Friday's concert at St Ann's with Joey Draycott and the Schola Cantorum of Heythrop College seems to have gone down very well. I counted at least 75-80 in the audience which felt reasonably busy, although next time we'll go for a start at at least 730pm instead of hanging about 20 minutes waiting for late arrivals. Michael Cayton played his Von Himmel Hoch very sparktastingly, and the choir sounded particularly good in the hymns. There is some sound footage somewhere (is that the right expression??) I really enjoyed the duet with Martina Jelinkova although we came marginally unstuck once or twice, and Rory Baird, aged 12 and with the wisdom of youth, said he thought it was too long. It was.
Saturday was spent rejoicing in the wonder of the new BB which arrived at a secret drop off, and also recording two vidoes of songs Barenarebee and I are doing on the 17th December at the Half Moon Pub, Herne Hill. This is NOT IN PUTNEY!!! as per advertised location. I will update the forthcoming concerts page. Also tried to finish off The Clapham Christ, the poem that Rev. David Isherwood has asked me to present at The Sun Pub, The Pavement, Clapham Common when HTCC do our carol singing on Saturday 18th December 1800h.
Moderately pleased with the result:
'Better yourself or die'
is the message from on high
in the language that is built
upon the adverts seen on Sky...
and also
The Clapham Christ awaits His home
He waits while we all chat on phones
He waits for you to turn the TV off
and not to give an inward (ahem) cough
each time the name of Jesus is said in love...
and
He'll change the locks on your heart
to keep out selfishness for a start
And find a place to home the gentle Holy Spirit's Dove
That sort of thing. It must be admitted that it has fallen into the pattern of a 'no room at the inn this Christmas' type homily, but there it is and it performs quite well and (mum) said you want to keep listening because of the storyline.
Beerneernaby and I practised our songs after a splendid Pigs on Horseback dinner round at his on Saturday; his Gone are the Days is very playable and prog rocking - it just kinda soldiers on and you just 'wanna keep on strumming'. His high Tenor and my Bass seem to blend well to my ear.
Indomitable de Nordwall struggled against the exigencies of the transport network and finally arrived in Kingston Hill, 180 minutes after leaving the Northern wastes, in time for the last 10 minutes of Friday's concert. Respect to the effort and my thanks. She had the lantern light of Galadriel to guide her and the gift was gladly brought and right joyfully received. It ever burns now in the Halls of St Anthony's Harpertage. The choir plus choir friends went dahn the eight bells at Putney Bridge post Mulled and Minced at St Ann's Hall and pints were sunk and crisps dispatched and reciprocal concerts mentioned.
Sunday, driving rain on Lavender Hill and then the clouds parted, Simpsons style, as Father Michael and I drove up Kingston Hill for choir practice. Well we had three choristers which is considerably better than nul points and they sang well in the service, but we need to get our strength up before we ever manage a communion anthem. Hmm.
Does anyone know The Greyhound Pub in Roehampton (pretty sure of the name)? Never heard it was there - a real country pub in London, with wonderful log fire and good-ish food, with good-full service and atmosphere and wunderbar view of Roehampton wilds or woods. Very Sunday lunch plus little ones crew and it was busy, but lots of space and plenty of parking. Fathers Michael and Pat and their organist headed for a few hours of chewing the cud and discussing the Pope's smoking and Piano playing, dying to self and the driving habits of the Taiwanese. We wondered whether the British habit of being wonderful warriors when abwoad and suffering patiently in queues until they're forced to wait 5 seconds behind a driver who hasn't noticed that the lights have changed (SPLHCB 'he blew his tyres out in the car'): could it... does it... might it... have something to do with our Island Mentality?
We can't escape from the neighbours so we try and be as polite as possible to avoid the rage within at Leylandii growth (etc etc), and then when we finally emerge from our North Sea Nest and go and bash the locals (French, Germans, Italians, Spanish, Dutch, Boers, Japanese, Chinese, Indians etc) we're secretly revenging ourselves for unwarranted greenery impeding the view from Mon Repos?
Answers on a postcard please.
Anyhow, after lunch, a Double Priest Powered lift to St Mary Magdalene Wandsworth Common for a 4pm practice and then a 630pm service of Advent Carols and readings.
Really interesting sermon from Rev Nick Peacock mentioning apothatic understanding that it is easier and sometimes more correct to say what God is not rather than attempting to define the divinity. (Viz John of the Cross). IE: God is not evil (!), God is not selfish, God is not absent. I suppose 'gods are not God' is the message of Judaism: Christianity is much more about God is Love, God is incarnate, Christ is risen, Christ is God. We talked after the service of how the desire to please God, pleases God.
Conducted the St Mary Magsters choir in Adam lay y' bounden and Jesu joy of man's desiring. Really enjoyed them both, but found playing for Psalm 121 and the Baird Mag and Nunc pretty nerve racking. My first Anglican Psalm; an accompanying magazine for organists everywhere! Available from WHSmiths and all good record shops... Yes it does sound a bit nerdish come to think of it. There's a dingbat with the title Nerd on the new BB. Magsters sounded pretty good though.
Thursday night was Medici Choir rehearsal at the Covgar. They sounded pretty good too - Basses gathering confidence or testosterone, one or both. The B Minor Mass is jolly hard for anyone, and the choir have really risen to the challenge. Nice session down the Covgar Hostelry after and chats with JMB about this n t'other, and that an t' ither.
Aviary has just suggested a Monday morning meet at Esca in Clappers so better sign off there. Still in dressing gown.
Monday, 28 November 2011
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
The prawn heavy paella and the t.v. channel of doom
Tuesday nights at St Anthony's Harpertage usually have one or two ingredienti that crop up at the dinner table rather frequently. Rindle Mcdindle, my dear close friend, has been quasi-adopted by the Harmer family, and has negotiated washing up duties in exchange for regular prawn stir-fries.
