Postscript

So, what is the outcome of all this research ?

My report to ALIA will give a detailed account of my findings and the reasoning behind my conclusions , but for now I would like to summarise what I know would be achievable.
As this was a study as to the feasability of the City of Sydney setting up a public music library , I am convinced that what I am going to recommend would be easily possible and extremely benficial to the cultural life of our city. (for numerous reasons which will be described in my report) If these recomendations are accepted , the City of Sydney would be the first local government authority in Australia to set up such a Library Service.

I would like to see a library attached to a performance space e.g. The City Recital Hall at Angel Place and consisting for the most part of on-line resources and equipment to use these resources , augmented by books, scores, and magazines and other services listed below as a approriate. I would not envisage there being a large CD collection as the concensus of opinion is that CDs are being phased out in favour of downloads (which, of course have to be paid for, the same as the CD ) Customers who now borrow CDs would be able to have the same access to downloads.

The public music libraries that I visited ,which were run by local government and attached to performance spaces , are

1. The Musikbibliotek at the Gavle konserthus http://www.gavlekonserthus.se/gk_musikbibliotek.php in Sweden
2. The City of London's Barbican Music Library http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ in The Barbican concert hall complex http://www.barbican.org.uk/music
3. ExploreMusic, http://www.asaplive.com/ExploreMusic/Home.cfm Gateshead Council's (UK) music information part of The Sage, Gateshead http://www.thesagegateshead.org/about/index.aspx

These libraries were most impressive and the information I gained from my visits will form the basis of my proposals . I will ,of course, be including ideas from all the other places I visited as to what will , or would not, be practicable for our purposes.
Each library contained a combination of online and hard copy resources are available for all to use and a team of music information experts ,to help with the use of resources, and to answer music queries either in person , by telephone or electronic media.

All are lending libraries and offered some ,or all ,of the following services

• Free internet access
• Access to specialist music websites including Grove Online, the Naxos library and more
• A comprehensive 'what’s on’ listing of music events, large and small,
• Up to date information about music tutors, courses, venues, instrument repair shops and more ...
• Music magazines - current issues and archives
• Music lending and reference books
• Scores of all kinds of music : popular music songbooks as well as operas, musicals, oratorios and other choral music, instrumental tutors, solo and chamber music and collections of miniature and full scores
• Recordings, on compact disc, cover most types of music including pop, jazz and blues, folk, film, musicals, country and western as well as a comprehensive range of classical music.
• Collection of audio and video recordings of recent live performances from various venues
• Music Software - Acid, Reason, Cubasis, Soundforge, Sibelius 2, Sibelius Instruments, Sibelius Compass & Tracker - plus 6 Midi keyboards to help you compose with these programmes
• Listening posts or listening booths
• DVD viewing station
• An electric piano available free of charge for practice purposes.
• Study desks, with power for laptop use
• Daily newspapers
• A Song Index -This is an index to sheet music anthologies of popular, jazz and folk songs, songs from musicals and films, classical songs and opera arias
• Comfy seating areas – sit, relax, listen, read, learn
• opening hours co-inciding with concert performances

The space required for setting up a library of this kind, especially with a limited CD collection would not be huge . I would see CD's collections being left in the other branches of the City of Sydney , as is done in Gateshead, except perhaps for CDs of performances of forthcoming musical programs.

So this is my dream ... to be able to give the citizens of Sydney the same musical opportunity through a music library service as residents of other world class cities. To quote a recent report by the United States National Governor's Association Centre for Best Practice "Using Arts and Culture to Stimulate State Economic Development "

'By investing in the arts and incorporating arts and culture into their economic development plans, states can reap numerous benefits -economic , social, civic and cultural -that help generate a more stable, creative workforce; new tourism and more liveable communities. '

'If we do not support our own culture , we impoverish the dreams and imagination of our children '

Tuesday, 23rd December

As I did not actually have Monday 22nd December , I will leave it out- let it suffice to say that we changed planes in Los Angeles with only a few minutes to spare , as a result of our delay getting out of Chicago. Sadly, I was reduced to 'cattle class' on this leg of the journey, but it wasn't too bad as I had the nice Greek/Canadian gentleman who had been in my row on the previous leg ,and a young Iranian/American girl seated next to me. They were coming for a short holiday. I slept a lot and caught glimpses of 'Mama Mia ' for the fourth time and woke up in time for breakfast and daylight as we came over the Australian continent.
Imagine my excitement as we flew over Botany Bay and into Sydney , which looked magnificent, despite a little bit of cloud. We landed just afte 8a.m.
Had no trouble with collecting luggage (although US customs , in their wisdom, had targetted my suitcase for inspection and broken the number locks , which renders them unusable- beware of this- I kept my suitcase unlocked on the way there as I had been warned, however I did not expect them to do this on the way out !) and Customs etc and was out of the airport and home before 9.30a.m. It all felt very strange after so long away, but I donned my warm weather clothes and headed off into the city to meet my friend and travel agent , Rose, for lunch and a glass of champagne (Aussie of course - they don't sell bubbly by the glass in the UK )
A fitting end to an incredible journey .
Thanks again to all those who helped to make my time away , especially in regard to my research project, such a success. It was lovely seeing all my friends again, too , but I won't be coming in winter again, as I am soooo over snow and luggage.
Now it is down to writing the report , but waiting till after the Christmas festivities and a break in Newcastle with my sister and her family before tackling anything too hard.
Back to work on January 5th , which is where I am now and have settled back into the routine of Glebe Library, and Glebe Village life, very happily. (However, my winter clothes are still in my suitcase , the clean ones i.e. -can't bear to look at them)
So this is the end of my blog for now ... hope to write all my thank you letters this weekend and then start writing my report.
Cheers everyone.

Saturday, 20th December

"In the bleak mid-winter, frosty wind made moan ...
Snow had fallen , snow on snow "
We attended the final two concerts for the Midwest Clinic in the morning and packed our bags ready to leave, after lunch, for the airport. The weather really was bad and they were warning people only to go out if they had to. However, the shuttle managed to get us safely to the airport for David to check in for his flight to Munich. then he helped me with my luggage to find the place for the shuttle to my nearby hotel the Hyatt Rosemont http://rosemont.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/ which I had got for $76US via www.hotwire.com
It was a lovely hotel, but I was feeling very sad at having to say goodbye to David and also strange because I was coming home the next day. My room was huge and the hotel had a nice coffee shop and restaurant with reasonably priced meals , which meant I did not have to go out. This was fortunate as there was nothing nearby and the place was covered in snow. After dinner I finally found something decent to watch on TV- a documentary on Pavarotti . However, every 15 minutes it was interspersed with a 10 minute advertisement break for the CD's and the DVD that everyone must have , so I got sick of it and went to sleep instead.
Slept in and checked out at 12noon in time for brunch and then to catch the shuttle back to the airport . Becasue I was a Star Alliance member I got priority security check-in and also my overweight luggage was allowed through . However, there was quite a bit of chaos at the gates with lots of changing , because planes were being delayed and diverted with the bad weather. The temperature outside ,with the wind chill factor, was minus 30 degrees F.
After waiting at two different gates , the third time I was lucky and my plane left only an hour late. As we boarded we had to be very careful not to stand in the tunnel between the plane and the terminal as thye were frightened of us freezing if we stood still for long.
I was very fortunate and found that my seat was in Premium Economy and so I had heaps more leg room and width. I had two very nice youg Canadian gentlemen siting next to me so the journey to LA was very pleasant and I got plenty of sleep. The bad thing was that United Airlines make everyone (even international passengers )pay for food on internal flights, so I had to spend my last $6 US to keep body and soul together.

