The organist librarian

Took Sean to childminders then to mosaic and finished bay Jesus. Liz cleared off lots of ivy on the house.  Lovely Cadogan Hall prom Brahms piano trio and Sierra with Nichola Benedetti and Leonard El schenbroich with Alexei Grynyuk. Picked up Ciaran from school and walked home. Liz to choral workshop and 10 at Catenians. Willie Britto was there. 

Back to the pool this morning and to art, also returned library scores to Penge and Westminster.  Finally visited Carlyle's home in Chelsea - need more time there!  B Tommy Andersson portrait very pleasant and liked Pan with David Goode on the organ at the Prom. Nielsen and Mahler 4.  Bravo Alice Coote and Handel prom. Louise and Tom off to Madrid for the weekend on Friday.  A great day at Kew and we both walked a lot. Can't say the tree walkway impressed but playground, Palm house and waterlilies were great. Lunch good but pricey! Liz gone to Prom and I am listening to Shostakovich now boys are asleep! I had some red wine and was sick at 3 a.m. Saturday to Gallery Prommers picnic.    Ciaran very unimpressed that he was not going into the hall! We had a good time at Diana playground!  Bus to Acton and Liz went to the first half of the Bernstein Prom and came back so I could go to hear Yo Yo Ma play Bach. I got home at 12.39. Thought Ciaran looked a ...

Stunning Othello from RSC at Picturehouse Greenwich. What acting and direction and staging using water! Amazing and very moving.Having black actors playing Iago and Othello gave the play the whole new dimension.  Great Brahms Prom from OAE and Marin Alsop. Jamie Barton brought back happy memories of performing Alto rhapsody or rather going sick before the performance - that work seemed to jinx me! Interesting discussion about Brahms. I believe Britten disliked his music and influence. Lovly walk at Osterley with the boys.  Sean to Ciaran on high swing "Be very very careful Ciaran!" This from Mr Try anything himself!  The talk on the LSE was interesting and my question was well answered. It seems Harold Laski was very highly regarded by the Congress party members,  Messiaen at the Prom quite bearable, fine Mozart concerto 27 but what was that wierd encore? Bruckner 7! The encore was Shostakovich!

A wet Bank holiday Monday.  Today's Cadogan hall Prom definitely a highlight - Barber, Debussy and the Shostakovich Piano quintet. The second movement is Bach alla Shostie and is magnificent. Great Dvorak encore too! Home for lunch and Adventist wedding was holding up traffic so parked for the evening at West Norwood. Tried to follow Boulez Eclat with score without success!  An interesting talk about Willa Cather by Dame Hermione Lee and a fine concert by the San Francisco SO Ives, Bartok Piano concerto no. 2 and the Eroica.

To 8 a.m.Mass at St Mary's - the African priest went on at great length perhaps because the emeritus Bishop of Uganda Frederick was concelebrating?  Played theme from Elgar Symphony 1, slow movement of Bach/Vivaldi concerto, Andrew Moore and Leighton Fanfare. Very poor turnout - Bill read lesson from the choir loft! Only 7 there. Canon David Herbert.  Excellent Life story prom and intro with composer Murray Gold and Sir David Attenborough.  Discussion about the San Francisco SO and a fine Mahler 1 but why the Schoenberg and Cowell concerto? The pianist Jeremy Denk played with his forearms! Home within an hour.

Interesting discussion of Kullervo. Earlier today I listened to the Boston SO's Shostakovich and Mahler - marvellous! The Sibelius Prom conducted by Oramo was great. En Saga and Kullervo (a large 4 volume score) with stunning singing from Polytechnik choir from Finland. 

Lie in.  To cathedral to do guiding but once again there were 7 on so little to do and mot that many visitors. After tea I went to the hall and enjoyed the young composers compositions conducted by Nicholas Conlon. The prom was Haitink at his best - Schubert and Mozart - quite delightful.