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.