Thurs 18th December and more

Yesterday afternoon and last night we continued on at the Conference , attending concerts etc.
WHY DOES the TALLEST PERSON in the WORLD ALWAYS SIT IN FRONT of ME ?
On Thursday afternoon we shopped for presents as bad weather was forecast again for Friday and they were right. It absolutely snowed and was bitterly cold , so we only went outdoors under sufferance to get lunch and dinner. There is a dearth of restaurants near the Hilton so we ended up eating at the same ones all the time - an Italian placed called BACCI for lunch and a Thai place in the evening.

Wednesday, 17th December

This was my day to visit the Chicago Public Library at the Harold Washington Center. It had snowed heavily overnight and my journey , yet again was precarious , but I made it , as fortunately the hotel was only a couple of blocks away.
The Chicago Public Library (CPL) is the public library system that serves the city of Chicago. With 10,745,608 volumes it is the largest library system in the Midwestern United States one of the largest public library systems in the United States, only behind the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, the Boston Public Library, and the university libraries of Harvard and Yale in size and scope. The Chicago Public Libraries currently consist of 79 branches including the central library, two regional libraries, and the numerous branches distributed equally throughout the city's North South and West sides.
In 1991, the Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago's new central library, named for the late mayor, opened to the public. It was the world's largest municipal public library at the time of its opening. http://www.chipublib.org/branch/details/library/harold-washington/

I was met by Greta Bever, Assistant Commissioner, Central Library Services,with whom I had corresponded, and she took me on a guided tour of this magnificent facility and introduced me to various appropriate staff on the way . Thank you, Greta (and your staff) for making me feel so welcome.

The library is approximately 756,640 square feet (70,294 m2) spread over 10 floors as follows :

• The lower level houses the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium, Multi-Purpose Room and Exhibit Hall.
• The central lobby is two stories tall. On the east side, the popular library is housed. Offers over 11,000 square feet of the newest books and a variety of formats. i.e.
  Books: More than 10,000 fiction and nonfiction books published within the last 24 months
  Video: A wide selection of video tapes and DVDs including children's videos
  Audio: Fiction and nonfiction, on audio cassette, compact disc and playaway

• The second floor houses the Thomas Hughes Children’s library. This area is 18,000sq feet There are child-sized chairs and tables, a computer center with twelve internet computers. (Children ages seven to fourteen may sign up to use the internet or the multimedia. Younger children must be accompanied by a responsible person. ) a parent center, a children's program room with puppet stage, and interesting displays,plus, a Storybook Dollhouse.The Children's Library contains a collection of more than 120,000 volumes .

• The third floor is the floor that is the entrance to the main library. The circulation desk, book check-in/check-out, periodicals, interlibrary loan and general information services department and computers for public use.
• The fourth floor holds the business, general sciences, and technology items.
• The fifth floor holds government publications, Chicago municipal references, maps, and center for the blind, visually impaired and physically disabled.
• The sixth floor holds social sciences and history resources.
• The seventh floor holds literature and language resources as well as a work by acclaimed Polish sculptor Jerzy Kenar.
• The eighth floor holds visual and performing arts resources, music practice rooms, and audio/visual rooms.
• The ninth floor holds the winter garden, which may be rented for social functions, special collection and preservation department, the Harold Washington archives and collections and exhibit halls. The Winter Garden is the architectural centerpiece of the Harold Washington Library Center. Located on the 9th floor, this elegant and spacious atrium features a terrazzo and marble floor and a 52-foot glass paneled dome that spans the entire room. The Winter Garden is the perfect setting for a wedding reception, corporate event, fundraiser, gala dinner, silent auction, or fashion show - wherever your imagination takes you! It is indeed a very beautiful space.
• The tenth floor is not open to the public. It houses library offices and technical services.

Of course, my particular interest was the eighth floor and I spent the most time there, although I was fascinated by the rest of the building and its services. However, you can read more about them on the website -just a few comments for now

• The library has 133 public access PC's and they use a system called Visionware which sets and manages appointments. There is a 10 minute grace period for users to keep their appointment. People are only allowed two appointments per day of one hour, however there is a 15 minute express service. There is a whole bank of printers near the desk, with numbered slots corresponding to the PC number. I met the Manager of this Department and it sounds as if PC users are the same the world over- need I say more.
• the Teen collection is called VOLUME
• The Business Dept runs forums on starting your own business and runs an annual Business Fair .
• There is an 'in -house " Professional Development Program especially for library staff called "Grow your own staff"
• the Library Service runs an extensive events program and is in partnership with many institutions and organisiations http://www.chipublib.org/eventsprog/programs/index.php

MUSIC .
Music dvds and cds which are for borrowing are in the Popular Library , downstairs.

The Art Information Center and the Music Information Center on the 8th floor together form the Visual and Performing Arts Department. The Department covers a broad range of subjects, including acting, architecture, art, collecting, crafts, dance, fashion history, film, music, radio, television and theater history. Periodicals, pictures, pamphlets, videos, recordings, and scores support and extend the Department's extensive book holdings. Current and retrospective periodicals and annuals include complete runs of many titles, frequently in their original format. Printed and electronic periodical indexes provide access. There are two information desks on this floor- one especially dedicated to music and staffed by specialised music librarians and clerical staff of which there are 12-15 in the dept. Each librarian has a different collection area of responsibility.
The special strengths of the music collection lie in popular music, jazz, blues, gospel, the business of music, discography, and music therapy.
Music Recordings: A significant collection of recordings in a variety of formats from 78 RPM to CDs has been developed for research and use in the Library's Listening/Viewing Center. Among them are tapes of New Music Chicago, an annual festival of new works; the Come For To Sing recorded interviews of folk musicians; the Charles A. Sengstock Chicago Dance Band Collection; the Frank McNulty/WLS-TV Collection; and Dick Buckley's Archives of Recorded Jazz series. The Central Library's collection of circulating LPs is found here. Circulating CDs are located in the Popular Library on the first floor.
Scores: Performance scores from instrumental solos to full orchestral parts are available for loan or in-house use, as are instrumental methods, technique books, works of musical comedy and popular music, and a substantial collection of musical monuments and composer-collected works. A collection of sheet music in original covers dating from 1830 to the present is offered for in-house use.
Balaban and Katz Theater Orchestra Collection/WGN Radio Music Library: Stock dance band arrangements, orchestrations of popular classics, orchestrated music for silent films, and sheet music from the libraries of the great Chicago movie palaces. Supplemented by arrangements for jazz orchestras and combos of popular used in the 1950s and 1960s, when WGN maintained a live studio orchestra. Most of the arrangements are in manuscript. Chicago Blues Archives: Recordings, documents, photos, videos, magazines, and manuscripts.
Jubilee Showcase: The Historic Award-winning Gospel Program: "Music Which Both Entertains and Inspires." Video programs from Chicago's longest running program featuring America's greatest gospel artists, including many of Chicago's finest singers, musicians and choral groups.

