Operation 2001

P.1472 Richard Hurfor d  became Bishop of Bathurst. Our charity CD was sold for £10 and features both choirs and solos. Karen resigned from the library. Louise changed jobs. P.1474 we were singing carols at various places. Kurt Ison liked my Handel and Mendelssohn on the CD p.1483. P.1486 talk of moving Nellie. I sent 10 of our C Ds to be sold in Oz. Dad sent me all his organ music! 500 pieces. elijah's mantle fell on Elisha. The junior choir photo appeared in CMS p 1492. I sent details of the book Holiness. P.1500. Diamond wedding at Sydney Tower p. 1501. My right knee was drained at May day arthroscopy. This occurred on the day before Palm Sunday 2001. Fr Peter was my first visitor telling me not to worry. What emerged was that nobody else knew where the music for the Vigil was in the cupoard! Helene la Rue played for me. It took a month to recover. Hydrotherapy was advised and I was filmed for the May Day hospital TV in 'the pool. On the Thursday my feet were washed by a male nurse a new experience. I was home for Easter and Paul brought me communion. It was a rare moment of faith knowing Jesus the risen Lord was in our bedroom! We of course talked about the liturgies. Many in the ward were Afghans who need arrived became pizza delivery drivers and came off their mopeds!
P.1502 boxes of organ music arrived. I did play Vierne without feet at Farnborough Abbey later on. The Organists visit included Sandhurst. P.1503.p video of Brahms requiem.I was off until May 19. We got Nellle settled in a lovely new home  outside the city. P.1505 Mum was 82 and when I went back to work I started late each day to avoid traffic. Heather and Fred Brokenshire visited us and  Dad was again in touch with Hugh Mathew. P.1511 Nellie had a stroke and went into hospital.p.1512 Nellie died aged 79.p.1514 I went to York twice and the Lord Mayor of York attended the cremation.

Helene played the Vigil for me she died 2007

Rome

Chorus trips to Rome. Giulini conducting the B  minor mass with us surrounding the St Cecilia chorus. I took Ethel and altos to Castelgandolfo. 
Gurrelieder we had been told not to sing out so at the concert I let forth top B and the little Italian next to me got a shock. Shampoo walked off at the first rehearsal as the professional Italians did not know it. Balatsch rehearsed them.
My favourite church Sant Anselmo for Benedictines singing chant.

Olympics

P.1461 video of induction of Cormac Murphy O'Connor as Archbishop of Westminster. Sydney Olympics started. P.1462 I had heard the organ at Bridgewater hall Manchester. We completed the recording at Addiscombe with Adrian. Chris Town did a great job. Peggy ruined one evening's efforts. The adult choir were persuaded to sing downstairs. Dennis went to Southend on assignment and Bruce started at the building.college. The Creation concert was repeated in London but the Jerusalem date fell through. However I went to Rome to sing for the Pope's birthday. John Paul II certainly knew how to make an entrance despite signs of frailty. Liz's head had refused to let her go to HQ! On my return Liz said she wanted to hear nothing about it so I offered to take her to Rome for October half term p.1464. On the first afternoon I said Let's go for a walk and the Pope appeared in St Peter's square! We had an apartment near Piazza Navona. I played the English college organ thanks to Fr Anthony Barrett  he was the curate at Addiscombe who got me back to confession and gave me his little Evening prayer book  as I ad been to Rome 7 times we visited St Clemente, Vatican museums, Appian way and catacombs, St Peter's roof. At the papal audience we were interested to see how few knew Latin Credo and Peter noster. As it was Holy Year numbers going through the Holy Door were huge and I remarked that if this was what heaven was like I was not keen! We finished at Ostia before flying home.

2000

I gave a recital on both organs at Addiscombe and included Bach from my new Barenreiter edition. We then went on to St Mildred's where Tim Horton welcomed us. 

P.1450 confirmation and Veni creator was repeated. P.1452 I had written to Music and Liturgy about triplets quoting Bairstow. Dad had a minor stroke. The last piece he played was Bach Fantasia on Veni creator. I returned from Istanbul. We rehearsed in the Eirene church but the Dvorak was performed in the concert hall. Dad typed all this with his left hand.p.1453 we went to Ampleforth for a week and I enjoyed a retreat with nuns on Therese of Lisieux. Fr Martin who led it told stories about Cardinal Hume and spoke on the Shroud of Turin. At school we used to ask Fr Sulter to tell us about the shroud but he always replied there are only 24 hours in a day. Nellie was not going to leave Peppermint Court so we spent 3 days clearing 22 Park Grove. On the second day I rang the Castle museum and she came that day to take scales, shelving paper, drinks set, she even wanted the lino! Archives took the theatre books and programmes. The landlady Mrs Wakefield took the keys very graciously. Nellie had been paying for repairs.We brought home Grandma's book of family dates, the brass nameplate, some pictures, a chamberpot and iron.

