On the 6th November, the Band played. (As it happened, I was in Manchester at a research conference. I delivered my paper, answered questions, went for coffee - and as I glanced at my watch, realised gleefully that I was actually getting it before the rest of you for once, since it still wasn't quite 11 o'clock!)

Which brings me to day, 13th November. Remembrance Sunday.

Before the service, you heard 'Romance', from The Gadfly (Shostakovich), then 'Beautiful Isle of Somewhere' (J. S. Fearis) - guess who has been purchasing new music? During the offering, I played the celebrated 'Adagio' by Samuel Barber. It has particularly come to prominence since the 7/11 disaster. The outgoing voluntary was 'Spitfire', by William Walton.

To adhere to the Remembrance Sunday theme, the Choir sang the Kyrie and Sanctus from 'Mass: The armed man', by Karl Jenkins. The music is atmospheric - very appropriate for the occasion. But I have to say that 'The armed man' is a fifteenth century French chanson (L'homme arme), on which Jenkins based his mass. And that's the only connection with war! Be not deceived!

Our minister was warning us to Beware of false prophets, today. Was it purely coincidental that our neighbourhood suffered an attack of the Jehovah's Witnesses this afternoon? I did tell them to go away. I exercised self-control and kept my car-washing water bucket well away from them. However, I missed my chance to share Alan's comments with them, which was an opportunity wasted! (If interested, you might like to follow this link - it's by a Canadian professor who is no longer a Jehovah's Witness.)