Jussi Bjorling Audio Archives: A nearly comprehensive collection of sound and video material on the famed Swedish tenor who frequented Chicago.

Made in Chicago Collection: Recordings and publications made in or by Chicago artists. Includes tapes of radio station WYTZ's Beat of Chicago program highlighting local bands.
Martin & Morris Gospel Sheet Music Collection: Nearly the entire output of this landmark Chicago gospel publishing house founded by Kenneth Morris and Sallie Martin.
Stanley Paul Collection: The personal collection of nearly one- thousand show business, personality, and nostalgia LP record albums donated by Chicago’s renowned society bandleader and pianist. Publicity stills, reproductions of photographs, clippings, and other memorabilia used in the 2000 exhibit, "Stanley Paul: Stars in My Eyes," donated by Mr. Paul.Special Services
Corrine & Albert Pick Jr. Listening/Viewing Center (LVC) and Practice Rooms

The Listening/Viewing Center provides equipment for the playback of recording and video formats from the Division's collections. Use of the LVC is restricted to students and researchers.

A chamber rehearsal room, as well as six practice rooms furnished with pianos, is available. The practice rooms are equipped with playback equipment for the Department's large collection of music instruction materials. People who practice here often perform for the public.

I was introduced to the Events Manager, Christopher , who belongs to this department and kindly showed me around. He also invited me to stay for the day's event at 12noon in the foyer- a local school choir singing Christmas Carols - a fitting end to a most rewarding visit .

Tuesday, 16th December

Today the 5 day MIDWEST Clinic began www.midwestclinic.com and we attended a free breakfast for music directors (as David is one )
The reason for the Clinic's existence is for educational purposes exclusively i.e.

• to raise the standards of music education
• to improve the methods employed in music education; to develop new teaching techniques
• to disseminate to school music teachers, directors, supervisors, and others interested in music education, information to assist in their professional work;
• to examine, analyze and appraise literature dealing with music
• to hold clinics, lectures, and demonstrations for the betterment of music education
• in general, to assist teachers and others interested in music education in better pursuing their profession.

It has an annual attendance of 15,000 people made up of

• School Band and Orchestra Teachers
• Instrumental Music Administrators
• Professional Musicians
• Military Musicians and Conductors
• College and University Teachers, Students and Administrators
• Music Industry Representatives
• Composers and Arrangers
• Grade School and High School Music Students

350 Exhibitors and 565 booths. Of special interest to me were the producers of on-line resources , music publishers , music journals , which will be explained in more detail in my research report.
30 Concerts -Grade school, middle school, high school, college, military, adult, and professional groups all present concerts. The actual concerts I attended will also be listed in my report but I went to an average of three a day .
90 Clinics - More than seventy clinicians offer guidance and inspiration covering all facets of instrumental music. I attended three sessions on on-line resources.
All 50 states represented in attendance and representatives from more than thirty countries

Monday , 15th December

Up early and sadly had to leave our apartment as we were off to Chicago today.
We caught a taxi to the Port Authority bus station and despite our taxi driver not knowing where we were going, we finally made it $10 later. finding where the bus to La Guardia airport went from, was another small adventure which involved a guy grabbing my bag and taking it to the bus , much to my horror as now I would have to tip him. I gave him $1 as he carried it for all of 5 seconds and he said "Are you kidding, lady" to which I replied- NO , and jumped quickly onto the bus , after making sure my case was secure in the luggage compartment. David closely followed and we set off on what was an amusing journey, as the bus driver talked just about the whole way on his mobile phone to someone about his bathroom renovations . I never knew deciding whether to move a toilet or not, could be so complicated. But...
We had a relatively stress free check in and flight (at 12 noon) and and arrived safely at Chicago O'Hare airport with no dramas. Then we caught the shuttle bus to the City. Cheaper to buy a return for two- only $36 . By now the lousy exchange rate was starting to take its toll.
Got to the Hilton Chicago and Towers where the The Midwest Clinic, An International Band & Orchestra Conference held annually in Chicago was being held and where we were also staying..
www.midwestclinic.com/
Our room was small but very light and comfortable , so after settling in we went off and explored some of the shops we had discovered the last time we were there 6 years ago. i.e.
Chicago Architecture Foundation and the Symphony Center Store where The Chicago Symphony Orchestra performs . This is an extremely interesting shop. We spent time listening to music and looking at the gifts/music memorabilia. As I am thinking that a music library in a performance space should sell music souvenirs , this was time well spent.
The Midwest Clinic began on December 7, 1946, when approximately 120 directors from the Chicago area assembled in a YWCA gymnasium on Chicago’s West Side for a six-hour clinic and new music reading session. In 1947, the event was expanded to two days and moved to the Hotel Sherman to take advantage of the larger facilities and accommodations for out-of-town directors.Today, the Midwest Clinic continues to feature performances by outstanding organizations, but now every group that desires to perform must first apply to do so.
Over the years, the focus of the Midwest Clinic has remained on bringing music directors into contact with not only the best published music, but also with new and established teaching techniques, and the latest products and services for the music educator.
As it was very cold we did not venture far for dinner , but just ate dinner at a nearby Thai restaurant.

Sunday, 14th December

Went to the 11a.m. Choral Eucharist at SAINT THOMAS CHURCH FIFTH AVENUE http://www.saintthomaschurch.org/ Except for its length, Saint Thomas is of cathedral proportions, with the nave vault rising 95 feet above the floor. The church is built completely of stone, according to medieval construction principles, using load-bearing rib vaulting without the space-spanning benefits of steel. The size, spacing, and number of columns and arches are precisely what is necessary to support the structure - and give it the unique acoustical properties associated with churches built of the same materials and in the same way during the Middle Ages. Because much of the music presented in concert at Saint Thomas was composed for use in these churches - not in the concert hall - Saint Thomas Church provides an authentic space in which this music can be heard today. Add to the sound the sight of a magnificent Gothic interior and you have an experience that is hard to surpass in New York.