The only downside of the patterning of the evening arrangements is that various characters seem to join us, who, to be brutally honest, and by contrast, are NOT welcome.Vis: a certain Dorothy from the church; Zanab and his partner the warrior princess; a Mr I.B. who comes over especially from E17 to join us. Fine chaps and chapesses. Clearly. However, they usually have the decency not to stay for dinner itself, but, unfortunately, as they file out about 2000h, at the same time as someone always seems to choose to be doing their drum practise; ('doof, doof, doof' - Neighbours! Tsk!) yet MORE people turn up.
The later crowd are medical folk apparently, (although I have no idea where Holby Hospital is) but they seem to have a keen interest in pop music and pantomime.They don't eat much but they do tend to argue amongst themselves. Not what one would make first choice for dinner conversation. Tonight, for instance, while the nibbles were being nibbled this side of the TV screen, one of them had the cheek to start doing something to someone else's blackened fingernail... AND with a needle!
Jack Russell Harmer enjoyed the heaviness of tonight's prawn distribution though...
I found a snarling, pettifogging kind of day awaiting me today. Interesting the difference that a proper breakfast might have made; the company can often be the very best. The Very best. What DOES pettifogging mean???
The only downside of the patterning of the evening arrangements is that various characters seem to join us, who, to be brutally honest, and by contrast, are NOT welcome.Vis: a certain Dorothy from the church; Zanab and his partner the warrior princess; a Mr I.B. who comes over especially from E17 to join us. Fine chaps and chapesses. Clearly. However, they usually have the decency not to stay for dinner itself, but, unfortunately, as they file out about 2000h, at the same time as someone always seems to choose to be doing their drum practise; ('doof, doof, doof' - Neighbours! Tsk!) yet MORE people turn up.
The later crowd are medical folk apparently, (although I have no idea where Holby Hospital is) but they seem to have a keen interest in pop music and pantomime.They don't eat much but they do tend to argue amongst themselves. Not what one would make first choice for dinner conversation. Tonight, for instance, while the nibbles were being nibbled this side of the TV screen, one of them had the cheek to start doing something to someone else's blackened fingernail... AND with a needle!
Jack Russell Harmer enjoyed the heaviness of tonight's prawn distribution though...
I found a snarling, pettifogging kind of day awaiting me today. Interesting the difference that a proper breakfast might have made; the company can often be the very best. The Very best. What DOES pettifogging mean???
Monday, 21 November 2011
Dr Song and the Massage of Joy
Well yes, I must confess, I did visit the local Chinese Massage Parlour today, or should I address it more fittingly as Mandarin Medical Centre, here in the Lavender Hill red traffic light district - (roadworks were snarling up Lavender Cross last week.) Apparently my continuing back pain needs Acupressure. It certainly helped, the pummeling I received from the lumbar-angel of mercy (well actually upper back, but I lack the knowledge of the correct term): I sang a few bottom B's after my visit to the treatment room in the tower of Dr Song.
It's been a tough but wonderful several days. The Bard School meet was joyous on Saturday: especially given the blessed 3 hours of reprieve 5 minutes before I was due to head out (late... or So I Thought) to St Mary of the Angels, Ladbroke Grove. A reciprocal blessing on your faulty alarm clock/mobile phone dear Indomitable one. Sarah Keith hooked up with bag carrying duty, and, guitar-on-back and apple-juice-to-hand we ventured to the Pilgrim Paths of Nothilgate. Equipped with provisions for lunch of a homemade-shopbought pizza and spinach + ricotta sheltered in pastry variety, the timing was SPLENDID and with Indomitable de Nordwall and Helen Munt of the Blessed Guitar Strings (BGS for short) we gathered in the Lower Hall of the Exchange of Wisdom. (Tango lessons were going on next door in the Upper Hall of Dance and Light, where the Bardfair stalls where gathered in October. Merrily did we feast and pray, talking of Marthe Robin, and 50 year slumber fasts.
(For those of you listening in laxlidden, a slumber fast in this context does not imply a half-century nap, but the exact opposite: 5 decades without sleep, and sustained by daily Eucharist and water. Oh yes, there was the weekly experience of the bitterness of Christ's Passion, including the usual marks of the body of the Lord.)
We were joined by the most wondrous nuns: brimming over with joy and holiness and music - truly, the Saints are the Doctors of Song: they had come to practise the beautification of the Mass of the Feastday of Christ the King. Their voices were bell like and childlike and joylike: clear with the light of the love of the Lamb.
Mass music also saw Peter Kingsley and I play our composition Beautiful Flower, (youtube harperharmer channel for a previous couple of performances) and Indomitable and I duetted. The Mass setting by one of the Sisters of Charity was so enjoyed, and not merely by mortals, to judge by the nuns joy-filled faces. A symbolic (but highly literal to the tune of £40,000 worth of gold) crown was processed around the church, as we raised our voices and struck the piano keys and Mankind was rededicated to Jesus Christ, King of the Universe as the Pope had asked us to in 1925. (Apparently).
....Which was a bit different to the goings on in the basement of Soho House, about 4 hours later, after we Bards had heated and feasted our Cider and Song in the Lower Hall once more after Mass. (About 15 of us altogether gathered round tables and candles and guitars and verse and the piano and the Balalaika.) I rushed across town to meet the coatcheck girl Remi (also known as Remihemidemisemiquaver) and descend to the Baron Barran von Barran-Barran von Barran 40th Barran-Birthday Bash. (I usually call him Baz!)
