With Margaret (Peggy) Woodroffe many years later in Ireland she was one of the original members of the choir
P. 192 Mum and Dad stayed in Spa Hill and this worked really well. We played the organs of Hereford, Worcester and Salisbury cathedrals. Best of all Ralph Downes came to demonstrate the Royal Festival Hall organ and Dad asked if I could play! He was charming that day and showed us a Hill English sound! That night we sang the Missa with Giulini. Dad went to the Sons of the clergy p. 194. Dad mentions a recital by Ronald Frost in Hereford. I started to play at Our Lady of the Annunciation, Addiscombe. dad gave a recital there on 25th May with a collection for Ethiopia. Fr Farmer gave the first recital there in 1974 pm the 2 manual Conacher which came from Hammersmith. I was initially asked to play for the 11.30 a.m. Mass. I never had a contract (a mistake!) just a letter from Monsignor John Moran. This fitted in well with St Margaret's. Later the problem was Easter and Midnight Mass!
25th October signed by Archbishop Michel Bowen and the brass players Roger Snewin, Neville Squires, Richard Riley, Nigel Brianbourne? Bob Duffield and singers R Barber. This was a combined effort with the folk choir and we finished with Trumpet coluntary
Page 198 mentions Broad Heath Elgar's birthplace and Chartwell also the Nicholson Singers under Michael Fleming at Salisbury with Chris Dowie at the organ. This was a regular Bank Holiday event for us and Michael took us all over the place! Mark Gordon Lennox was born 29 September 1985 - great joy! 17 June a lovely letter from Walter Macfarlane head of St John's. He mentions Alan Foden, John East, Michael Matthews, Stan Trollip, John Thing, Anthony Gear.
A letter to CMQ about visiting organs. I had an unhappy experience in Boscombe where we knew the choir director (She had been at St Chad's). Having spent an evening chatting to the parish priest about the new organ he refused to let me play it! I don't think it was published.
I have a copy of my article for the Old Johnnian magazine and I mention Mum and Dad meeting Old Johannians at the London reunion. I sang Caspar in Amahl and the night visitors in 6 churches and every time it snowed! John East was directing the choir at St Etheldreda's Ely Place.
Michael died 2006 his influence through RSCM and Nicholson Singers was enormous
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