John Scott, Organist and Director of Music since 2004, is one of the world’s leading organists and choir trainers. After his initial musical training as a Cathedral chorister in Wakefield, Yorkshire, Mr. Scott immersed himself in organ and choral music, becoming Organ Scholar of St. John’s College, Cambridge. While still a student, he made his Royal Albert Hall debut as the youngest organ soloist to appear in the Proms.Upon leaving Cambridge, Mr. Scott was jointly appointed Assistant Organist at London’s two Anglican Cathedrals, St. Paul’s and Southwark. He subsequently became Sub-Organist of St. Paul’s, and served as Director of Music there for fourteen years before joining Saint Thomas Church as Director of Music. In 1998, he was nominated International Performer of the Year by the New York Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and is a frequent jury member of the world’s most prestigious organ competitions. Before embarking for his new post in New York, he was awarded the title Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO), a personal honor from Queen Elizabeth II.



David and I had met and sang under the direction of John Scott in Brisbane at a Royal School of Church Music Summer School , during the time he was at St Paul's. We were particularly excited to hear Frank Martin's acapella mass for double choir within the context of a service.
'One of the greatest a cappella works written this century'; so writes Gramophone's Marc Rochester in the sleeve note to this recording, and this is no exaggeration. Written in 1922, with a devastatingly effective Agnus Dei being added in 1926, Frank Martin's Mass for double choir is a truly wonderful work, combining intensely personal moments of religious contemplation with outbursts of overwhelming glory.

David had sung and and been in a recording of this with Canticum Chamber Choir Brisbane, Australia conducted by Music Director, Emily Cox. http://www.canticum.asn.au/ so we were familiar with the work . The Saint Thomas Choir of 12 men and about 30 boy choristers (who attend Saint Thomas Choir School, the only church-affiliated residential choir school in the United States, and one of only four such schools remaining in the world) is considered by critics to be the leading ensemble in the Anglican choral tradition in the United States, and among the finest in the world.. They certainly lived up to their reputation in this service .



We had to rush off after the service to have lunch back at the apartment and head off on a journey to the Cathedral of the Incarnation, Garden City, New York which involved taking the Long Island Rail Road "Hempstead Line" from Penn Station in Manhattan on 34th ST to the Garden City Station- a journey of about an hour and a half all up.

We were going to the Lessons & Carols for Christmas Service at 4p.m. as the former organ scholar at St Paul's Burwood and Christ Church St Laurence here in Sydney , Alistair 'Nipper' Nelson is the Associate Organist/Choirmaster .

Mr. Larry M. Tremsky, Canon Musician ,has been the Organist and Master of the Choirs at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City since July of 2000.

http://www.incarnationgc.org/cathedral_worship.html

Music has been an important part in the life of the Cathedral since its founding. They offer a thriving and varied choral program, a concert series, and the largest pipe organ on Long Island. http://www.incarnationgc.org/cathedral_worship.html

The Choir of Men & Boys, one of the few remaining in the United States and Canada, normally sings at the 11:15 Choral Eucharist, and was founded in 1883. The Cathedral Girls' Choir, made up of 26 girls, was founded in 1933 to offer girls the same opportunities for musical training and ministry as the boys have . The girls normally sing at the 9:30 Family Eucharist. The Schola Cantorum was established in 1998 to expand the repertoire available for the Girls’Choir to sing, and to give adult women an opportunity to participate regularly in the music ministry of the Cathedral. The Schola frequently joins with the girls for the 9:30 am service, and joins with the full choir for major events, such as this.

The service was wonderful, the choir magnificent and "Nipper" did us proud .(especially in his playing of Reger as the postlude)

The music included the following

Once in Royal David’s City

Philip Ledger -Sussex Carol

Frank Boles – Adam lay ybounden

Hymn – Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming

Robert Pearsall – In dulci jubilo

John Rutter – There is a flower

Hymn – O little town of Bethlehem

John Joubert – When Christ was born of Mary free

Sergei Rachmaninoff - Бoropoлицe Дeвo (Bogododitse Devo)

Max Reger – The slumber song of the Virgin

Peter Warlock – Bethlehem down

Hymn – A stable lamp is lighted

John Tavener – Today the Virgin

Hymn – Hark! The herald angels sing



Following the service we went to a reception in the undercroft and enjoyed the hospitality of the parishioners -good food and would you believe, Aussie wine !

Then we went out for a meal to a nearby Italian restaurant with Nipper and Larry and had a lovely time.

Nipper came back into Manhattan with us on the train to look at the Christmas lights in Times Square and the 'red stairs ' http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/nyregion/17tkts.html
By the time we got back to the apartment it was after 11p.m. but it had been a great day.

Saturday, 13th December

The day dawned sunny and clear and after breakfast we headed off towards the Upper West, our first stop being Carnegie Hall. We booked on a tour of this performance venue created by Andrew Carnegie , who also was a benefactor of libraries, amongst other things. The hour long tour was facinating and very worthwhile in helping to consolidate my thoughts on libraries and music .

http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/the_basics/art_overview.html

For music lovers worldwide, Carnegie Hall is the ultimate musical destination, an international byword for excellence, and an institution whose rich history chronicles the defining moments of so many of the world’s most admired and beloved artists. The largest hall at Carnegie Hall has been the premier classical music performance space in the United States since its opening in 1891, showcasing the world's greatest soloists, conductors, and ensembles.

The largest hall at Carnegie Hall has been the premier classical music performance space in the United States since its opening in 1891, showcasing the world's greatest soloists, conductors, and ensembles.

We then headed off to Central Park via the Columbus Circle Christmas shopping fair which features 100+ vendors and a wide selection of unique and handmade gifts .The Holiday Market at Columbus Circle is designed in the tradition of the Northern European holiday market, familiar in cities from Copenhagen to Munich.

Then it was off into the park and lots of people were out walking or riding in the cold but beautiful weather. We went past Strawberry fields and the Dakota bulding and then worked our way into 82nd Stree where our original choice of apartment had been. However, we were pleased that we had decided to stay nearer Times Square and the 'action' as it was a nice, but quietish neighbourhood.
We had a late lunch at the famous Barney Greengrass Deli on 541 Amsterdam Avenue at 86th Street http://www.barneygreengrass.com/restMenu.php , walked a bit more in Central Park and then met a colleague of David's from Brisbane Boys College, Don and his wife Elizabeth and their son, who were also holidaying in NY. Had a two hour coffee break in a typical New York Diner near 95th ST. and then headed back down to our apartment. Of course it was dark and the lights were lovely- we went past people singing Carols outside shops and NY was buzzing. We were tired so got takeaway from a nearby supermarket and came back to the apartment to prepare for a day of church music on Sunday.

Friday, 12th December.