Close personal A-listers hob-bopped with mere benefit claimants, while the papz flash-mobbed the Celebrity crowd. Due to my close contacts with the Sloe Solutions publicity machine, I managed to get hold of a few electronic picz which I will attach by way of example: Hello! thought the combo of my beard and Baz's 'No! but it's November?!' tan weren't great copy, so, gentle reader, the joy of TEE-chnology means they should appear 'Ere here-lere! (That used to be the entrance exam to Sandhurst some do say... if you pronounce those three words in the appropriate manner it should sound like a Chelsea Father greeting a Counties gymkhana winner and announcing that the prize he is bestowing is merely a subscription to the above-mentioned Celeb Mag: Speak "Oh Hello! Friend", and enter the warrior caverns of Moria. )
Sorry... Distraction! Anyhow; yes I got a few shots which, if he's listening somewhere in cyberspace, are to be printed up and Baz Birthday presented. Juan and I spoke at range about Morley College where he's studying singing; Randle Macdondle nearly headed home to Macdondle Mansions at 2345 (very pleasing to type that number... note to self) but thought better and reported that eventually he reached the night shelter at gone 2am. Tired And Emotional. We convened Sunday pm for Tomato Juice and Halfling of Pride with Sarah Keith. One was debriefed of events after his departure.
Sunday was a long day. St Ann's by 0920: Father Dermot managed a 45 minute Mass, the choir gathering confidence as we progressed through the Hymn points, then into the Hall for a shnuffle of Kafee und Kuchen from Jose and Karen and chats with Katrine then a swift lift a la Norbiton from Carmen.
My doing too much-ometer was on a Sunday setting, so I leisured into the Anglican St Peter's in the town and chatted to Steve plus Carol (Vic other 'alf), Mary (Carol's mum) and Peter (the Vic). A sweeeeet little girl named Lydia gave me my first chocolate coin of the season. It was really nice.
Home to Clappers via an also swift train and an eventually arriving 345 bus (again- nice to type!) after a deelicious Moussaka an' stuff at the Sheesha Cafe in Norbers, plus hour long chat to mum. I do hope that new phone contract has already gone through!
10 minutes - the entire length of my eventually also arriving and much anticipated Nappers... well! I ask you; then up the Hill to Claphamshire and HTCC's Connect Service. Dominic (harperharmer lookalike) on Bass, Suzie McKinnes (mother of Skye with an e) leading, plus Barney and Suzie and Rosie and Piers and with lots of other folk milling and playing and singing (and really rocking) AND worshiping and patting the dog and eating donuts, or drinking Winter-Welcome Hot Chocolate, and praying and preaching and sound desk managing and ohp screen setting-up and ALSO "Altar" shifting - someone said once that a la CofE it should be referred to as the Lord's Table. Can anyone confirm? Certainly it was very table like last night with it's eazy Band Coat Stand function. Says more than I should comment about, that. But then again there've been some funny things getting onto altars in the occasional Catholic church too...
Then, after Olivia Kilby's talk about The Nehemiah Project - will I do that fundraising L.M. I feel called to do? - home via Varan @Sainsbury's and then a couple of hours with Mike Cayton (licensed to Play) giving Harmer's Harmonium an outing and the 12 string and the 3rd real 6-string and the new keyboard and working out the music for Twas the Month before Christmas, our concert with Joey Draycott (r'sal tonight at Kensington Square.) Michael, that's good news about what you told me - and I hope St Joseph and St Cecilia are praying hard for you... here's looking forward to Friday in Kingston!
And then, as I said, drinks with Sarah and Randy and bed.
Aviary and I met this morn in Esca, Clappers for toast and 'oney and one... well alright he gave her two sausages and I did see Ramona, the waitress muse.
David the Vic from HTCC has asked me to concoct a poem called the Clapham Common Christ, (almost completed last night) along the lines of When Jesus Came to Chelsea which he'd heard online (hh channel again if you wanna listen...)
Rupert Brooke was right... love and fame feed the muse.
It's been a tough but wonderful several days. The Bard School meet was joyous on Saturday: especially given the blessed 3 hours of reprieve 5 minutes before I was due to head out (late... or So I Thought) to St Mary of the Angels, Ladbroke Grove. A reciprocal blessing on your faulty alarm clock/mobile phone dear Indomitable one. Sarah Keith hooked up with bag carrying duty, and, guitar-on-back and apple-juice-to-hand we ventured to the Pilgrim Paths of Nothilgate. Equipped with provisions for lunch of a homemade-shopbought pizza and spinach + ricotta sheltered in pastry variety, the timing was SPLENDID and with Indomitable de Nordwall and Helen Munt of the Blessed Guitar Strings (BGS for short) we gathered in the Lower Hall of the Exchange of Wisdom. (Tango lessons were going on next door in the Upper Hall of Dance and Light, where the Bardfair stalls where gathered in October. Merrily did we feast and pray, talking of Marthe Robin, and 50 year slumber fasts.
(For those of you listening in laxlidden, a slumber fast in this context does not imply a half-century nap, but the exact opposite: 5 decades without sleep, and sustained by daily Eucharist and water. Oh yes, there was the weekly experience of the bitterness of Christ's Passion, including the usual marks of the body of the Lord.)
We were joined by the most wondrous nuns: brimming over with joy and holiness and music - truly, the Saints are the Doctors of Song: they had come to practise the beautification of the Mass of the Feastday of Christ the King. Their voices were bell like and childlike and joylike: clear with the light of the love of the Lamb.
Mass music also saw Peter Kingsley and I play our composition Beautiful Flower, (youtube harperharmer channel for a previous couple of performances) and Indomitable and I duetted. The Mass setting by one of the Sisters of Charity was so enjoyed, and not merely by mortals, to judge by the nuns joy-filled faces. A symbolic (but highly literal to the tune of £40,000 worth of gold) crown was processed around the church, as we raised our voices and struck the piano keys and Mankind was rededicated to Jesus Christ, King of the Universe as the Pope had asked us to in 1925. (Apparently).
