The new millenium

P.1426 I recorded cassettes starting with Mum's favourite "I'll walk beside you". We spent New Year's Eve at the home of the Parsons. Susan conducted the choir at Addiscombe and the children's choir started thanks to her and Ann Moynihan. I recall much laughter at "Big pantie woman". We watched the TV and the Queen awkwardly singing Auld Lang Syne with Tony Blair from the millenium dome. Liz visited it but I gave it a miss.P.1427 Dad says the Hallelujah chorus came off. Liz gave me the Barenreiter complete organ works of Bach.I have played some of them! At the start of the year we were invited to St Mildred's and Val Hamer presided. Out of respect for Fr Peter I did not receive. How sad I felt! Val later became a Canon of Hereford. There was a strong link. On one occasion Mgr Moran fell at the early Mass on Sunday and he was being prayed for at St Mildreds at 10 a.m. When Martha Nestor died the then vicar came and spoke at the funeral about how Martha was their first caller when they moved in next door.She was a lovely person and Mike Nestor missed her so much. p.1428. P.1430 Dennis visited Prudhoe and saw Nellie who was shuffling and deaf. The complaint from Karen continued. I resigned from the Guild council. I should say I attended several of the Guild days around the country and presentation ceremonies. John Ewington was pompous and rude. P.1435. P.1438 Nellie on hospital and unlikely to return to Park Grove. P.1439 I asked for the keys. Audrey had power of attorney. P.1443 we sang in Baltimore on TV! This was part of a tour of The Creation arranged by the Vatican. All denominations were invited including Mormons and Adventists. On our one day in Washington we did the driv e by tour to see Kennedy's grave. The big surprise was the carved text of Robert Kennedy's Wits speech next to his grave. Kevin and Gill accompanied us. JFK's death was a clear turning point for our generation. p.1450 Mum's birthday and I requested the Thalben-Ball elegy.

Fr Daniel French

P.1168 Dennis planning to go to the Cook islands in 1998. P.1170 recording of Brahms Requiem at the Albert Hall. P.1173 all 3 of us had spoken to Prince Charles at the reception after the Brahms. Dad thinks this was at the Albert Hall but I think it was the Festival hall. We never got the chance to tell him we met in the chorus and we now had Louise singing with us! P.1176 Midnight mass recording. P.1182 the new organ at Addiscombe at last .Paul Moynihan and Fr Peter very supportive. Paul would relay Fr Peter's enthusiasm for my playing e.g. Crown Imperial on Christ the King. He once commented that I had played the homily before Mass when I played "Come unto him" from Messiah to match the gospel. P.1183 Dad visited 2 houses for us and clinched Enmore Rd T upper St which was near Ann. Brendan O'Connell had tried Catenians - The possible house in Gordon sounds huge! Brendan arranged for me to visit most of the Sydney circles. P.1185 Richard Hurford and the Guild. Louise was going for university interviews and Nellie was reluctant to offer overnight accomodation. She insisted her new hip had made her an invalid  p.1185. P.1188 they never planned to stay! P.1192 Louise at Huddersfield and visiting Nellie.
P.1193 I had been in touch with Philip Mathias at Newcastle cathedral. We replaced our Escort with a Ford Fiesta. Dennis going to South India to help in hospitals.Catenians gave him a bursary. P.1193 organ improved which did not go ahead.p.1199 saw Dennis off. P.1202 why Addiscombe went digital.- the real reason was space. It was true that the church would be full Good Friday, first communions and confirmations.  p.1206 Daniel French's ordination Bernstein involving percussion and Adrian conducted and Palestrina. The real sensation was Salve Regina from Sister Act during first blessings which we sang twice. Daniel came to dinner and could not open his car so I drove him back to the presbytery where the Polish priest appeared in pyjamas to let him in. Next day after Mass brought him back to our street. He had tried to open the wrong car! bishop John Jukes did the ordination. Everything was ready but he insisted on seeing me beforehand about the Veni creator. Fr Peter said you don't have to come. I pointed out  t hat I was due on  t he organ in 2 minutes. Oh they can't start without me. Later Paul said they could start without the bishop. The bishop explained everything that was already in the booklet. - infuriating! Daniel organised neon vespers and had loads of confidence preaching. In Canterbury he married and is now an Anglican priest in Salcombe.