Luckily, I had packed my business clothes in my hand luggage ,as I had an apointment at the New York Library for the Performing Arts that afternoon at 2p.m.
After breakfast, to my delight, my suitcase had turned up, so after ringing the apartment agency through which we had booked our accommodation we headed into the city . We caught the shuttle back to Federal and then the air train to Jamaica and changed to a metro to get us to 50th St. I won't comment on the difficulties with luggage, but believe me, it was not easy.
But, we made it to our apartment on the cnr of W52nd and 8th Ave, and the apartment lady was waiting. It was a great location and a very nice studio apartment so we dumped our bags and rushed a few blocks up t the Lincoln Centre for my appointment. David decided to come with me, to see what it was all about. 9and as a musician and a music teacher , he was literally 'blown away' by it all)
The Deputy Director of the Library Service, Kevin Winkler, met us and after an introductory tour, left us to be with various head of dept and see how the place functioned. It was wonderful and is the world's most extensive combination of circulating, reference, and rare archival collections in its field, covering music, dance, theatre, recorded sound, and other performing arts.
http://www.nypl.org/research/lpa/lpa.html
These materials are available free of charge, along with a wide range of special programs, including exhibitions, seminars, and performances. An essential resource for everyone with an interest in the arts--whether professional or amateur--the Library is known particularly for its prodigious collections of non-book materials such as historic recordings, videotapes, autograph manuscripts, correspondence, sheet music, stage designs, press clippings, programs, posters and photographs.
It is a branch of The New York Public Library which comprises simultaneously a set of scholarly research collections and a network of community libraries, and its intellectual and cultural range is both global and local, while singularly attuned to New York City. That combination lends to the Library an extraordinary richness. It is special also in being historically a privately managed, nonprofit corporation with a public mission, operating with both private and public financing in a century-old, still evolving private-public partnership. The research collections (for reference only, and organized as The Research Libraries, with four major centers) resemble the holdings of the great national and university libraries, and the community circulating libraries (organized as The Branch Libraries) resemble classic American municipal libraries.
I will be explaining in more detail, in my report the vast amount of things we saw in the three fascinating hours we spent there , but many thanks go to Kevin and his wonderfully dedicated staff for the time they spent with us.

By this time we were absolutely exhausted and went to dinner at a Diner across the road from our apartment , which was not particularly exciting.

Sunday 4th January , 2009

It's taken me since arriving home on December 23rd to get my head around completing my blog. I will blame jet-lag...

Christmas was good. I sang at St Paul's Burwood,on Christmas Eve and then on Christmas Day we had lunch at my sister-in-laws at West Pennant Hills. Went back up to Newcastle with my sister and her family for a few days and since then have been home trying to sort out everything and seeing friends etc.

Back to work at Glebe Library tomorrow. Have been in to see 'the girls' and I must congratulate Susan and the staff for doing a fantastic job while I was away. Well done, Ladies.



Now, back to my travels-



TUESDAY 9th December.

Did more packing and then went up to Edmonton Green to meet Ernie at work and go out to "The Lamb' pub with his library colleagues . It was a fun night . Liz Hart (UK President of IAML and the one who had given me so many contacts in the UK) came along as well as several others who I hope will come and see me 'down under' one day. They are feeling apprehensive as London Borough of Enfield is going ahead with yet another re-structure and sadly the library is bound to suffer, yet again.



WEDNESDAY , 10th December

More packing and then headed off to Greenwich (on the bus about 15 mins) to meet up with Kevin, a former colleague at Brent Libraries, now retired. We had a lovely lunch overlooking the Thames at the Trafalgar Tavern, whose speciality was whitebait, so we indulged.

In the evening I took Ernie to his local Wetherspoons pub in Woolwich for dinner . Then home for an early night - my last in the UK.



THURSDAY , 11th December

Up early and Ernie came with me to Heathrow to help me with my luggage .I never would have made it otherwise as we had to get the bus to North Greenwich station then the tube (Jubilee line) to Green Park and change to the Piccadilly line for Heathrow. As it was rush hour this was not an easy task and also there are steps and escalators everywhere to be negotiated.

My plane was leaving from terminal 1 so had to get a tube that went to 1,2,3 & 5 rather than 4&1,2,3 as the train waits 10 minutes at Terminal 4, for some reason. This proved hazzardous as the trains were packed and also they kept changing the destinations, however, we finally got there about 10-ish for my 12noon flight to NY. Ernie dropped me at the check-in and headed off to catch the 12noon train from Euston to Burnley.

No worries checking in and I successfully boarded the plane . (Now prepare yourselves for a saga, dear reader.)

However, it was delayed getting away from Heathrow and we arrived in Washington, where I had to change, three quarters of an hour late. I noticed on my boarding pass that the time of my flight from Washington to NY had changed and was now much earlier . EEEK ! This meant hardly any time to go through Immigration and Customs which you have to do on your first landing in the USA.

The girl next to me was also starting to panic as she had a connecting flight to New Orleans. (she lives in Croatia) To our complete dismay when we got to Immigration the queue was miles long and we had to stand in it for at least an hour. By then the scheduled time for both our planes had been and gone. Finally got through grabbed our bags from the carousel and went through Customs . Someone just grabbed my bag on the other side and said TRANSIT ! I said YES and consequently saw my suitcase disappear down a conveyor belt . Would I ever see it again ???

No-one seemed to know if flights had gone or not and there was a great deal of chaos. So I made my way to a United Airlines Info. booth and here again the queue was a mile long. Apparently the weather was bad with heavy rain and so flights were being delayed and cancelled all over the place. Finally someone came and told us to use a screen and a phone to find out what had happened to our flights and so I did. Found out my flight had not left and she gave me a gate to go to , so off I headed . Finally arrived at the gate 2 hours after de-planing. AAAGH !



The saga continued. I was catching a small plane run by United Express and the flight was apparently overbooked. They did not also know when it was going to leave as New York JFK was experiencing severe delays . I felt so sorry for the lady and the man who were very patiently staffing the gate and telling everyone the bad news as they did suffer some abuse. However, they gave exemplary customer service and did not loose their 'cool'
Finally a pilot arrived and went out to the plane to see if he could get a landing time for NY. Another hour later he came back and reported we could go, but more passengers would have to offloaded as they had to put on extra fuel , in case we had to circle in NY. The plane was a 50 seter, but only 45 could go... Imagine my sense of relief when my name was not called and I could go ahead. It was absolutely pelting with rain and freezing cold and we had to go out on the tarmac and up these rickety stairs into the airplane. One advantage of being old, is that people help and this time it was the pilot himself who took my handluggage and put it on the plane.
The flight was very bumpy and so the one hostess could not serve drinks but kept us amused throughout the journey with her comments , as did the pilot. It was all quite jolly really.
Arrived at about 9p.m (which was actually 2a.m. for me) and again the pilot helped me with my handluggage.
However, after standing at the baggage carousel and watching the same suitcases go round about three times till there were finally non-left, about 10 of us realised out bags had not come with us. So, we trooped off to an office and filled out the required forms for them to deliver our luggage when/if it arrived.
Fortunately David had booked us a hotel near the airport as he was arriving at 6p.m. from San Francisco. He had indicated that he might b there to meet me at the airport, but a sit was after 10p.m. by now I thought he would be long gone. Had tried to ring him, but no answer.
Went to get my money from an ATM, and then make my way somehow, via the hotel shuttle, to the hotel itself ,when I looked beside it and there he was ! I felt so relieved- apparently the arrivals board said we were getting in at 10.28 so he had not even started to look for me.

