The wandering organist

Well, not quite, in fact that headline contains about as much truth as a tabloid red-top article. The badge However, the Bishop of Portsmouth did - in effect - cancel the Choral Evensong planned for Pentecost at the Church of the Holy Spirit, Southsea, by scheduling the presentation of the first ever St Thomas Awards in Portsmouth Diocese on the evening of Pentecost at 6pm. My friend, Philip Drew, was one of the first 12 to receive one of these, and over 30 people from his church went along to see him receive it. Post-service, just before the bun-fight Very pleased that Philip should have this, well-deserved. Not eating, talking! Choral evensong resumes on 5th June with Walford Davies' Chant Service setting.

The lack of the fine organ in Finedon was the only regret. It was lovely. Path from gate to the North Door . A fine day, lovely weather, and up to 23 C. Only days ago it was 8 C. The organ behaved itself, as did the electricity supply, and a nice, very ordinary parish eucharist was celebrated. The only thing of note was that a bee landed on Revd Bucqué and seems to try to have some fun with the wireless microphone she was wearing. Nothing else to report. Just have a couple of photographs. I am so lucky to live so close to such lovely countryside. View of Lych gate towards the Downs Tree in blossom

It's 6:40pm and I've taken my pullover off, it still smells of the incense at this morning's service. Feast of Title fo r St James' North Lancing , so they pushed the (incense) boat out. Heaven knows how the choir sang, they were disappearing behind the cloud of holiness at the high altar. One of the choir had his surplice on back-to-front. And the organ greeted me in its usual way, when I switched it on, with a careful "parp" from 8' C on the Swell Cromorne. One day it will just carry on, not just the little 1-second musical fart. Looking in the tuning book, the chest is inaccessible for maintenance so when notes stick on, the tuner just slips something under the pipe to stop it sounding. But the thurifer certainly made sure we were in the odour of sanctity today. The bipolar cherry tree was in blossom again. Someone stuck a twig from a different tree into a crack, so it now produces blossoms of two colours. Rather nice. Photograph copyright (c)