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

More activiity

 ACertCM presentation by the Papal Nuncio because Cardinal Hume could not attend includes Michelle Aitkens next to the nuncio Archbishop's House

Fr Peter at Louise's wedding 2007

p.827 Louise excellent results, Dennis climbing in Snowdonia and Bruce on a cricket course. p.829 I sent a service for the rededication of the organ at Notre Dame. I have been involved in two such ceremonies - the new Cathedral digital at Addiscombe and the organ at St Michael's. p.835 Dad wrote out music for me or this might be an extension of "Be still for the presence of the Lord". p.836 details about Ralph Downes and ffrench-Beytagh. p.839 videos I had sent. p.841-2 the composition of the Bishopthorpe suite which I still play. The march was played at their funeral. p.847 Dad is 74. p.854 Bruce's guitar exam. p.855 I wrote from Birmingham. This could have been a weekend when we sang at St Philip's cathedral. p.865 we both gave up singing in the chorus for a while to complete our Archbishops certificate in church music. For this we went to Heythrop college for the first time and had lectures from Tom Creagh-Fuller (he later became a priest). Very flamboyant we would get onto his favourite subject five minutes before we were due to finish e.g. Odo then he would sing old Catholic hymns loudly on the tube back to Victoria (if the floor could have opened..). He was very knowledgable and needles to say we both passed. The choir at Our Lady's were more nervous than I was about the exam when I had to direct them! The examiner was the director of music at St George's cathedral and she was very charming. The certificates hang in our dinging room and are signed by Cardinal Hume whom we met briefly. We had to visit various places - Liz went to the Adventists at Selhurst and the Streatham synagogue. p.871 Robin Milford pieces I had sent "Papa". p.875 I praised the Advent carols service choir and the Bishop! p.877 phone Dennis was working in Croydon I think at the outdoor shop. p.884 Christmas organ voluntaries and Dad remarks that the priest-in-charge appeared not to appreciate all my practice. I think this must be Monsignor John Moran. He had worked for the Catholic children's society and was sent to one of the biggest parishes in the diocese. His desk was always a muddle. He would get an envelope out and put my cheque in it. The best thing was that he did not interfere and left us to get on with it! Fr Peter Stodart was the curate and unusually succeeded the Monsignor. I was actually rather fond of him. In the end when he had to retire he was reluctant to leave the presbytery and moved into a flat. A bridal couple in the block said they kept an eye on him. He would go to his regulars for whisky. His funeral went really well but it suddenly hit me that I would never see him again. His favourite hymn was "Breathe on me breath of God". Fr Farmer no less complimented me on the music at that funeral - he said priest's funerals were usually abysmal!

Fr Peter and Mgr Moran

Peggy on left At the back Tony Potter and John Beers who composed some items for us

Ted in the middle with alto Kit Bradley and Mary Endacott, Ada Macdonald is at the back next to me.

Ralph Downes who died in 1993

Fr Farmer preached and remarked that the music was good! 

Mgr Moran died 1995

RSCM magazine

Mum and Dad visit UK

 

Dad and Dennis in St Joseph's uniform visit Addington Palace

p.479 possible St Hugh singers at Southwell. p.483 Golden wedding anniversary call p.484 necklace I bought Mum with my first salary! p.490 after 9 years I left St Margaret's Liz had an accident in the car in slippery conditions and Louise sprained her arm. p.494 Ffrench-Beytagh died. He was at a city church and I met him once on Westminster bridge. He remembered me. A very complex character we shall probably never know how much he did in South Africa and why he was deported. There was certainly lots of money being sent via the Church. p.496 Josie agreed that Mum and Dad could stay with her. p.500 planned itinerary. p.502 in fact they stayed with Jean and they loved it. Jean was a stalwart of St John's. Southwell was off! p.503 my comments on Barber Adagio for strings on the organ. Michael Deasey is mentioned. p.508 the trip to U.K. and we all holidayed at Kennall farm at Ponsanooth near Truro. We had of course breakfasted at Little Chef on the way down (this was traditional) Dennis and geology. We played Truro cathedral organ. Dennis went down a tin mine. The Croydon girls including Louise sang well in the cathedral and Louise played her trumpet. She had amazing ability taking up trumpet and later oboe and the piano. p.515 John Bolton who I also remember and we visited him in Kettering. p.516 Jean Bartlett. Alexander Nevsky at the Proms p.517 Addington Palace and St John's and Revd David and Susanna Martin. Dad does not mention that I lent him my cine camera so he could record his walks round York. p.523 Ightham Mote a place we have always loved. Dennis was keen on family trees and it is great that Mum wrote so much in the photo books. Chartwell and Finchcocks, Bexhill-on-sea, the Lewis at St John's, p.524 Pomp and Circumstance at St John's. John East and St Etheldreda's. Dennis sang at Guildford cathedral p,524. Liz went to Belmont Abbey  for a teacher's retreat. p.527 Dennis at Bury St Edmunds with Martin How. Dad describes in details the memorial concert for Ray Barber which was a great success with a lovely party at home afterwards. p.528. Visit to York library p.529 p.531 to 534 describes Hong Kong.