So we caught the air train to Federal and then the shuttle bus to our hotel and treated ourselves to a glass of wine in the bar before going to bed.

16th Dec

No more until I get home as you have to pay for wirelss here.
NY was fabulous- now in Chicago and it is minus about 10 degress and snowing. BBRRRR!

Monday, 8th December

I'm back in London now , having caught the bus on Friday from Durham. It took all day as there was an accident on the motorway, which meant I missed my connection at Victoria coach Station to Canary Wharf. finally gotn here at 7p.m. and as Ernie was totally jet-lagged, I treated myself to my first (and last) lot of English fish and chips and retired early to bed with my book.

The previous few days had been hectic. I ended up staying in the Palace Green university Library all afternoon on Tuesday as the music section was fascinating including 70 shelves of Hymn books in the Pratt Green collection.

Then on Wednesday I went up to Newcastle-upon-Tyne by train and across the river to the Sage at Gateshead. http://www.thesagegateshead.org/

The Sage Gateshead is an amazing home for live music designed by Lord Foster on a landmark waterfront site, consisting of outstanding performance spaces of acoustic excellence (Hall One and Hall Two), Northern Rock Foundation Hall for rehearsal and performance, a twenty-five room Music Education Centre, ExploreMusic (a music information resource centre run by Gateshead Libraries and Arts in the Joan and Margaret Halbert Space), *

The Barbour Room (a sunny entertainment room), plus four bars, The Michael Straker Café and a brasserie. You can visit the building free - up to 14 hours a day. The spectacular Concourse has river views of the Tyne and Gateshead Millennium Bridges, BALTIC and the NewcastleGateshead Quays.

The Sage Gateshead is an international home for music and musical discovery, bringing about a widespread and long-term enrichment of the musical life of the North of England. Its inclusive approach enables all performance, learning and participation programmes to be constantly inspired and supported by each other .It is primarily a live music venue. The local, national and international concert programme runs all year round. It incorporates all kinds of music ranging from acoustic, indie, country, world, folk, jazz, electronic and dance to classical music, including concerts by Northern Sinfonia, orchestra of The Sage Gateshead.
Its Learning and Participation programs are pioneering a fresh approach to musical discovery that enables everyone to become involved in, stimulated and excited by music - no matter what their age or ability. The eight strategic programmes are: Early Years, Work with Schools, Vocal and Instrumental Learning, Practitioner Development, Community Music, Further and Higher Education, Resources, and Music in the Workplace.

I came to the venue primarily to look at the innovative library service
* Explore Music
http://www.thesagegateshead.org/about/explore_music.aspx
ExploreMusic makes it easy to find out more about any aspect of music you experience at performances and workshops within The Sage Gateshead as well as providing the key services and resources outlined below:
1.Local independent music information
2.Lending and reference library

3.Hi Tech services

• 18 PCs with free internet access and office applications
• Music software - Sibelius, Cubasis, Reason, Soundforge and Acid
  Free training for all music software plus basic IT and internet skills
• Access to specialist websites such as Grove Music Online, Classical Music and Naxos Audio Libraries
• Online communities for The Sage Gateshead's concerts and workshops including live web chats, discussion forums, photo galleries, video archives and more
• CD listening posts to preview upcoming artists at The Sage Gateshead and DVD viewing stations to discover more about The Sage Gateshead's projects
  

4. Exposed:
Presented in partnership with ExploreMusic, 'exposed:' is a series of events to help you find out more about a theme of our programme. Look out for events flagged as exposed: throughout our What's On section. ExploreMusic will be hosting a number of talks and exclusive interviews to contextualise these concerts along with free live performances, podcasts featuring key performers, workshops and family events.
All services are free of charge. Membership of Gateshead Library Service is open to everyone across the North East and Cumbria .

What an amazing and worthwhile experience this was . I was shown around by Rachel Peacock, Reference and Information Manager, Libraries and Arts, Gateshead Council , the new Manager of Explore Music, Tom and his assistant Maggie. It was a most enlightening three hours and confirmed my opinion that if the City of Sydney were to set up a public music library, this would be an excellent example of the way to go about it . I will say more about this in my report, but on-line services are the way of the future and my visit here gave justification to this. Many thanks to Rachel, Tom and Maggie for giving me the opportunity to visit and also to Julia Mitford, the former ExploreMusic Manager , who is now living in Sydney , and made all this possible.

THURSDAY saw me back in Newcastle ...

Overnight there had been a heavy snowfall and my friend Barbara and I tramped gingerly through the snow and ice ,the kilometre to the Railway Station in Durham. Barbara had to go to a funeral in Sheffield two hours away and was worried about any interruptions to the train services because of the bad weather. However, it was not a real problem as there were delays but they were not severe.

Barbara had organized for me to meet a friend of hers ,Tony Durcan, Head of Culture, Libraries and Lifelong Learning at Newcastle City Council . He had invited me to join various councillors and heads of culture from 'core UK cities' on a tour of the unfinished new Central Library . Tony met me for a cup of coffee first, and we were joined by the people from Bristol and Sheffield at the Theatre Royal and then made our way to the building site office, where we were kitted out with boots , helmets and yellow jackets. There was still thick snow on much of the ground as well as sluch and ice so walking anywhere was treacherous. We made it to the library and I have never been so cold in all my life, as of course, there was no heating . However, the treat in store made up for any uncomfortable moments , as the new library promises to be a leading public library building in the world , in my opinion.

Ian Kennedy, lead architect on the project, said:
"We wanted the City Library to be a symbol of creative design and a model of 21st century library facilities. "It will provide broad access to knowledge and other cultural resources and it will celebrate lifelong learning and social inclusion."
"It will be a delight to use, visit and pass by, inspiring local, civic and regional pride."

http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/librariesnewcitylibrary?opendocument#countdown

The library and its surroundings , due to open in June 2009 will contain the following features :

• A new main entrance on New Bridge Street, making the library highly visible from the Monument, as well as an entrance from Princess Square.
• A large atrium that will allow natural light to flood the building. The building itself is made of a large amount of glass and the windows have beautiful designs on them.
• A range of existing and new facilities over six floors, with a main staircase that will lead visitors on a 'journey' to the top of the building, which will include a platform with views across the city.
• Separate areas for children and young people, informal seating and quiet study areas, a 200-seat performance space and meeting rooms for use by community groups.
• Improvements to Princess Square to create a vibrant urban square and wider pavements and tree-planting along New Bridge Street and John Dobson Street.
• Environmentally friendly features such as low-energy heating and cooling systems, harvesting of rain water and use of renewable energy sources

Some other interesting facts

• the issuing and return of items will be totally self service. (RFID)
• there will be service points (triangles ,not desks) where librarians will be based to help with enquiries and library staff will also 'float'
• Non-fiction will be on the ground floor
• Local Studies will occupy a large amount of the top floor with a view over the city (eat your heart out Marie and Liz)
• Each floor will be of a different colour.