....Which was a bit different to the goings on in the basement of Soho House, about 4 hours later, after we Bards had heated and feasted our Cider and Song in the Lower Hall once more after Mass. (About 15 of us altogether gathered round tables and candles and guitars and verse and the piano and the Balalaika.) I rushed across town to meet the coatcheck girl Remi (also known as Remihemidemisemiquaver) and descend to the Baron Barran von Barran-Barran von Barran 40th Barran-Birthday Bash. (I usually call him Baz!)
Close personal A-listers hob-bopped with mere benefit claimants, while the papz flash-mobbed the Celebrity crowd. Due to my close contacts with the Sloe Solutions publicity machine, I managed to get hold of a few electronic picz which I will attach by way of example: Hello! thought the combo of my beard and Baz's 'No! but it's November?!' tan weren't great copy, so, gentle reader, the joy of TEE-chnology means they should appear 'Ere here-lere! (That used to be the entrance exam to Sandhurst some do say... if you pronounce those three words in the appropriate manner it should sound like a Chelsea Father greeting a Counties gymkhana winner and announcing that the prize he is bestowing is merely a subscription to the above-mentioned Celeb Mag: Speak "Oh Hello! Friend", and enter the warrior caverns of Moria. )
Sorry... Distraction! Anyhow; yes I got a few shots which, if he's listening somewhere in cyberspace, are to be printed up and Baz Birthday presented. Juan and I spoke at range about Morley College where he's studying singing; Randle Macdondle nearly headed home to Macdondle Mansions at 2345 (very pleasing to type that number... note to self) but thought better and reported that eventually he reached the night shelter at gone 2am. Tired And Emotional. We convened Sunday pm for Tomato Juice and Halfling of Pride with Sarah Keith. One was debriefed of events after his departure.
Sunday was a long day. St Ann's by 0920: Father Dermot managed a 45 minute Mass, the choir gathering confidence as we progressed through the Hymn points, then into the Hall for a shnuffle of Kafee und Kuchen from Jose and Karen and chats with Katrine then a swift lift a la Norbiton from Carmen.
My doing too much-ometer was on a Sunday setting, so I leisured into the Anglican St Peter's in the town and chatted to Steve plus Carol (Vic other 'alf), Mary (Carol's mum) and Peter (the Vic). A sweeeeet little girl named Lydia gave me my first chocolate coin of the season. It was really nice.
Home to Clappers via an also swift train and an eventually arriving 345 bus (again- nice to type!) after a deelicious Moussaka an' stuff at the Sheesha Cafe in Norbers, plus hour long chat to mum. I do hope that new phone contract has already gone through!
10 minutes - the entire length of my eventually also arriving and much anticipated Nappers... well! I ask you; then up the Hill to Claphamshire and HTCC's Connect Service. Dominic (harperharmer lookalike) on Bass, Suzie McKinnes (mother of Skye with an e) leading, plus Barney and Suzie and Rosie and Piers and with lots of other folk milling and playing and singing (and really rocking) AND worshiping and patting the dog and eating donuts, or drinking Winter-Welcome Hot Chocolate, and praying and preaching and sound desk managing and ohp screen setting-up and ALSO "Altar" shifting - someone said once that a la CofE it should be referred to as the Lord's Table. Can anyone confirm? Certainly it was very table like last night with it's eazy Band Coat Stand function. Says more than I should comment about, that. But then again there've been some funny things getting onto altars in the occasional Catholic church too...
Then, after Olivia Kilby's talk about The Nehemiah Project - will I do that fundraising L.M. I feel called to do? - home via Varan @Sainsbury's and then a couple of hours with Mike Cayton (licensed to Play) giving Harmer's Harmonium an outing and the 12 string and the 3rd real 6-string and the new keyboard and working out the music for Twas the Month before Christmas, our concert with Joey Draycott (r'sal tonight at Kensington Square.) Michael, that's good news about what you told me - and I hope St Joseph and St Cecilia are praying hard for you... here's looking forward to Friday in Kingston!
And then, as I said, drinks with Sarah and Randy and bed.
Aviary and I met this morn in Esca, Clappers for toast and 'oney and one... well alright he gave her two sausages and I did see Ramona, the waitress muse.
David the Vic from HTCC has asked me to concoct a poem called the Clapham Common Christ, (almost completed last night) along the lines of When Jesus Came to Chelsea which he'd heard online (hh channel again if you wanna listen...)
Rupert Brooke was right... love and fame feed the muse.
Saturday, 19 November 2011
2347hours - busking through JCSuperstar with Mogenfinch
Richard Mogenmacdorf you genius: that was such fun- but next time sign the visitors book please!
(We also did Joseph; good old-fashioned '70s fun!)
Margate by 1045am today, for Father Eric Mead's funeral at St Anne's Cliftonville. 700? maybe 800? attended. Archbishop Peter very sensible; although less sensible was His Grace's car being stuck in the depths of the car park. In ironic celebration of deceased Father's dislike of the place, Mum and I proceeded by Hyundai to The Turner Contemptible Gallery, hard by the seaweed beds of Margate harbour. Ah yes! My nose remembers it well. The only sulphury whiff of the day, please God.
Gallery really very good (sorry dear Fr.E. and gentle Barnarnaby) and they've added to the somewhat slender collection every visit I've made. Rodin's The Kiss, from the Tate, is quite superb, especially framed by the giant sunset window and the sea, the sea, the shimmering selerous sea.
The Contemptible had me thinking of our TFoTS rendez-vous lunch this summer bank holiday, when Aviary and Lulu plus Barackananaby arrived a la Margate to meet the gathered Bonet plus Mum and me there, and unwrap the plan of our crazy 2 days of playing and eating and firework watching and pool-playing and late- night-staying-upping and sandy-beach-swimming and how over those few days, dear General Leah Goodtime was persuaded that Gulliver Nibble was added to the Tracey Emin's tent adornment dictionary of conquests and conquerors. Yahoo!
