The organist librarian

Louise went back home after breakfast. I went to 8 a.m. Mass at St Mary's - little Indian priest who said "heaven persevere you" instead of "preserve"! They now play taped music of plainchant. Pat Ryan was there. At St Michael's we sang "He who would valiant be", All creatures, Father hear and Happy are they (Mum's favourite and she died 8 years ago this week). I played Thalben-Ball. Peeters and Walton Henry V music. The CDs have arrived and look good. John Williams had made a ridiculous fuss on email about them. What church treasurer want to return a cheque? Idiot and rude with it. To St John's vicarage for garden lunch - played football. Dennis came. I went to the Prom of Elektra, Rebecca was there and not so many in gallery. Sounds like Salome last night was great but there were queue jumpers - weekend ticket holders. Amazing singers not least Felicity Palmer.

Boys quite happy. I was nice to have Louise and Dennis here and recorded the 2 proms and talk. Watched Come dine with me and Daniel Barenboim's Prom.

Swam 20 and got parcel from post office depot having gone once already without passport. Cleaned water features and put in algae control and cleaner. Lou arrived with the boys around 1 p.m. so that had given chance to tidy up and move things higher! Sean got bubble stuff in the otter feature so lots of foam. He also enjoyed the bird bath water. We cleaned up the play house stuff, They played track and watched DVDs. After the meal I went to the Hall for Mahler 2 -too late for the Martin Amis interview which I heard on the radio. Met one of the Philharmonia tenors and he confirmed Chris, David, Edward and Andrew were still singing. On checking the list I could see no soprano from our days, 3 altos and 4 basses. So Stephan has purged the lot! They joined with the Swedish radio choir and it was a good sound. Daniel Harding dared pp and all the ingredients were there but it seemed to hang fire. I used the score without the torch as I was sitting on the other side - large crowd there. The c...

A good breakfast and the hotel was busy. We left our bags and walked through the town to Priory Street. Saw ruins of St Botolph's priory the first Augustinian priory in Britain and 10.30 for Angela's funeral. Interesting to learn more about her - she sang in 16 choirs! The organist did well - the church is carpeted and the Mander is baroque and works quite well. 3 hymns. The priest knew Angela for many years. We met Lindy and Denys (did not recognise them) and we walked with them to the George in the High Street for nice reception where we met Angela's niece and enjoyed reminiscing. We then visited Colchester castle which is impressive (but no senior rate) - lovely Roman and mediaeval objects. Walked back to hotel and then on to the station to get 3.38. I went to Rachel Leach's family introduction to the Prom and Jurowski conducted LPO in Planets, Schoenberg and Scriabin Prometheus with lighting effects. It was brilliant but the audience insisted in clapping every move...

Tuesday did not swim and had a lie-in - miserable weather. Completed 2 paintings while watching CBeebies Prom - saw Mia and listened to Prom of Kiss me Kate which was excellent. To talk on Brahms. Budapest Festival orchestra under Ivan Fischer played Brahms 3 and 4 superbly. Saw Peter Stevens. The late Prom was Gardiner conducting Missa Solemnis with Monteverdi choir and period instruments. Some of it was far too fast, one generally got the feeling the pros had no idea what they were singing about. What soft passages we got were not expressivo at all. The soprano solosit was squally and the bass (Matthew Rose) sounded angry and a bit like Pizzarro. Tenor and alto soloists were fine. Met Revd Michael Bourdeaux on the bus briefly and got a taxi from East Acton. Wednesday took the boys o the Osterley Park trail and they enjoyed the logs and den and swings. To the garden centre for lunch and soft play. Tom came home early so we got bus and tube to Liverpool street in good time for the 7 ...

UP early and then back to bed for rest. To Cadogan Hall and Liz got cough mixture and strepsils for me. Louis Schwizgebel played Mozart superbly and then we had the Mahler piano quartet and Strauss Metamorphosen. Liz dropped off onto the man next to her! Pouring all day so carnival must have been a wash-out. 3 pm Ulster orchestra with Jan van Steen free Prom (surprised to see empty seats) Dvorak, Bax and Riverdance. Zhang Zuo played the Grieg concerto wearing a split skirt! To talk on Hungarian music and alarming to hear of right wing anti-semitic government. The Budapest festival orchestra under Ivan Fischer Brahms, Mozart, Schubert, Strauss, Dvorak and Kodaly. Basses at the back of the stage again makes a very rich sound. Home to see film on the zoo and Richard Attenborough RIP. 

Fr Paul Francis from St George's  and Stephen was there too it being St Bartholomew. I played Dyson and Willan on Song 34, Watson tribute to Howells and Dad's postlude. Mum and Dad were included in the prayers. Good hymns All my hope, For all the saints, O thou who camest, Forth in thy name. 28 there. To Clare's for lunch with Grainne and the kids and Dennis - very nice. To talk on Czech music which was rather dull. The Czech Philharmonic strings are superb - Janacek, Dvorak cello concerto (Alisa Weilerstein and a Bach encore) and Beethoven 7. Listened to 3 encores on the bus.