There is much more I could say, but I will leave it until I return home . Can I just say that this library will be fantastic and thanks so much to Tony for giving me the opportunity to see it. I will need to come back and see how it is operating in a few years ! SadlyI won't be able to show anything quite as exciting if you come to Sydney. (yet?)

Thursday evening I spent my last night with Geoff and Julie and their children for dinner and on Friday morning Barbara and I caught a taxi to the bus station where I said my fond farewells to her and the lovely city.

THE WEEKEND

I went down to Surrey to my friends, Lynette and Bob and went to Evensong at Canterbury Cathedral . Very good , except a bit disappointing that David flood, the Director of Music was not there. However, his assistant , John Robinson, did an excellent job. Went out for a Chinese meal on Saturday night after a glass of French champagne at home.

Sunday morning dawned cold and frosty and back to St Michael's Croydon to sing for the last time. In the afternoon we sang at a Masonic Carol Service , as Bob has become a mason, and then went to a christmas celebration dinner for the Masonic choir. A most enjoyable evening.

Now I am back in Woolwich and Ernie and I are off to meet a friend for dinner in the City. the next two days will see me saying my last goodbyes to the Uk and packing my things to go to NY on Thursday morning.

As my little blue laptop has decided not to work I may not be as efficient with my blog, from now on. However, I will be home in two weeks, so it won't be as imperative.

Tuesday, 2nd December

It's been a week since I wrote as one way and another ,I have been very busy.
Last Wednesday I set off on the train for skipton, via Leeds, a journey of about two and a half hours, across the Pennines. My friends, Sharon and John were there to meet me , in cold rainy weather. We drove back to their home in Blacko near Nelson via a lunch and shopping stop at one of the big retail marketing places , which supposedly sells things marked down or at factory prices. the place was packed, but I did manage to buy a nice evening skirt from Marks and Spencer's for just £20 (half price) as I have a posh Christmas 'do' to attend this Sunday. Things are not cheap here , so this will be my only clothes purchase, unless some miracle occurs. We also called in at Barrowford Branch Library.
Then we headed off home for a quiet evening in and a lovely dinner.
On Thursday I went out with Sharon to visit a friend and then her 90 year old aunt while john did his voluntary work at the hospice. Sharon dropped me at the Burnley Library , as they have a designated Music Library started by a benefactor Edward Stocks Massey who was at the time the choirmaster at St Luke's Church, Brierfield in the late 19th century. The Massey family, well known in the area, were cotton manufacturers and later brewers and founders of the Massey Brewery in Burnley. Edward was born at Hawks House in Brierfield and had a keen interest in music. The Stocks Massey Bequest music library in Burnley reflects Edwards interest in music.
http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/libraries/services/mandd/index.asp
According to the bequest this library has to be allocated certain funds every year and so is still maintained. they have open access scores and CD's in a separate room on the first floor (other audio-visual material is also housed there. I was able t talk to two of the staff , Jane morris and Marie Lord, who kindly provided me with photocopies of the history of the library and other information. A very profitable and unexpected visit.
In the afternoon we went to visit my ex-husbands family in Burnley and it was lovely to see his Mum and sister and her family , if only briefly.
Then we went out to dinner with sharon's brother, Tony , and his wife Helen at the Sycamore Arms , a new pub near Lowerhouse cricket ground. Ernie and Tony went to school together and started work in local governement on the same day. Went back to Tony and Helen's for a nightcap.
Friday john took me to a local Heritage Centre for a look around and before I knew it , it was time to go for the train back to Durham.
The weekend was fantastic with Geoff and Julie and their children coming round in the afternoon for champagne and nibbles , as it was Millie's 7th birthday the day before. We also 'staged' and Enid Blyton play from a yearbook Barbara had found ! Geoff took the part of Mr Muddle and us girls played the ladies.
Barbara and I then trooped off through frosty weather down the back public footpath to the Cathedral for the Advent Carol Serice , which was stunning. The Service began in darkenss and gradually the Cathedral came to light as the service progressed. Barbara and I then retired to a Victorian pub , called 'the Vic ' and with coal fires and original fittings etc.
On Sunday we went with friends of hers, Liz and Roger to Richmond , North yorks for the day . A wonderful town with a castle etc. Frosty but clear weather and the temperature was just above or below freezing. We had a 'cream tea' at the Kings Head hotel, to finish off the day.

Yesterday , I spent getting my hair cut etc and visiting the library, of course and as the weather was foul - cold and rainy, I went home reasonably early. Went to Durham singers again last night and this time I was allowed to join in !

Today has dawned bright and snow is on the ground. I'm off now to the Cathedral and the Palace Library Green Muisc Library which is part of the University.

the next two days a re going to be very exciting as I will be going to Newcastle to see ExploreMusic at the Sage and on Thursday I am being treated to a tour of the new Newcastle Public Library which is yet to be complete. The Library Manager is a friend of Barbara's and I am being included in a tour of councillors etc from other areas of the UK. This library will be a landmark institution when it opens and so I feel extremely priveleged. all this just seems to ahve fallen in my lap.

Sadly, then I go back to London on Friday.

