ACertCM

p.948 Michael Goldthorpe from BBC Belfast and phone calls. p.953 Louise was playing the organ and sang at Addington Palace. p.954 we had been to St Paul's, the Abbey and Winchester to hear St Andrew's choir sing and Mark had been chatting. We also heard the Sydney SO play at the Proms. p.939 I was 49. p.961 Louise sang Faure "Pie Jesu" with the Croydon Bach choir and she sang Beethoven 9 with us. I had heard Roy Massey and Marie-Claire Alain play at the Abbey and Westminster cathedral. She once played in Johannesburg. I was tackling the Dorian. p.968 they enjoyed video of annual choir competition - I guess this is Songs of Praise. p.973 presentation of ACertCM and prizes. I got highest marks in all sections for an organist/choirmaster. p.981 carol's from King's video. p.984 mentions that we had played the organ at All Saints Tooting. The church warden Rosa worked with me at Balham music library - years later I attended her funeral. We recorded Brahms Requiem with Maazel at the church. It was much used for recordings. p.986 videos of Canterbury and Liverpool - interesting that so many services were on TV>

The presentation of ACertCM

This photo appeared in The Universe

From Catena Fr Tom and Bruce

The chapel at Addington Palace we sang at the last service 

Dennis and Moscow

Denis 

p.475 Dennis passed his Provost's award and this was presented at Southwark cathedral. He was 14 an in year 3 at St Joseph's. He went with the school choir to France and passed Grade 4 flute. As he was learning Russian Denis Geints came from Moscow sponsored by  the British council. He saved all the pocket money from them and bought jeans and a cassette player at the end of the week. Every night he said I go to my room and gave each one of us a present. They were toys he had treasured and Russian dolls - such kindness! His English was excellent. One evening I got out Prokofiev scores and sang in Russian. At the weekend we took him to the National Gallery. His face lit up at finally seeing London landmarks! I asked him what he did for a hobby to which he replied "economics". This he studied in the evening. Sundays were spent in the art gallery with his family. His mother was a doctor and his father an engineer, The following year Dennis went to Moscow with gifts of tea and china. After his grandmother died the family moved to the US and we lost touch but I often think what an eye opener it all was! The Russians were just as nice as us! Louise got into |Coloma (you never gave me a choice!) and was in the choir and lacrosse team. Bruce was in first year juniors at St Chad's and started learning the guitar and as he joined St John's choir the 5 of us often sang together at evensong and special services. 

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.

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.