Soweto

I have already noted some turning points in my life. The trip to England in 1952 and the concert by the Vienna philharmonic in Salzburg were definitely life changing moments. Add to this a growing desire to be independent. Wonderful as they were Mum and Dad were both very strong characters and Mum always said she pushed me out of the nest. Otherwise I would probably never have married and continued returning home regularly for food and no doubt washing! None of us could see that the bubble would burst eventually and I was about to have my eyes opened.

1970 began with attending a Mass at St Mary's cathedral with the Bishop and clergy falling all over each other which I comment was medieval popery with incense and bicycle type bells. I did love all this at school but of course it was done decently and in order! Helen Joseph a notable campaigner against the government said she would support Dad in his application to become cathedral organist. This did not succeed mainly through ffrench-Beytagh's being away. We had a holiday at  Champagne castle involving walks and I think I had a go at bowls but not horse riding. Our table won the quiz because I knew the zoology questions in the last round. Many got a tummy bug and it rained.
Before we went away I was longing to be moved from the branch HQ job and I was duly appointed as Non-European branch organiser.. Note  the title as I was in charge of 14 libraries for Africans, Coloureds and Indians. I shadows my predecessor Claire Wiltshire for a week. She had found a librarian dead in front of a library. There were murders very weekend. Maurice queued 4 and a half hours for SABC orchestra season tickets at th Civic theatre. I note my frustration with Essie Aremband who was too demanding and fussy. There were too many people thinking they were in charge and arguing for position in that office! I went for the tea with the Mayor who was fairly interested. I was a combination of boss, delivery man of books and pay and referee. We had a weekly meeting of the librarians and they fought cat and dog over every little thing dividing along racial lines. I was assure that I was very safe as any attack on me would be immediately reports by police spies. The one Asian librarian at Lenasia 20 miles away was determined to get me to make political comments which I never did. the really stupid thing was having to wear a white coat over my safari suit (shorts) which got filthy every day. Could I wear a brown coat Mum asked? No that was for the Non-Europeans as they were called! I was not doing my back any favours lugging heavy boxes about in and out of a white Landrover. The next week I had a collision - the cops came but drove past! When I phoned again on a landline they came after 45 minutes and monad at me for not stopping them. "We don't have time to look for accidents!"

I was very scathing about the SABC orchestra concerts in my diary. Dad told off Maurice for being "too critical and spoiling it for others" but of course Maurice was right but perhaps h would have done well to choose his audience for his remarks! Knud Nielsen came to give organ recitals from Copenhagen with his wife Myrli - they were charming and we took them to Pretoria. I proposed a toast to the guests at the Guild dinner and my jokes went down well. (page 74 for the start of the Guild)

All the staff were called Mr. Mr Makhudu was my assistant and said to me "Mr Woodhouse you're a good man" . "I try to be" "You will never understand us because you do not speak our language".
He was so right. How much better it would have been to learn Zulu instead of Latin with the dreaded Spike.Or instead of French at university.
I went to a Lent group with Miss Laver and Dad - she did not like his unorthodox comments! Bosmont library was burgled twice leading to lots of for fillings. I went to the cathedral to hear the wonderful Donald Coggan who I met later in London. He was then Archbishop of York and spoke magnificently on the spiritual and physical hunger of the world with the population growing by 8000 every hour. 

