Last week? Oh heavens, I can't remember what the outgoing voluntary was for 23rd May. How embarrassing! (Normally the choir can see me jotting down what I've played in a little blue notebook. I must have been in too much of a hurry to escape the organ stool and supervise Small Fry. I think it was a Soldiers' Chorus from a 19th century opera. Maybe it'll come back to me later ...)

I can tell you that before the service you heard "O for the wings of a dove" by Mendelssohn, "Serenata" by Sanderson, and "The strife is o'er", by Rawsthorne. The offering was the "All creatures great and small" theme by Pearson.

Today, 30th May 2004, is Pentecost. I played "Blue haze", by Rosalie Bonighton, then Verdi's "Anvil Chorus". That was buoyant enough to prepare everyone for the introit, "Dance with the Spirit" - with Helen on the violin, and Colin and Jamie playing cello. Another debut, certainly for Jamie. I haven't been at Killermont long enough to know if Colin has played for us before. And thanks to John for managing the mike for us, too!

The choir anthem, "Every time I feel the Spirit", went with a bang - I was proud of them.

To keep the theme going, I played "Free the Spirit" by Timothy Blinko during the communion. I love that piece! Must look out some more Blinko music.

And after the service, you heard the eighth of Bach's Eight Short Preludes and Fugues.

Saturday afternoon - time for the stress levels to start rising as I contemplate letting my sons loose on Killermont tomorrow. For a long time I endured constant headaches (no, I can't blame that on Killermont) - now they've abated, thankfully, but you can be sure that my head will be throbbing by 9.30 am tomorrow! No.2 son is away at a friend's house. No.1 son has been warned to keep an eye on no.3. No.3 has been told that he mustn't run, mustn't shout, mustn't barge into grown-ups, must watch where he's going at all times, apologise if he should accidentally bump into anyone - and ANY collisions will mean no swimming on Sunday afternoon. Call it a Victorian revival. Except they wouldn't have gone swimming on a Sunday. Ah, well.

16th May - before the service, you heard Solemn melody by Walford Davies. During the offering, it was Nessun dorma, by Puccini. You went out (believe it or not) to Jurassic Park, by John Williams. Never let it be said that I don't try to reach out to the younger members of the congregation.

Talking of whom ... my profound apologies to anyone that my youngest son barged into after worship last Sunday. He is told, repeatedly, not to run and shout when grown-ups are about. I am very sorry that two ladies found it necessary to comment on his appalling manners, which obviously reflect badly on me and on his upbringing. And I can only promise that I will continue to teach him better manners - as I do, though some must find it hard to believe. I'll warn his brothers to try to calm him down if he appears too over-excited. You will appreciate that until I have tidied up my music and closed the organ, I can't be there in the corridor to keep an eye on him.

9th May - Youth Service at Killermont. What with the band - the saxes and flutes and drums and guitars and so on - your poor organist began to feel decidedly - well, CONVENTIONAL!

What could I do to make it better? Well, I played some bluesy music before the service - Prelude in blue, by Blinko, and then The good news, by Simon Lesley. I thought the choir contributions ought to be up-beat too, so we played the "Vicar of Dibley" theme tune, The Lord is my shepherd (by Goodall). I'm not alone in having a great affection for the Vicar of Dibley - my heroine!

And a STAR is born. Our minister's middle boy made a triumphant debut in the choir recessional - Oh when the saints (in the McAulay arrangement) - as a new arrival in the saxophone section. Well done, Gavin.

The outgoing organ voluntary was Marche in F major by Lefebure-Wely. Not modern, not blues or rock or anything else - just good, triumphant organ music. And why not?

25th April - I played Cumbrae Cottage by Eric Rice (see my previous posting), before the service. During the offering I played an organ arrangement of "O Master let me walk with thee", by John Barr (from Church windows : a suite for organ).

The outgoing voluntary was the March from Aida, by Verdi.

2nd May - before the service you heard Marche Romaine, by Gounod, and Elevation, by Boellmann. Then I played "The dark island" as the choir came in.

The offering was John Williams' Schindler's list theme, and the outgoing voluntary was by popular juvenile request - the Star Wars theme, again by John Williams.

9th May - it hasn't even happened yet! Prepare yourselves to sing "Daniel was a man of prayer". We started it last week - but that was just the beginning. Tomorrow's service is a youth service, so here's hoping it all goes triumphantly well.