2000

I gave a recital on both organs at Addiscombe and included Bach from my new Barenreiter edition. We then went on to St Mildred's where Tim Horton welcomed us. 

P.1450 confirmation and Veni creator was repeated. P.1452 I had written to Music and Liturgy about triplets quoting Bairstow. Dad had a minor stroke. The last piece he played was Bach Fantasia on Veni creator. I returned from Istanbul. We rehearsed in the Eirene church but the Dvorak was performed in the concert hall. Dad typed all this with his left hand.p.1453 we went to Ampleforth for a week and I enjoyed a retreat with nuns on Therese of Lisieux. Fr Martin who led it told stories about Cardinal Hume and spoke on the Shroud of Turin. At school we used to ask Fr Sulter to tell us about the shroud but he always replied there are only 24 hours in a day. Nellie was not going to leave Peppermint Court so we spent 3 days clearing 22 Park Grove. On the second day I rang the Castle museum and she came that day to take scales, shelving paper, drinks set, she even wanted the lino! Archives took the theatre books and programmes. The landlady Mrs Wakefield took the keys very graciously. Nellie had been paying for repairs.We brought home Grandma's book of family dates, the brass nameplate, some pictures, a chamberpot and iron.

The pageant about St Augustine and we sang the plainsong the monks sang on arrival in Canterbury and the article where I found it. It is about the wrath of God! Ampleforth monks helped with the style. We also sang sections of Noyes fludde. 

Digital organ

Chorus tributes to Joyce Reah

P.1076 we sang Bairstow's Cradle song at Christmas 1996.p.1083 I applied for Tooting library but did not get it. Dad rewrote the wedding anthem a tone down.p.1085 Runcie biography by Humphrey Carpenter.I think the Archbishop was indescreet. Ffrench-Beytagh mentioned. P.1087 Bruce had a growth on his leg. P.1091 video of York Minster. P.1093 dad sent a copy of the Walter Webber Tuba tune on Lobe den Herren which I played at the mayoral service at St Mark's.

 Adult choir was in good shape . We built a repertoire which we all knew for big services e.g. gathering Mass, Inwood communion song, Jones Gloria. In June 1996 Stephen Haylett was ordained a Catholic priest at St George's cathedral. He had been an Anglican priest and did his diaconate at Addiscombe. Very musical person.

In 1996 Joyce Reah died in November and I played for the funeral at Surbiton Catholic church. It was the only time I played the piano at Gandhi Hall! Faure Requiem. We all loved her. I was on the Parish council at Our Lady's purely advisory.  I sang the tenor solos in a liturgical Mozart requiem at St John's and played during the flower festival. Simon Lole welcomed us to G CM weekend at Sheffield cathedral.

Parsifal in Birmingham with Simon Rattle

Medieval banquet St John's

 RSCM leave Addington Palace

The hilarious Howard Thomas after singing at the RSCM summer course at Canterbury cathedral

Touring Europe

 At Tivoli with Ole and Olive. Olive lived to be a 100 and Liz went to her party. She was Mum's cousin. 

p 598 video of us making music. Ann and Paul enjoyed their visit and the children got on well together. p.615 a chorus tour of Europe. This was indeed fantastic. We performed Beethoven 9 with the European community youth orchestra and Giulini in Copenhagen (the maestro on our plane) Olive and Ole came to the concert at Tivoli. We had our own train to go from Amsterdam (Concertgebouw) to Lucerne and one of the trumpeters at the party there after the concert tried to get me to go and swim in the lake! Munich they fed us all before the concert which we thought was like sabotage. The most touching thing was Giulini speaking at the final rehearsal saying to the young musicians saying that they needed to find the right person to live with and encourage them in their music making. Louise cut her head diving. This was the Brittany camping holiday. I have never liked camping unlike Liz but I did offer to go again. The children turned this down as they said we had disappeared too much = Carcasonne and Landevennec. The whole idea was that the campsite staff looked after them but they did not like this. The weather was good. p.616. 617. 618 Dennis taller than us. p.621 my report in the Johannian. p.646 I gave Liz "Unveiled" an excellent book about nuns. p.655 Christmas and photos p.656 p. 659 Janet Baker talking about Bairstow. p.663 plans for improvements at Addiscombe and an increase in salary! The plan to pay for lessons for young organists never got any takers. Later the pipe organ was replaced. p.671 the anthem Dad wrote for the confirmation of Dennis and Louise at Addiscombe 18 May 1993.

Gerry Haines was Dennis's sponsor - Dennis loved doing amateur radio with him. Josie sponsored Louise. Archbishop Michael Bowen confirmed them. In 1993 we sang at St Anne's cathedral Leeds with Brentwood cathedral choir and Andrew Wright. Adrian conducted the St Matthew passion and we enjoyed Cantemus events. Dennis was 16 and spent 3 weeks in Hanover and we entertained Stefan from Germany. Louise was head chorister, gained her Bishops award and sang at Derby cathedral with RSCM Abbots Bromley course.
Bruce went to the Bath course for the first time and was playing euphonium and guitar. Mum and Dad moved to Glyn Close.
From 1993 Christmas letter