Nellie and Andrew Moore

P.1048 I had back trouble. P.1050 Nellie went home. I read FJ's book about Bairstow. P.1067 Liz commissioned Fr Andrew Moore to write a special piece for me and she presented me with the Mayhew book containing my prelude on "Aurelia". A perfect choice "the church's one foundation" . I was delighted and have played it everywhere. We first met Dom Andrew when I discovered his music when playing at Belmont Abbey. One of the brothers said he lived at Little Malvern where Elgar is buried. Straight after lunch we drove there and found the grave surrounded by chickens! On ringing the Presbyte ry bell a tall dark haired priest  looked me up and down and said "Good afternoon". I replied saying  had just discovered his organ music. "Do come in!" We were ushered into a lovely room looking towards the Malvern hills with a grand piano and beautiful painting of Provence. Music was played! We me t him at Downside abbe y where he wa s b ursar and I played the superb enclosed Compton much loved by Dom Gregory Murray. I think this was the Three choirs at Hereford 1994 but we have stayed at Belmont several times and knew Dom Alan Rees. Dec 94 letter from Sister Sheila. Dec 3 sang tenor  solo in Rejoice in the lamb. I sigh tread the rest of it. Adrian conducted the Croydon Bach choir at St Mildred's. Donald Rose often sang for me. Louise sang in this concert. John Beer and Joy and Geoff. Susanna Martin and Terence in the altos.Jan94 organ festival at Fairfield Hall James O'Donnell, David Flood and Timothy Noon I have never played this organ. 3 June the Abbey  launch  of RSCM appeal. Bishop Tim Bavin preached.

 Jean Castledine and Barry Smith at Guildford cathedral

Giulini's 80th birthday - he phoned up to say thank you!

A letter from Dom Andrew

England

climbing the minster with Nellie

 With grandma and Aunt Ada

.

Auntie Nellie the dog was not there in 1952

In 1952 we landed at Southampton and took  trains to York. I was quoted as saying how green is all was, why were there so many chimneys? and why did it always rain? Remember we lived in a flat with central heating and Africa was often brown and dry. My grandparents and Auntie Nellie were delighted to welcome us to 22 Park Grove. In fact Grandma went to considerable lengths to organise a 5th birthday party for me see above.  I announced that it should have been an ice cream cake and was duly packed off upstairs in tears. The importance of always being grateful was being drummed in! I recall another birthday party later on when I realised I had been given a second copy of a book I already owned but I think by then I had learnt to smile and say thank you! Nellie was indeed an excellent guide to York. We climbed the Minster tower and I look very smart in my coat with its buttons. I discovered TV which we did  not have in South Africa until much later - Andy Pandy and Bill and Ben. I did find it annoying to have to go to bed when it was still light. In Johannesburg it gets dark quite quickly.  Photo shows Granddad, Nellie, Uncle Walter, Uncle Jewitt Worley. In front Aunt Emily, Grandma, me being silly, Aunt Ada Worley. In the garden at 22 Park Grove.

It was still a time of rationing and Mum had brought tins of fruit. Eventually only guavas were left and Granddad said he would have those things with pips if nothing else was left! I suppose the family's world in York was a very small one and it remained so. I loved the city and especially the Minster. All that history and tradition. Above all I felt I was English. I was not South African. 

22 Park Grove York taken when we cleared the house after Nellie went into care

Baptism

Me with Mum. Top picture shows Ma Ward and bottom one Freda Curtis.I have just been bathed in a tin bath on the stoep.
I was baptised at All Saints Huntington on 22 December 1946. This was the church where Mum and Dad had married in 1941. p.38. I still have the copy of "Nimrod" played on that occasion and suitably inscribed. It has remained a favourite piece! Auntie Nellie was my godmother and I think my grandfather was my godfather.  This was a Britain in the grip of rationing and a bitter winter. Dad describes keeping me quiet at the Gloucester digs by throwing a ball of wool in the air. page. 39 describes the epic journey by flying boat to Lourenco Marques. They took off from a small Heathrow airport in the Dakota with me balanced precariously on top of a carrycot full of nappies. The flying boat was boarded on the Nile. Dad had very little money at this stage. At 3 months I was the youngest ever passenger on the flying boats. page 42 describes the train journey to Joburg where they returned to the coupe to find me gone and being comforted by the conductor (a Portuguese engineer). This links to a childhood memory of waking at night and finding nobody there. I do not think this ever actually happened!

Typically having arrived at Ma Ward's in Orange Grove Dad was off to St Mary's cathedral organ! This was the great lure which led him back to a better life in South Africa! Here I am aged 3 months - lots of hair and quite chubby! I already have quite distinctive eyebrows and wide nose. The photo was taken at 46 Stonegate York. Curiously I have visited All Saints Huntingdon on a number of occasions but always found it locked. Ma Ward was quite formidable but she had been very kind to Dad in the war. Freda her daughter was married to Roy Curtis. They had two boys and unfortuantely Brian was bitten by Mrs Curtis's Alsatian (I was never keen on dogs). Later they all moved to Chingola and eventually Gillingham. I went to Freda's funeral in Wallington.