Tuesday, 25th November

The weekend passed very quickly and was most enjoyable.
On Saturday I went with Geoff and Julie and the kids, to Newcastle which is about a 40 minute drive from Durham. We went to the Northern Children's Book Festival Gala Day, at Newcastle Civic Centre . http://www.ncbf.co.uk/
The Northern Children's Book Festival is organised, sponsored and run by the above library services in the region.The Northern Children's Book Festival is organised, sponsored and run by the above library services in the region.The Northern Children's Book Festival is organised, sponsored and run by the 10 library services in the region.
This free event is OPEN to all and is the largest annual reading celebration for young people in Europe. It gave children the opportunity to meet 10 of their favourite authors and illustrators, bringing the world of books to life via interactive sessions held throughout the day. The fabulous line up includes: Steve Barlow & Steve Skidmore, Steve Weatherill, Korky Paul, Debi Gliori, Julia Donaldson, Steve Cole, Julia Golding, Liz Million, Jeremy Strong, David Almond and Nick Butterworth.
It was a fantastic event and I talked with some of the librarians , took photos etc . the kids loved it, as each library service had a theme and there was a craft or activitiy associated with it.
After an hour os so here we headed to the main shopping street, in absolutely freezing weather and looked in Fenwick's Dept Store window at the Christmas display which is 'Oliver' this year. Absolutely magical for the children . Then we had an early dinner at Luigi's Italian restaurant and headed back to Durham . Temperature was zero degrees.
Woke up Sunday morning to SNOW covered houses, cars and gardens. Most picturesque.
Went to the 11a.m. service at St Oswald's and sang in the choir with Geoff. Back to their place for a quick lunch and then off to the school hall for a mini-fete , at which I helped on the bookstall (can't get away) Lot's of fun, but don't ask me how much I spent trying to win a bottle of wine - you had to choose three bottles for a pound and some were only filled with water. If you got one filled with wine - it was your's. Three goes later...
Barbara and I had dinner at home that night. she had driven to Barnsley for the day to visit a terminally ill friend and then she had more pupils in the evening, because of their exams the next day. Still very cold, but snow melting.
Monday was the worst day for weather, that I have encountered. Freezing winds and driving rain and sleet -yuk. I ventured out fro a couple of hours, but retreated and spent the rest of the day doing research from music magazines of Barbara's for my project.
In the evening I went along to listen to a rehearsal for the Durham singers which both Geoff and Barbara sing in. http://www.avfj47.dsl.pipex.com/ They are rehearsing for a Christmas program.
Today I have been to Newcastle by train (15 minutes) and wandered around by myself . Started off at the Lit and Phil http://www.litandphil.org.uk/html_pages/LP_home.html - such a truly British organization.
The music library at the Lit & Phil is one of the largest in the North East, with an extensive collection of classical, jazz and folk music, together with a good collection of spoken word (audio books). The collection includes:
Recorded music
7,000 CDs: classical, jazz, folk and spoken word (audio books)
Music DVDs and videos
CD-ROM sheet music
LPs and 78s
Printed music
5,500 scores
Miniature scores
Sheet music
Related material
Books on music
The Grade II* listed building was opened in 1825 and the magnificent reading rooms remain largely unchanged. Our collection is coupled with an extensive set of periodicals, providing an exceptional resource for both general reader and academic researcher.
In addition to the library, the Society hosts a wide range of events including book launches, concerts, lectures, readings and workshops that cover a variety of topics and issues. Both members and non-members are welcome to attend these events, which are mostly free.
After looking around St Nicholas Cathedral http://www.newcastle-ang-cathedral-stnicholas.org.uk/ , grabbing a sandwich and having a quick chat with the guys who were tuning the organ for the next day's national broadcast of Choral Evensong on BBC Radio 3 I headed for the Quayside and walked across the Milennium Bridge to 'The Sage' and its library 'ExploreMusic' .

Friday 21st

Have just spent a frustrating time trying to get my little blue machine to work, but...
Anyway, off out into the cold now to walk home . We had snow showers today, briefly.
slept in this morning and then went with Barbara to another church hall lunch and met some more interesting people. Then I've been in the library all afternoon !!!
Last night after dinner at the McIntyre's I went with Geoff to choir practice at St Oswald's. Similar standard to St Paul's so i felt quite at home. We did some of the Byrd 4 part mass , Tye'O come ye servants', Morely 'Out of the deep amongst' other things. Then it was off to the pub, as all good choirs do, for a well earned drink at 'The Duke of Wellington.'
Won't be updating over the weekend as too busy !

Thursday 20th

I'm feeling very settled up here in Durham and have been blessed with fine weather foor the past three days. However, snow showers are forecast for the weekend!
Yesterday, I had a pleasant time writing postcards and letters in the morning and then set off walking with my friend , Barbara, to a lunch in a church hall which happens every Wednesday for just £2.50. there were some very interesting people there, including the OZ cricketer , Michael Slater's aunty. Then I walled to the library and did more emailing etc and had a bit more of a browse. The non-fiction collection is quite limited actually, which surprised me. Beleive it or not, I took a book out.
I went to the Cathedral for Evensong and the choir was excellent. They sang Watson in E and Howells ' Hymn to St Cecilia' which I had not encountered before and was absolutely magnificent. Then I walked back home - half an hour walk- and had an evening watching TV while Barbara taught her music students.
Today she has gone to a school to teach and I am back at the library and now off to a lunchtime Leider Recital at the Music School here which is part of the university.
Tonight I am going to my friends the McIntyres ( Geoff and Julie) for dinner and then to choir practice at St Oswalds , their church, where I am going to sing on Sunday. Am looking forward to spending time with their two delightful children- Millie nearly 7 and Oscar who is 4.

Tuesday 18th

Am safely in Durham having negotiated the bus and two tubes across London to Kings Cross station with my heavy luggage. Not bad for an old lady, eh ! One of the advantages of my age is that people are actually offering to help me - there are gentlemen even in London- so I am accepting.
The train up here was very comfortable and they even have wireless internet access -plug in ! however, my little blue machine had decided to loose its LAN network connection and although I have tried for an hour an a half today to fix it I have not succeeded.
My friend Barbara , who I am staying with, does not have a PC so I am sitting in- yes, you guessed it- Durham Library using one of theirs. They actually let overseas people join and I got a choice of card colour- pink, green , blue or purple- I chose the latter.
It is a very nice library, which is quite new, about 5 years old. It is very quiet here on the Reference floor - there are three floors.
Durham is lovely and the weather is bright and sunny, but cold. Or , rather , it was today. It gets dark about 4p.m. so have to leave soon. I have explored some lovely shops today and now will go home for the evening.

Sunday

Well, I still had the headache this morning but did not let it stop me. (nor theweather which is not exactly exciting) Headed off for the Greenwich Early Music Festival http://www.earlymusicshop.com/More/Greenwich_International_Early_Music_Festival.aspx
Went to Festival Eucharist. Old Royal Naval College Choir and Consortium5, directed by Sean Farrell .Music by William Byrd and William Turner in the Old Royal Naval College Chapel. Looked at the exhibitions and then completed my day at a harpsichord recital -Robin Bigwood plays new Italian & Flemish harpsichpords by Andrew Wooderson. Pieces by Fresobaldi, Purcell, J S Bach & Della Ciaja. Fantastic.
Off to Durham tomorrow.

Saturday 15th

Still had a headache when I woke up , unfortunately and have had it all day. Liz Hart had rung and invited me to go to a concert this evening, but sadly, I decided it was better to stay home and regroup.
Caught the bus to Sainsbury's and did some grocery shopping and have just been catching up on my emails and blog etc. Just about to attack sorting all my paperwork, as I'm off up to Durham on Monday for nearly three weeks.
Tomorrow, I'm hoping to go to the Greenwich Early Music Festival , which is not far from here, at the Old Royal Naval College.