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.

Addiscombe

The magnificent window in the organ gallery

Page 208 Confirmation at Addiscombe. I guess the trombone was Neville Squires who played for me several times. Bruce was fascinated and started to learn the trombone later. The choir at Our Lady's was directed by Mary Endacott. Some were elderly but we did have some youngers singers. Tony Potter led the basses. At that stage we sat in the gallery with the pipe organ at the side. The choir had been founded in 1948 by Mrs Moynihan and her grandson Paul was MC. At that time the Mass was followed by a Mass in Polish and a little old gentleman arrived to play for it. The first time I saw the church was when Fr Farmer gave me a lift to Addington Palace and he was very dismissive - a load of old women. He had turned up for an ordination there and pushed the organist off the bench. Paul's father Tony had been organist bit went to St Mary's upon the changes from Latin. They still sang plainchant at St Mary's. We did Missa de angelis on the last Sunday of the month.