Met with Joey Draycott in The Strand yesterthursereve at 9pm after a 30 minute rehearsal (andamadasaharperdashacrossthetubeandthenthebridgebacktoclappers) for Sunday at HTCC at Suzie McKinnes' friend Suzie's house (plus a harperharmer lookalike - Bob - on bass.) Joey and I just about sorted Friday's concert programme and got busy with the pencil and the hymn sheet solo allocation. Dear Milo Blackley's very kindly donated Apple G4 very unkindly alloweth a mere 21 minutes of working time away from the plugpoint; so upon our being summarilary kicked out of the nethergatury regions of Leon at 2300h, and the welcome through the Pearly Gates of Pizza Express welcomed us (but without the long desired 3 point pin point: such was the strawloss-work we suffered) it was a race against time before we settled to talking of Nestorianism and Docetism and kenosis and Philippians 2:99 for want of the nail of electricity. For those of you scratching your Bible Indexes at this juncture, it's a kind of ice-cream theology: gentle reader, allow me to explain.
We imitate our Lord by emptying the Chocolate Glory dish (yes - there is one called that on the Pz. Ex. menu), yet we retain our glass bowl - we do not cling to equality with the cook - and take the nature of a customer, being found in hungry likeness, and humbling ourselves to sharing one portion between two spoons, and being obedient until the last jot and tittle of chocolate sauce has gone. Even scraping the dish.
I'm thinking through that analogy and am a little bit puzzled. Probably another triumph for Comedy over Theology. I haven't kept tabs on the score but PERHAPS I SHOULD! Judgement day ready reckoner - available to buy now (confessional version) or pay and pay and pay later ( !)
"Clearly."
0037hours
Christ the King feast with Indomitable de Nordwall is very close so perhaps it's Nod time here at St Anthony's Harpertage, Lavender Cross, Nodnol.
Sleeeeeeeeep!
(We also did Joseph; good old-fashioned '70s fun!)
Margate by 1045am today, for Father Eric Mead's funeral at St Anne's Cliftonville. 700? maybe 800? attended. Archbishop Peter very sensible; although less sensible was His Grace's car being stuck in the depths of the car park. In ironic celebration of deceased Father's dislike of the place, Mum and I proceeded by Hyundai to The Turner Contemptible Gallery, hard by the seaweed beds of Margate harbour. Ah yes! My nose remembers it well. The only sulphury whiff of the day, please God.
Gallery really very good (sorry dear Fr.E. and gentle Barnarnaby) and they've added to the somewhat slender collection every visit I've made. Rodin's The Kiss, from the Tate, is quite superb, especially framed by the giant sunset window and the sea, the sea, the shimmering selerous sea.
The Contemptible had me thinking of our TFoTS rendez-vous lunch this summer bank holiday, when Aviary and Lulu plus Barackananaby arrived a la Margate to meet the gathered Bonet plus Mum and me there, and unwrap the plan of our crazy 2 days of playing and eating and firework watching and pool-playing and late- night-staying-upping and sandy-beach-swimming and how over those few days, dear General Leah Goodtime was persuaded that Gulliver Nibble was added to the Tracey Emin's tent adornment dictionary of conquests and conquerors. Yahoo!
Met with Joey Draycott in The Strand yesterthursereve at 9pm after a 30 minute rehearsal (andamadasaharperdashacrossthetubeandthenthebridgebacktoclappers) for Sunday at HTCC at Suzie McKinnes' friend Suzie's house (plus a harperharmer lookalike - Bob - on bass.) Joey and I just about sorted Friday's concert programme and got busy with the pencil and the hymn sheet solo allocation. Dear Milo Blackley's very kindly donated Apple G4 very unkindly alloweth a mere 21 minutes of working time away from the plugpoint; so upon our being summarilary kicked out of the nethergatury regions of Leon at 2300h, and the welcome through the Pearly Gates of Pizza Express welcomed us (but without the long desired 3 point pin point: such was the strawloss-work we suffered) it was a race against time before we settled to talking of Nestorianism and Docetism and kenosis and Philippians 2:99 for want of the nail of electricity. For those of you scratching your Bible Indexes at this juncture, it's a kind of ice-cream theology: gentle reader, allow me to explain.
We imitate our Lord by emptying the Chocolate Glory dish (yes - there is one called that on the Pz. Ex. menu), yet we retain our glass bowl - we do not cling to equality with the cook - and take the nature of a customer, being found in hungry likeness, and humbling ourselves to sharing one portion between two spoons, and being obedient until the last jot and tittle of chocolate sauce has gone. Even scraping the dish.
I'm thinking through that analogy and am a little bit puzzled. Probably another triumph for Comedy over Theology. I haven't kept tabs on the score but PERHAPS I SHOULD! Judgement day ready reckoner - available to buy now (confessional version) or pay and pay and pay later ( !)
"Clearly."
0037hours
Christ the King feast with Indomitable de Nordwall is very close so perhaps it's Nod time here at St Anthony's Harpertage, Lavender Cross, Nodnol.
Sleeeeeeeeep!
Thursday, 17 November 2011
1845hours... Newton's Nest with Joel Evans
Tonight's rehearsal for Connect at Holy Trinity Clapham Common this Sunday is located about 400 yards from the front door of the St Anthony's Harpertage, although it will mean returning Sarf from Newton's Nest and 'over the Battersea to home.' Doubtless it will be a world away from both, despite geographical proximity...
Joel and I are holed up on the fourth floor of our Belgravia Office suite. The screens of trading figures are flickering in the half light as I type my blog and he is busy slaying Russians - I lie! Master of the Universe Andreth McNewton has temporarily finished his deals for the day and is probably down at the pub sinking a Magnum of Krystal Kola (no ice please; mate, I said NO ICE PLEASE!) The tunes are pumping here while the landlord's out swapping short selling tips with the barmaid of the Duke of Wellington. I suppose he might be on the phone to his tailor or turning keys in church locks at St Michael's Chester Square.
