The organist librarian

Sunday to cathedral at 1 p.m. to meet Fr Michael Seed and Brother Volodomir Bezulowsky. Thomas and Madeline Wilson unable to come to dinner after all. Thomas had to do Holy Week booklets at short notice - we've all been there! Monday the Annunciation to the start of Mass and then to Heythrop college for a fine talk by the Archbishop of Joss, Central Nigeria chaired by the Archbishop of Southwark. Fr John O'Toole introduced me to several people notably Claire Blackden, Interfaith officer of CTE. I met Alfred Agius of Westminster Interfaith at last. I will write more about this talk. Tuesday to Selkirk pub, Tooting for Gary Ramsay's farewell. Great to see old colleagues again and when telling about Mum and Dad, I affirmed the family's faith in the resurrection. Wednesday Skype to Ann, to Coulsdon to see Vickie and practise the organ. Lent Group discussed the woman taken in adultery story. Good idea that instead of talking about the Holy Week services we attend we should t...

To the dentist to get a gum shield to stop me grinding my teeth at night! Went through the St Luke Passion with Adrian. To the Hinsley Room for meeting of Lent group. At Mass the men sang a long but beautiful motet by Byrd. To Justice and Peace group meeting with Richard Nesbitt and he too picked up on the Ambassadors for Christ theme we had been discussing at Lent group. This passage reminds me of Fr Anthony Barrett who chose it for his ordination. He really was an ambassador for Christ and is now in the U.S. There was much discussion of the Gospel of John and Liz went to see it at St John's, Upper Norwood. A lovely day - clear but colder. Spoke to Ann briefly on Skype. The J and P group are looking for a banner maker!

Last night I had a life changing experience. Brad Sherrill gave a dramatised performance of St John's Gospel which has long been my favourite gospel. It was an astonishing feat to remember and relate the whole of a gospel. I'm told there were more present this year than heard him dramatise St Mark's gospel last year. At first it was hard to relate to the American pronunciation of words like "Gaad" and the different translation but his intensity and the way he involved us by getting us to join hands (illustrating the vine) or lifting my hand to demonstrate flesh. Certain moments sent a thrill down my spine - the raising of Lazarus, the paralytic standing, the man born blind, the simple pouring of water. In fact it was images like water, stones, the table, the cross which hit home. I had not thought how much of the gospel is teaching and a great deal about testimony and testifying to the truth. And how much humour Brad brought to it! And what is missing is as impor...

On Monday straight from work to council meeting. Eileen gave us a lovely meal which was a treat washed down by Guinness and good red wine - alas today's circle lunch isn't happening as no-one can come!

At last our new casual assistants can start and George came today. He startled us all by saying that he had run a nightclub. The closest we got to that before was David going on a drinking outing! Are libraries like nightclubs? Well they open long hours and attract all sorts of people. I suppose the main difference is income!

On Saturday Martin Ball and I organised an outing for the Bromley and Croydon organists assoication. We started with the magnificent Lewis organ in Southwark cathedral where I played Franck and Brahms. Peter Wright gave us a short talk and superb demonstration. Some of us listened to the rehearsal of a large choir from Tennessee. They were all young but seemed to convey nothing of what they were singing about with their faces. The men sang in the back of the throat and never smiled! The conductor messed about with photographs and sorting out the pianist! Then had my picnic with Martin on a bench outside the cathedral and walked to St Borolph Aldgate with arguably the oldest parish church organ in England. Perfect for Stanley and Walond. The last organ was the 1957 Walker at All Hallows by the Tower which was rebuilt after the War. Here I played Buxtehude's Passacgalia. It was good to meet Jonathan Melling the organist originally from Wigan and Laurence Elvin of Bishops who told me ...

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...