1998

Letter from Dom Andrew Moore

Dec 1997 Verdi concert in Birmingham and Festival Hall. The 1998 planner mentions Saturdays in Guildford, Peterborough, Ely, Chelmsford, Canterbury, all with Michael Fleming. Haydn Nelson Mass is listed in March. P.1138 Dennis working at insurance company and Bruce playing golf at Shirley Park golf club.  P.1144 Liz became a parent governor at St Joseph's college. I sang Schubert Serenade for my chorus reaudition and David Hill told me people liked my voice. This was very encouraging. I heard David play at Notre Dame de France, Leicester Square. 5 of us sang at St John's Murrill in E and Faire is the heaven.p.1145 I had met Lionel Dakers and Harry Bramma was to retire from RSCM.p.1149 4 cassettes of the singing from Canterbury RSCM course. I reviewed a liturgy disk for CMQ. P.1151 Guild council i was publicity officer. I also welcomed people to meetings as nobody else did it! The Bromley and Croydon Organists association visited the fine organ in Tonbridge school.
p.1153 Cardinal Basil Hume signed his book "Basil in blunderland" for me at a Guild presentation at the cathedral. I met him twice and all he said was "Have you got a cup of tea" and "Pray for me". I would have loved to chat to him.

Dad

 Not sure what year this was

FJ at 80

Louise in Mikado extracts

P.1102 comments on Holy Week recordings. Dad had played for 60 years. P.1104 1997 Dad composed an anthem for Bruce's confirmation based on Veni creator Pentecost sunday. He describes in detail our 50th birthday vespers. Louise sang Stanford Magnificat in G superbly. P.1109 FJ played on his 80th birthday. P.1111 anthem for Bruce. P.1119 Liz's dad very ill.p.1121 he died peacefully iSt Christopher's hospice on the day we got him there from Mayday. He waited until we had gone. This was a real blow. Mum and Dad were so happy at Glyn Close. No. 99 was sold after K died and Janka and Gennik had to move out. Years later we visited the redesigned house it was gorgeous and just one family over 4 floors! P.1122 the funeral Adrian played. P.1123 Louise sang in Mikado at school. We started planning our August 1998 trip to Oz. P.1129 Liz at Lichfield and Brecon while I was again at Canterbury. Dennis got 3 As having spent another year at St Joseph's and was accepted for training at St Bart's. I played twice at Canterbury including the Dorian! 

Lincoln and Canterbury

Disaster strikes as my laptop goes on the blink but I will try to continue on my kindle.p1033. Louise was working at Sainsbury's at the weekend and went to Butlins for a week. She then sang at Lincoln. I sang at Canterbury for the RSCM with Geoff Weaver. I did this for 2 summer schools and the second year sang solo in the Michael Walsh responses which was broadcast live. I loved staying at King's school and opening my curtains to see the cathedral and going to the early service. Liz took Bruce to Bath. Nellie had a fall and went into a nursing home for a time. I played the organs in Lincoln cathedral and St Giles Lincoln. Bruce won 10 pin bowling. Thanks to Ben Nicholas I played Canterbury cathedral organ late in the evening. On leaving there was just one light near the transcript door. Spooky with all that history! Ben played the Durufle toccata amazingly. P.1043. Dennis was 18. CMQ published our family photo in robes.

Louise

Mum with Louise after her baptism at St Chad's 2/12/79

In August we bought our first car for £900 from our doctor Tom Duffy a blue Ford Escort with good radio. We went to visit the Things (John was in my class at school) at Crowthorne. At that stage John was still happily married and their sons were born later.  Liz spent time in hospital and Louise Ann was born on October 13. I described it as a thrilling experience. Everyone was delighted at a girl! She was named after Lord Louis Mountbatten who was killed that year and of course Ann. In November I sang at Canterbury with Alan Wicks It is amazing the number of operas and concerts on BBC2 in those days. The second part of this year I did not go to chorus much. I was very happy to be looking after Dennis and Louise. 

