Sunday 18 June

Exams all week, and I feel intellectually exhausted. The Theoretical Woodwork paper was awful. We hadn’t been taught anything about the Deathwatch Beetle, and I blame the educational system in which I am a mere cog, also our woodwork teacher, Simon, who I have to say has not really had his mind on the job since he started going out with Miss Smith from Science. I think that I, having a Profession, am more mature than some of my school friends, and I do notice things, such as Romance in the Air. Luckily we do not have such things as Romance in the Air in church, at least not in my church, where it would be a most unseemly distraction as well as being prohibited in most of the Books of the Old Testament, at least the ones I have read so far.

I’m afraid I was not up the challenges of the Task this morning, so as soon as Mum had gone to church I put the Bible away and read a few chapters of my James Bond book instead, the one I hide under the bed.

I have become so used to not playing the organ on a Sunday that it will seem very strange indeed when the task is completed and I return to my duties and everything goes back to normal.

Sunday 11 June

Disaster - I’d just started work when I had a migraine so Mum packed me off to bed in a darkened room. She says I am working too hard.

When she got back from Church she said it was a good job I wasn’t there. The relief organist has brought a lot more people for the choir, apparently. They must have brought all their fans and mums and dads and grannies along as well, Mum said, because the church was nearly full and she and Mrs Ramsbotham had a heated argument with some complete strangers who tried to sit in their seats! But the collection was nearly double, she said, so it might be worth my trying* again to get the money back for that notebook. It is just a matter (said Mum) of catching the Treasurer off-guard when she is in a good mood. Though, church finances being what they are, I imagine that that is seldom.

*another Gerund!

Sunday 4 June

The Psalms are indeed a gold mine! Cymbals this morning! The list is beginning to look quite impressive. I had no idea there was so much music about in those far-off days of BC.

My pay cheque arrived (£4.00), so all is well. And the Vicar phoned to ask how the Task was coming along, and he was delighted when I told him the results of my researches so far. He said they were just about coping without me, but I wasn’t to rush things.

Sunday 28 May

Two more this morning – Dulcimer and Psaltery! I foresee the Psalms’ being very fruitful (we did Gerunds in English on Friday. Little did I realise how useful the Gerund could be to a Writer, even if only of a private diary!)

Mum said the relief organist was there again, and my Vicar was talking to him after the service. I bet the Vicar was telling him off for being too loud.

I’m due to be paid this week. I hope the Vicar remembers his promise, for he is new, after all. He mustn’t let the PCC bully him. I am on his side as I know he is on mine.

Tuesday 23 May

My Vicar passed on a strange letter from a visitor from New Zealand who was in church on Sunday, congratulating me on a fine performance of “the Messiaen.” I wrote a very stiff letter back saying he must have been mistaken – I was at home working on my Task. I also pointed out that in England we spell “Messiah” a different way, and it certainly does not take the definite article (a common mistake made by people who do not know any better.)

Sunday 21 May

An exciting morning! First I found Timbrel, and five minutes later I found Shawm! The pace is certainly hotting up!

A relief organist played this morning, Mum says. Mum didn’t like it. It was all very fast and very loud and it gave her a headache when she was trying to talk to Mrs Ramsbotham while they were waiting for the service to start. Mum said they almost had to shout to hear each other!

Sunday 14 May

I’ve finished Genesis and so far my list reads: “Harp. Lyre. Organ. Tabret (unless Tabret is a misprint for Tablet). Trumpet.” It is a very encouraging start, although my eyes hurt a little with all the small print.

I was very interested to read about Jubal, who was also an organist, like me. He probably only played a single-manual organ, not a two-manual organ like mine, but such is progress. The Bible doesn’t say where he played, but it was probably not in church, which hadn’t been invented in those far-off days. I don’t think the Cinema had, either, so it was probably the theatre organ that he played when those people of very long ago went out for the evening to see a good play (it was before the days of Television, remember.) Or I suppose he might have played in his local Synagogue (I bet he never had to play Amazing Grace, though!)

Jubal was obviously a very accomplished musician, for not only did he play the Organ, but the Harp as well! Mind you, if the pay for playing the organ at his local Synagogue was as lousy as it is for playing in church in Modern times, he probably had to play the harp at parties to earn an extra shekel or two, the organ being obviously far too big an instrument to lug round to parties, even a single-manual one.

They still couldn’t get a proper organist (or even a harpist) for church today, Mum says. But someone offered to play the guitar and everybody sang one of those things where people jump up and down and wave their hands about. I’m glad I was not there.

Sunday 7 May

It was a little strange this morning, not sitting at my console and glaring at the choir as is my custom on the Sabbath. But I have started the task, and already, glancing at random through Holy Scripture, I have discovered the Trumpet. I have bought a small notebook to record the page numbers in my Bible where musical instruments are mentioned, and I have entered TRUMPET on the top line of Page 1. I didn’t realise I was supposed to keep the receipt if I wanted to claim for the notebook, but I’ll know better next time, if my researches require a second. I don’t mind helping my Church with its funding so I haven’t made a big fuss about it. Mum seemed quite pleased when I told her, and she made me a big cooked breakfast, which was nice (though unexpected.)

They did the service without organ this morning. Apparently the choir sang something and then they sang something else. But as you know I have as little to do with the choir as possible.

Wednesday 3 May

My new Vicar set me a task the other day. “Barry”, he said, “I could do with an list of all the musical instruments mentioned in the Bible. It is for an sermon. I have consulted various Concordances, but I fear they might be a little out of date. You, being a musician as well as an organist, are ideally placed to assist me in this matter.”

My bosom swelled with pride, I don’t mind admitting. True, it will be a wrench, for he insisted that I take the next few Sundays off my organ duties – on full pay – so that this additional task does not interfere with my very important GCSE homework. I am doing woodwork and IT to improve my Career Prospects in case I decide against going into Church Organisting as a full-time occupation, and my music teacher says she thinks it is a very wise decision.