Time for the 2nd of my 4 bridge crossings of the day - deo volunte, as it says we should qualify even our 21st certainties in the book of James the knobbly kneed. (Through prayer apparently - Camel Knees was his kneekname.) I'm sure Andreth McNewton would agree in theory, as would every honest fund master and Universe Manager.
Joel and I are holed up on the fourth floor of our Belgravia Office suite. The screens of trading figures are flickering in the half light as I type my blog and he is busy slaying Russians - I lie! Master of the Universe Andreth McNewton has temporarily finished his deals for the day and is probably down at the pub sinking a Magnum of Krystal Kola (no ice please; mate, I said NO ICE PLEASE!) The tunes are pumping here while the landlord's out swapping short selling tips with the barmaid of the Duke of Wellington. I suppose he might be on the phone to his tailor or turning keys in church locks at St Michael's Chester Square.
Time for the 2nd of my 4 bridge crossings of the day - deo volunte, as it says we should qualify even our 21st certainties in the book of James the knobbly kneed. (Through prayer apparently - Camel Knees was his kneekname.) I'm sure Andreth McNewton would agree in theory, as would every honest fund master and Universe Manager.
When Santa got stuck up the chimney
It's Willow Nursery Christmas Play rehearsal time; the Willow Nursery Staff choir, ably assisted by the Munchkin Chorus have been getting some pre-advent Christmas carol singing in, in an-ti-ci-pation of the annual presentation of the Greatest Story Ever Told. I bet Cecil B wouldn't have had a St Joseph eating-a cake–story–sideline.
"Pat a cake pat a cake baker's man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Pat it and prick it and mark it with J
Put in the oven for Joseph today"
DON'T GO THERE!
Autumn is really autumning here on Clapham North-of–Northside; I stretched my legs across the Common yesterday morning and had a lovely leaf-furrowing time. I thought of the November All Soul's for obvious reasons: I read somewhere that as many people have ever lived and died as are currently alive today. 7 billion leaves is a lot by anyone's standards: I mean I suppose it's a lot - that's one of those google questions probably better left unasked, viz: how many leaves on a Clapham Common Plane tree? How many trees would you need for 7 billion leaves?
Jack wrote that Autumn was the best season - whilst being fully aware that the season of Heaven is Spring. He was also a big fan of old age for the same reasons, although at 64 he was rather more Saga than gaga when he died, the other two ages of the British being Lager and Aga. (Got that one off a post-card at Nancy McNeil's, although it wasn't originally referring to the writer of TLTWATW, obviously!) I guess there's some funny pun version there on English Literature Dons with a passion for Anglo-Saxon and contemporary pop artists although not sure how to adapt the age of Lager to the senescence of Sherry.
There's not enough time to do everything! Does anyone else feel that????
Virge noticed my breakfast at Cafe Nero this morning when we bumped into each other at Georgie's pastry counter and comment filtered back to the corridors of the Willow along the lines of "was it a heavy night last night Justin then?" OK, it was 2 croissants and a fruit salad and a limonata: but the coffee was just a hot water and the headache wasn't from imbibing. Honest!
Just heard from writing buddy at Sloe Solutions; Liz Cole is somehow managing to hold down a serious Munchkin Management position at the global leader in the Sloe gin industry while churning out 27000 words so far of a national novel writing month effort.
"Pat a cake pat a cake baker's man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Pat it and prick it and mark it with J
Put in the oven for Joseph today"
DON'T GO THERE!
Autumn is really autumning here on Clapham North-of–Northside; I stretched my legs across the Common yesterday morning and had a lovely leaf-furrowing time. I thought of the November All Soul's for obvious reasons: I read somewhere that as many people have ever lived and died as are currently alive today. 7 billion leaves is a lot by anyone's standards: I mean I suppose it's a lot - that's one of those google questions probably better left unasked, viz: how many leaves on a Clapham Common Plane tree? How many trees would you need for 7 billion leaves?
Jack wrote that Autumn was the best season - whilst being fully aware that the season of Heaven is Spring. He was also a big fan of old age for the same reasons, although at 64 he was rather more Saga than gaga when he died, the other two ages of the British being Lager and Aga. (Got that one off a post-card at Nancy McNeil's, although it wasn't originally referring to the writer of TLTWATW, obviously!) I guess there's some funny pun version there on English Literature Dons with a passion for Anglo-Saxon and contemporary pop artists although not sure how to adapt the age of Lager to the senescence of Sherry.
There's not enough time to do everything! Does anyone else feel that????
Virge noticed my breakfast at Cafe Nero this morning when we bumped into each other at Georgie's pastry counter and comment filtered back to the corridors of the Willow along the lines of "was it a heavy night last night Justin then?" OK, it was 2 croissants and a fruit salad and a limonata: but the coffee was just a hot water and the headache wasn't from imbibing. Honest!
Just heard from writing buddy at Sloe Solutions; Liz Cole is somehow managing to hold down a serious Munchkin Management position at the global leader in the Sloe gin industry while churning out 27000 words so far of a national novel writing month effort.
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
A good friend of mine...
Tells me that he will be checking the previous Blog for corrected grammatical errors...
Dear John, I couldn't work out how to do that for all of them but managed to do so for one of 'em.
(Pace DLE and JCDF, JC, PH, RP; couldn't remember all the initials!)
Barnaby and I, we have been chatting about the programme for the Half Moon Pub on the 16th December.
He's probably doing 'Since you cared about me' and 'Gone are the days', plus one other. I've agreed to practise 'Leonard Cohencidence' and 'The Turkey Messiah' ("Cancel Christmas, Thanksgiving over; Bernard Matthews' death was a Jackpot Rollover...")
