the next few days are likely to be busy so I thought I’d get started now. Since the last post I had Thursday off. I spent some of the time updating the blog and answering emails. I was happy also to find my mum at home  and to Skype her and another brother, Pete.

I also tried to sort my plans for my time in UK. I had been concerned that my tenant would only be available to meet on the Sunday so I contacted the agents to arrange a time to gain entry to my house. It now looks as though this might be possible. This will mean that I probably won’t manage to spend a Sunday Mass at St Marie’s Cathedral but that might be for the better from what I hear!

On Friday I was in the office at midday, working till 5pm and then joining members of the choir for a dinner invitation. It was a lovely time and the food was wonderful.

On Saturday I went into the office at 10am and then had a rehearsal with visiting musicians for a wedding at 1.30pm. It is always tricky when a wedding takes place in a church that has been chosen for its venue rather than being where folk worship. Even the musicians were drafted in. Inevitably there were oversights (my fee! and Eucharistic acclamations) but in the end all was fine but nobody sang … it was more like a concert!

An hour after the wedding celebration ended I was back for the weekend Vigil Masses. I admit to feeling tired.

For some reason I did not sleep well during the night so I was a little worried about how things would go. In the vent they went fine. we are in the silly season so some of the Cantors were away so I had to Cantor and play for the 7.30am and 7pm. However other Cantors stepped into the breach and all went well. I was particularly pleased that after the 11am Choir Mass one man (an ex-choir member whose absence was due to his wife’s serious illness) who came up to tell me that the choir was the best he had heard it.

It was sad to say a temporary farewell to a few singers who would be elsewhere for Christmas. I walked away with some Christmas cookies and some Belgian chocs … yummy!

During the afternoon I retired home to sleep a while. After only 30 minutes I was awoken by one of our priests who wanted a brief chat. 45 minutes later it was almost time to consider leaving to return to church for the evening Mass!

Today, Monday, I had a good chat with Paul Inwood a prominent liturgical musician in UK and also managed to sort a few Christmas presents. I spent the afternoon which turned out warm (84F) at the beach. By sunset the bar beckoned and I was happy to bump into friends Brenda and Ray whom I had not seen for a while.