Europe 1968

January 1965 we went by steam train to East London and the car went on the train as well. We stayed at Palm Springs Kidds Beach Ann and I sharing a room. I mention trips to the cathedral and Rhodes university at Grahamstown. I derived much pleasure from reading the BBC Listener magazine and was most upset when it was discontinued. I had grown up with "The Eagle" and general knowledge comics. Our next door neighbours at Palm Springs were the Brookes a Pentecostal minister and they had 5 daughters whose names spelt Hope and Joy. Hazel, Olwyn, Pauline, Elwin and Joy.
On 7 June 65 I record hearing the Voice of America broadcast of the landing of James McDivitt and Edward White the second man to walk in space. In July I took part in a church census of Mayfair.  I seem to have had lunch with Felicity quite often - she was on the History of Art course with me. We went to the art gallery to see St Thomas by El Greco and the attendant told me people stuck chewing gum on the pictures! I did a talk on ecumensim for the youth fellowship.
1965 ended with me working at Orange Grove CNA and a good carol service at St Mark's.
1966 was memorable for the visit of Robert Kennedy. He said

Yet many of the world's great movements, of thought and action, have flowed from the work of a single man. A young monk began the Protestant Reformation, a young general extended an empire from Macedonia to the borders of the earth, and a young woman reclaimed the territory of France. It was a young Italian explorer who discovered the New World, and 32 year old Thomas Jefferson who proclaimed that all men are created equal. "Give me a place to stand," said Archimedes, "and I will move the world." These men moved the world, and so can we all.

”

The notable phrase "ripple of hope" came shortly thereafter:

“

It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped each time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against injustice. He sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest wall of oppression and resistance." This was at the University of Cape Town and I was astonished to find these words near his grave in Washington D.C. I appear not to have my diaries for 1966 and 1967. I think that about this time I first encounterd Maurice Sherman, His brother was a music critic and Maurice had a large collection of records, I would go to his flat in Yeoville and we would listen to music with the scores from the excellent music library in the City. He introduced me to Bruckner, Mahler and Wagner. Mum and I would go to SABC orchestral concerts. On one occasion Anton Hartman attempted to conduct a Bruckner symphony. It was so slow that it beat all recordings we knew for length and a lady dropped a box of mint imperials in the slow movement. Maurice and I got the giggles and had to leave - a merciful release! On one occasion he put his arms round me. I did not lke this at all as I had been obsessed by T.E.Lawrence who refused all bodily contact. The Shermans were Jewish but I do not recall much discussion about religion.

On page 79 Dad introduces Dean ffrench-Beytagh. I have his book and I met him later on Westminster bridge in the 70s. He was then at St Vedast Foster Lane - something of a failed character I think. He goes on to talk about the 7 week 1968 trip to Europe. I have my little book with notes from this trip plus Mum's diary. We visited 15 countries Angola, Spain, Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, England, Austria, Yugoslavia, Italy, Switzerland and France. page 80 mentions the Salzburg concert with the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Karl Bohm with Daniel Barenboim playing the Brahms piano concerto no.1 This was the moment I knew I had to be in Europe. The SABC orchestra was very poor and the conducting by Anton Hartman truly awful. Edgar Cree did his best and the audiences were willing to accept anything. I had a great time in Paris. My day in London 18th August   featured the National gallery, Tate gallery, meeting Alan and Rosemary Hall, Proms queue too long so went to Swan lake at Royal Festival Hall.
In 1967 I read 75 books mostly English literature for the degree but a smattering of books about nature, royalty and history. In 1966 it was 64. In 1968 I read 62 including 9 set books.
The trip to Europe seems to have been unsettling but also galvanised me to save up. By staying at home I was able to save. Having completed my degree I began an honours degree in English with the University of South Africa by correspondence. I did not find this easy despite Michael Leighton Fr John's son who was a university lecturer in English. I did eventually complete the degree. I only read 38 books in 1969. This was the time that I worked as a student at Johannesburg public library. I had done an aptitude test which came out with librarian or university lecturer as top careers for me. I loved working in the library meeting the public and helping people find books and information. This experience stood me in good stead when I went to work there full-time. In the meantime I returned to Wits to do a postgraduate diploma in librarianship. This was solidly based on the British system. Ranganathan bored us but we learnt a lot. This was when I met Lynn Stagg again - I first met her in 1965.

My graduation on 1st April 1967 B.A. and Lynette Stagg graduated with me. 

In 1967 I wrote to "The Star" newspaper about the SABC's ridiculous habit of translating the titles of musical works into Afrikaans. It was published but there was no change of policy.