Funeral today for Kay Williams at St Ann's: the first hymn seemed to slip off the radar - I'd been looking forward to For All the Saints particularly, but was upsterviced by Bryn and the CD player.
Chatting to JMB about the programme for the Mary Mag's Advent Carol service, and Richard Mogenfinch (real name Finchendorf, or is it Dorfenmog?) has asked me to play for a "Jazz singer" (!) on Friday at Push Studio in Dulwich. This could be very interesting. I do a kind of unreasonable impression of 'Jazz' at the best of times, and with a downhill key and a tune that's less than familiative one wonders if this is wise...
Father Christmas is due to put in an appearance at The Willow Nursery on Thursday December 15th. Last year he parked his bus pass/sleigh/Nelven line at Asda's spacious facility (plenty of room for "Every Little Helper"...) then bifocal-located for a quick change at Wandsworth Road's Baptist Church. I have been practising Giant laughter this year for Jack and the Beanstalk (www.4diospace.com or Amazon at some point; I think it's Nortoning soon) so FC is Reddy and Wassailing.
I don't think technology is very good for practising music time...
Tells me that he will be checking the previous Blog for corrected grammatical errors...
Dear John, I couldn't work out how to do that for all of them but managed to do so for one of 'em.
(Pace DLE and JCDF, JC, PH, RP; couldn't remember all the initials!)
Barnaby and I, we have been chatting about the programme for the Half Moon Pub on the 16th December.
He's probably doing 'Since you cared about me' and 'Gone are the days', plus one other. I've agreed to practise 'Leonard Cohencidence' and 'The Turkey Messiah' ("Cancel Christmas, Thanksgiving over; Bernard Matthews' death was a Jackpot Rollover...")
Funeral today for Kay Williams at St Ann's: the first hymn seemed to slip off the radar - I'd been looking forward to For All the Saints particularly, but was upsterviced by Bryn and the CD player.
Chatting to JMB about the programme for the Mary Mag's Advent Carol service, and Richard Mogenfinch (real name Finchendorf, or is it Dorfenmog?) has asked me to play for a "Jazz singer" (!) on Friday at Push Studio in Dulwich. This could be very interesting. I do a kind of unreasonable impression of 'Jazz' at the best of times, and with a downhill key and a tune that's less than familiative one wonders if this is wise...
Father Christmas is due to put in an appearance at The Willow Nursery on Thursday December 15th. Last year he parked his bus pass/sleigh/Nelven line at Asda's spacious facility (plenty of room for "Every Little Helper"...) then bifocal-located for a quick change at Wandsworth Road's Baptist Church. I have been practising Giant laughter this year for Jack and the Beanstalk (www.4diospace.com or Amazon at some point; I think it's Nortoning soon) so FC is Reddy and Wassailing.
I don't think technology is very good for practising music time...
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Concerts; Info changed 2/12/12
I've got a few concerts coming up and thought of keeping a Blog for people to look at.
Yes, this is kind of an invite and an advert, not too much subversion or aversion and hopefully no perversion or inversion; probably more extroversion than introversion.
"CLEARLY..."
As a good friend of mine often says; many will know who I mean... well relatively many.
(Can anyone tell me a good reply to that please: I've often searched for one.)
Medici Choir 60th Anniversary Concert: St Sepulchre without Newgate,
7pm Saturday 10th December 2011, (NB 7 pm). Music from J.S.Bach Christmas Oratorio, Mass in B minor, audience participation Carols. Conducted by John Baird with Medici Choir and Brandenburg Baroque soloists; I'm doing a couple of solos.
Tickets £12 on door, mulled wine/ mince pies. 10 Giltspur Street, London EC1A 9DE. St Paul's Tube or number 11 bus (presumably).
www.medicichoir.org
also...
Twas the month before Christmas... Advent Concert at St Ann's Kingston Hill,
7pm Friday 25th November 2011 (again NB 7pm). Music to include Vaughan-Williams, Herbert Howells, Palestrina, Bach, audience Advent Carols. Soprano and Bass (me) soloists plus Mike Cayton, Organ and the Schola Choir of Heythrop College conducted by Joey Draycott.
Tickets £5 on door, mulled wine/ mine pies. Nearest station is Norbiton then 85 bus (but you have to cut through the hospital to reach the stop). 85 also goes direct from Putney mainline or Kingston stations. Plenty of free parking at the church.
not forgetting...
Advent Sunday Carol service at St Mary Magdalene's Wandsworth Common,
5pm (I think!!!) 27th November 2011. Choir and solo items including Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came, Sleepers Wake, Adam Lay y' bounden etc.
Retiring Collection (almost certainly but not obligatory.)
Wandsworth Common station then 7 minute walk along Bellevue Road towards Trinity Road (left at the top.)
which leads me to my next point...
Charity Carol singing hosted by Holy Trinity Clapham Common, at the Sun Pub.
5pm-6pm Saturday 17th December 2011, The Pavement, (which is the street name) Clapham Common. I'm tickling those plastic ivories...
Clapham Common Tube or 137, 88, 35, 345 bus etc.
swiftly followed by...
Mary Magdalene's Wandsworth Common Christmas Carol Service, 5pm Sunday 18th December 2011
As above for travel.
of course there's also...
The Fellowship of the String is involved at The Half Moon Pub on Friday 16th December 2011.
Barnaby Hughes and I are doing a 20 minute set of original songs, some of which have been premiered at Literary Lunches at Terre di Sud this year. The pub's in Herne Hill: NOT LOWER RICHMOND ROAD and we're on "at some point" (whatever that means... probably after 8pm).THIS VENUE INFORMATION HAS CHANGED!
and...
Lucy Britton is singing with her choir Chantage at St James' Piccadilly at 7pm on Friday 9th December 2011 in a Christmas Concert. If you google them you'll see they are really excellent (BBC choir of the year a little while ago.) A few of us went to their poignant Remembrance Concert in the City last week; along with the fantastic Scottish actor reading Wilfred Owen they were the real highlight.