The pageant about St Augustine and we sang the plainsong the monks sang on arrival in Canterbury and the article where I found it. It is about the wrath of God! Ampleforth monks helped with the style. We also sang sections of Noyes fludde. 

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.

1999

At Glyndebourne Jean Taylor gave us seats for Marriage of Figaro as our silver wedding present . it was heaven! I have only been once more Magic flute standing ticket on the day we won the Olympics for London! 

Book 7 p.1361 Cardinal Hume died. It was impossible to get a seat at the funeral which was televised. Liz went to the vespers and I to the lying in state.A great humble man. P.1362 royal wedding at Windsor. I think this was Prince Edward. P.1364 Dennis had done well in his A levels. June 1999 p.1367 vespers for Cardinal Hume and ordination of Sunith Nonis at Addiscombe. I used Dad's extension of Be still for the presence. P.1368 st John's Upper Norwood still needed £72000 for the restoration of the Lewis organ but did not apply to the lottery! We had a mass remembering Liz's Dad 2 years after he died. In fact I have played Finlandia every year. P.1371. P.1379 we spent a week in Prague for our silver wedding trip. An apartment in the centre and we enjoyed lots of concerts and organ recitals. The Mozart, Dvorak, Smetana and Jewish museums were fascinating. We saw Don Giovanni at the opera house and were moved to a better box! P.1392  mistakes in the transposition of Dad's wedding anthem to be sung again on October 9. P.1394 a memory of me as a baby Dad dancing to Charlie is my darling with me in his arms. P.1396 describes the silver wedding Mass in detail. Michael Fleming played the new organ and Adrian conducted. Rachmaninov, Faur e and Byrd were included. We appear to have no photos! P.1399 Dennis moved into the house in Bow p.1399. P.1415 Chorus on Birmingham, Basingstoke, Cologne, Baden Baden, RFH, Cardiff and Ely on TV all Beethoven 9 and Sir Simon Rattle! I had been on strike! John and Bruce Alexander visited. P.1416 Advent carols at Our Lady's and Revd Val from St Mildred's presided. I am interested to see I was reading The Tablet, Choir and Organ, Laudate, CMQ and Organists review although I abandoned the last. P.1421 the start of a difficult year at Battersea Park when I was accused and cleared of racism. Fortunately I had kept records. In the end Liz insisted I went to the doctor and he gave me a month off. The strain had been too much having to work with somebody who kept going sick with a fever. The Sarum coll e Orthodox Lent retreat was excellent. We were all feasting while the group from Bath orthodox church were fasting. Chime committee doing good work on linking church music organisations dealing with music education.

Deacon?

23/4/20 as we are still in lockdown I have edited the photos many of which did not upload. I am nearing the end of volume 6 of Dad'book only one more volume to go. P.1292 Christmas 1998 cathedral digital to be bought for Addiscombe. P.1297 enjoyed midnight Mass tapes. It seems I was playing some of the same voluntaries as Dad on the same Sundays p.1298. P.1300 Fr Peter turned down the idea of my being ordained Deacon. He said I was too useful as Director of music. He was not keen on deacons. When he went to Tunbridge Wells he had 2. Sr Campion was very keen on this and so was I. I was to try again but by then they said I was too old. It would have restricted me greatly even though I was doing lots of extras in the parish - too much in fact. Fr Peter said family comes first and he was right. I was asked to play he Mushel toccata at a wedding.

 Freda Curtis died and I went to her funeral. P.1301. P.1306 Liz sang at the Minster and visited Nellie. Philip Mathias gave a recital. P.1313 dad describes the Wa rd family. Liz had been to Prudhoe.p.1315 Roger O'Hogan. P.1316 Freda. April 1999 Louise in Mexico and Bruce with school in New York and Washington. New organ agreed p.1342. Dad writes a lot about One bread, one body which caused a lot of upset. The English bishops could have gone much further as the Germans did. P.1347 my letter about music for children was published in CMQ. Colours of day will not be much comfort when loved ones die and children were not being taught traditional hymns.p.1353 we sent a cassette for Mum's 80th birthday. I have a booklet for a music day all Saints including Paul Inwood, o'Carroll, Chris Walker, I sing a song and S an Rocco not sure of the year.