Married life

Dad composed this for the house Mass on Liz's birthday. Fr Farmer whipped the candles off (must be beeswax!) and sat on Anna's handbag!

George McCarthy and Paddy at St Mary Cray before a St John passion

A later photo of Fr Peter Farmer talking to Ross Hickling - the occasion was a visit by Archbishop Michael Bowen 

He later confirmed Dennis and Louise at Addiscombe

For the first year and a few months we were installed downstairs at 99 Oxford Gardens in the room Dolly had used. For a bath we trotted upstairs to the top floor but we had a wash basin in the room and loo in the basement. I got buses to Balham library where I was assistant in the music library and Liz got buses to Dulwich St Anthony's school. We had sung at Our Lady of Victories where we were married with Mr Buckley directing the choir. We then joined the choir at Warwick Street. This continued until 31 Jan 1976 when we moved to 15 Wrights Rd. Liz found out about the house through Mildred Dodds and teachers at St Anthony's school. We did look at a house in Shortlands but it was small. The first time we visited Liz and Mum and Dad walked from Thornton Heath all the way up Ross Road! I came via Norwood Junction. Mrs Smith kept her handbag with her the whole time we were in the house! Mr Smith was an art teacher so had planted lovely trees - sadly the rowan and laburnum had to go in the end. In the back garden there was a large polystyrene Rodin Thinker type thing! Original features were fireplaces. Any way we got a mortgage and it turned out we did well as the value went up. Neighbours were very friendly. Mrs Earl at no 13 lived to be a 100. John and Pat and Darren Ennor at no. 17 and John did many building jobs for us. At No 9 were Tina (still there) and Courtney at No. 5 . No 19 Hilda and No 3 were lovely too. Mrs Earl was a one person neighbourhood watch and knew everybody and everything. Across the road Brian and Barbara (now deceased) and later their daughters babysat for us as did the Odum family round the corner.
We were of course crazy. Working until 8 or 7 going to chorus Wednesdays and Thursdays and concerts and trips. No sooner had we moved in (and it was a freezing day we found coffee cups and drank whisky!) Fr Peter Farmer arrived and wanted to know if we would join St Chad's choir. This meant Friday practice and Sunday 11.15. In the choir were Josie McCulloch singing alto, a row of boys including Malcolm, Dr Tom Duffy sang bass and Juliet sang alto. George McCarthy sang bass and had perfected the art of arriving on the dot of 11.15 when the bell rang! Fr Farmer was notorious for putting his foot in it and commenting - I can see what's going on up there! He also liked fast tempi and argued at a Songs of Praise recording with the conductor. For all the saints whipped along. On the altar was MC Canon Smith (or we called him that!) The parish was very different then with a large Irish contingent. Fr Farmer loved trying new Mass settings and had built up a good choir with a good repertoire He took us to St John's Upper Norwood to sing there and would take the choir to churches for the inauguration of new organs eg Coulsdon, Lingfield. There was not a pipe organ in a Catholic church which he had not played! He loved walking and strawberry tarts - one for him at the summer choir party.  Fr Parkinson was assistant and he was a dear. Later he asked me to play for the 9.30 family mass. I turned up one Sunday to be met by Fr Farmer who declared "You don't look capable of playing anything!" Not a good start to the morning! Ross Hickling became the organist and later on he commuted to Canterbury cathedral to hear his sons sing there. We took part in RSCM services there. There was much good that Fr Farmer did but he could be very difficult. He blessed our home and Dad composed a short antiphon to be sung at the Mass. Fr F removed the candles and announced they must be beeswax! He then sat on a handbag and there was a sickening crunch! I asked him why he did not bless the bathroom "Wash me throughly" would have been appropriate.
We had a housewarming party and I spent a lot of time dishing out drinks in the old extension. As he left he said You did not circulate much! Frankly he was rude and rather childish. The worst thing was the comments on our Christmas letter - Josie said "He's just jealous!"

Mildred was the one who told Liz about the house and John sang tenor in St Chad's choir.