There is also...
Jesus Christ the Fullness of Life ecumenical service,
Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street W1, 730pm Thursday 1st December.
Peter Kingsley and various folk will be playing and leading a reflective service of words and music around the theme of God's Mercy. If you'd like to be involved in the music, do go along at 630pm beforehand. I'm not playing at this one on this occasion. There is usually something along these lines on the first Thursday of the month.
And closer to hand...
Christ the King, Holy Mass followed by reception.
Saturday 19th November at 6pm, at St Mary of the Angels, Ladbroke Grove. Music and words from Artists and Musicians from Sarah de Nordwall's Bard School.
or if you have some free Sunday time...
Connect Service at Holy Trinity Clapham Common, 530pm for 6pm, Sunday 20th December. This features doughnuts and Anglicharangelicalism plus yours truly on keyboards. There's another of these on Sunday 11th December.
and if you haven't made plans for Christmas...
I'm playing at St Ann's Kingston Hill on Christmas Eve for Midnight Mass and on the 25th December for the Mass at 1030am. If anyone would be interested in playing or singing with me that day (or the 24th) please let me know (you should get there for a rehearsal at 930am - there is NO public transport and taxi's are triple rate that day I think - I should have one booked from Lavender Hill and will have a Priest powered lift back to the same afterwards...)
Yes, this is kind of an invite and an advert, not too much subversion or aversion and hopefully no perversion or inversion; probably more extroversion than introversion.
"CLEARLY..."
As a good friend of mine often says; many will know who I mean... well relatively many.
(Can anyone tell me a good reply to that please: I've often searched for one.)
Medici Choir 60th Anniversary Concert: St Sepulchre without Newgate,
7pm Saturday 10th December 2011, (NB 7 pm). Music from J.S.Bach Christmas Oratorio, Mass in B minor, audience participation Carols. Conducted by John Baird with Medici Choir and Brandenburg Baroque soloists; I'm doing a couple of solos.
Tickets £12 on door, mulled wine/ mince pies. 10 Giltspur Street, London EC1A 9DE. St Paul's Tube or number 11 bus (presumably).
www.medicichoir.org
also...
Twas the month before Christmas... Advent Concert at St Ann's Kingston Hill,
7pm Friday 25th November 2011 (again NB 7pm). Music to include Vaughan-Williams, Herbert Howells, Palestrina, Bach, audience Advent Carols. Soprano and Bass (me) soloists plus Mike Cayton, Organ and the Schola Choir of Heythrop College conducted by Joey Draycott.
Tickets £5 on door, mulled wine/ mine pies. Nearest station is Norbiton then 85 bus (but you have to cut through the hospital to reach the stop). 85 also goes direct from Putney mainline or Kingston stations. Plenty of free parking at the church.
not forgetting...
Advent Sunday Carol service at St Mary Magdalene's Wandsworth Common,
5pm (I think!!!) 27th November 2011. Choir and solo items including Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came, Sleepers Wake, Adam Lay y' bounden etc.
Retiring Collection (almost certainly but not obligatory.)
Wandsworth Common station then 7 minute walk along Bellevue Road towards Trinity Road (left at the top.)
which leads me to my next point...
Charity Carol singing hosted by Holy Trinity Clapham Common, at the Sun Pub.
5pm-6pm Saturday 17th December 2011, The Pavement, (which is the street name) Clapham Common. I'm tickling those plastic ivories...
Clapham Common Tube or 137, 88, 35, 345 bus etc.
swiftly followed by...
Mary Magdalene's Wandsworth Common Christmas Carol Service, 5pm Sunday 18th December 2011
As above for travel.
of course there's also...
The Fellowship of the String is involved at The Half Moon Pub on Friday 16th December 2011.
Barnaby Hughes and I are doing a 20 minute set of original songs, some of which have been premiered at Literary Lunches at Terre di Sud this year. The pub's in Herne Hill: NOT LOWER RICHMOND ROAD and we're on "at some point" (whatever that means... probably after 8pm).THIS VENUE INFORMATION HAS CHANGED!
and...
Lucy Britton is singing with her choir Chantage at St James' Piccadilly at 7pm on Friday 9th December 2011 in a Christmas Concert. If you google them you'll see they are really excellent (BBC choir of the year a little while ago.) A few of us went to their poignant Remembrance Concert in the City last week; along with the fantastic Scottish actor reading Wilfred Owen they were the real highlight.
There is also...
Jesus Christ the Fullness of Life ecumenical service,
Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street W1, 730pm Thursday 1st December.
Peter Kingsley and various folk will be playing and leading a reflective service of words and music around the theme of God's Mercy. If you'd like to be involved in the music, do go along at 630pm beforehand. I'm not playing at this one on this occasion. There is usually something along these lines on the first Thursday of the month.
And closer to hand...
Christ the King, Holy Mass followed by reception.
Saturday 19th November at 6pm, at St Mary of the Angels, Ladbroke Grove. Music and words from Artists and Musicians from Sarah de Nordwall's Bard School.
or if you have some free Sunday time...
Connect Service at Holy Trinity Clapham Common, 530pm for 6pm, Sunday 20th December. This features doughnuts and Anglicharangelicalism plus yours truly on keyboards. There's another of these on Sunday 11th December.
and if you haven't made plans for Christmas...
I'm playing at St Ann's Kingston Hill on Christmas Eve for Midnight Mass and on the 25th December for the Mass at 1030am. If anyone would be interested in playing or singing with me that day (or the 24th) please let me know (you should get there for a rehearsal at 930am - there is NO public transport and taxi's are triple rate that day I think - I should have one booked from Lavender Hill and will have a Priest powered lift back to the same afterwards...)
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