddy home too. Watched the New Year concert conducted by Mariss Janssons. Lovely dancing too. To cathedral for vespers and then home to do more reading. Harry Potter and programme on Orkney stone age temple.