Addiscombe

 On a Steyning trip

Rosalie Hughes thanks me for playing for her mother's funeral Addiscombe Methodist

p.988 played Allen at Addiscombe Methodist for Advent carols. I became chair of Churches Together in Addiscombe  originally the Addiscombe group of churches -  we were supposed to have clergy at our meetings and I joked that I would ordain someone to achieve a quorum! One member was very annoying - he would come late, try and push us back to point one on the agenda then complain at the end about the length of the meeting. His one redeeming feature was tents for  June open air services in Ashburton park. Another highlight of the year was walking to Croydon to join the procession in the centre on Good Friday.  Churches together in Shirley were also very active in those days. At Midnight I played Sumsion on Adeste fideles which is not easy! Ann and Paul and family were in Disneyland. Photo of us in choir robes. p.990 The Choir and Louise singing at Lambeth Palace in RSCM choirs on New Year's Day the previous year. I recall nobody asked David Hill about "The choir" as it was all a bit close to home. p.999 Louise singing top Cs in Allegri Miserere at St John's on Ash Wednesday. I have my portfolio for ACertCm 1995-6. I have also kept pages from the church magazine 1997 - 2003 with choir news,  book reviews and news of ecumenical events and there were lots of them! I organised parish days, music days, two weeks of guided prayer Space for God, concerts.... Liz was active in UCM and serving.

1987

Thanks from Fr Anthony

Vol 2 page 240 Christmas and a new photo of the family. p,244 1987 Michael Bourdeaux in Sydney. Anna Gabler died. She had organised an annual playing of the Klemperer recording of the St Matthew passion and we would sing the chorales. p.246 contact from Francis Albert Woodhouse in Victoria, British Columbia. p.247 Dennis joined St John Upper Norwood choir. p.248 60th anniversary service of the RSCM at the Albert Hall and we both sang. Cardinal Hume prayed during the anthems - it was wonderful to see that. Ronnie Jones came from Pretoria and Australia was represented. Dennis, Gwyneth, Paul and Neil were in the audience. Gillian Weir and Roy Massey were among the organists.

Lionel Dakers wrote to everyone  to tell us how much the Queen enjoyed it.

2 Dec Diamond jubilee evensong at the Abbey Nicholson singers directed by Michael Fleming and Martin How played Harris Faire is the heaven Stanford in C Te Deum

This means we sang at the 50th and 60th anniversary celebrations and the last service at Addington Palace. 

In November Liz celebrated her 40th birthday with a party at home

Photo shows

Mrs Barber, Joyce, Ethel at the party

Grace and K

p.249 the organ pipe which we now have presented on leaving Tasmania. page 253 about the people at the RSCM service at the hall. Ray Holland sang next to me. p,255 mention of us visiting Sydney the following year and swopping houses. Willoughby East rectory from mid-March 1988 to the end of April. page 257. and 262 and 263 video of the RSCM service. p.264 Louise First communion and Dennis beating the bounds of the Tower of London - quite an occasion and the guests were shepherded in for tea afterwards by a Warder with a huge axe! Dad mentions my red Philharmonia orchestra tie which I wore quite a lot! I think it was sponsored by Dunhill! 3 performances of the B minor mass with Giulini in Rome. Chorus masters Balatsch and Neumann. Soloists Elly Ameling, Anne Sofie van Otter, Thomas Moser, Andreas Schmidt

Bruce beating the bounds with St John's choirboys

28/6/87 Louise made her first communion

3 August Prom Gurrelieder with Jessye Norman and Pierre Boulez Andrew Greenwood was chorus master. The programme mentions the War requiem at the Opera House which was a tribute to Peter Pears. 

7 Nov Our Lady's choir took part in RSCM Southwark Diocesan festival at Southwark cathedral conducted by Lionel Dakers organist Andrew Lumsden. The Advent Carol service at Addiscombe started in darkness and included the Magnificat Sumsion in A.

The same month Sunday Dec 27th there was a nine lessons and carols at St Margaret's with Mick Elfred as priest in charge. The brass were Richard Riley, Roger Snewin, Cyril Birkbeck, Neville Squires and Nigel Irvine. Gwyneth and Roger helped form the choir. Roger was on the RSCM committee and played trumpet and organ at Lee. Richard was the son of a soprano in the chorus and a brilliant trumpeter. Midnight Mass at St Margaret's 1987 was a simpler affair with well-known carols and there was a christingle on Christmas Day.