Blue sky and sunshine for our walk to the United Benefice Eucharist at St Catherine's this morning. It was meant to be the Parish Confirmation day for the candidates who have been preparing for the past nine months, but the Bishop's visit was cancelled. With so much uncertainty about public worship and extreme caution exercised over every liturgical event, it's not surprising. I don't know when regular confirmations will resume.
One of the young candidates was baptized however, and Mother Frances spoke to us about the course they'd been through together, almost all on-line. It's a long journey back to normality of any kind. We still don't know what kind of Advent or Christmas celebrations will be possible in church or at home, with only a month to go, but a late evening report on my news feed says up to four households can meet for a few days over Christmas, so that may make a difference. We'll see.
After lunch, Clare and I walked up to Llandaff weir. Sections of the footpath were a muddy swamp after a week of rain, treacherous without hiking boots, which stubbornly I wasn't wearing. In the park and in house gardens most of the leaves have fallen. In some tree lined streets there's been a Council supported leaf clearing campaign by residents. I don't recall seeing activity this last year, and the consequence then was blocked drains and huge pools of water in gutters which took ages to soak away. Many more benefit from this communal effort than just the people who live in the street. It's good to see it happening.
Another musical treat on BBC Four in the evening, the finals of the Young Jazz Musician of the Year competition, with five outstanding instrumentalists: two sax players, a string bassist, a guitarist and a pianist. They were all superb and engaging to listen to. One of the judges suggested that they'd make a wonderful super-group, playing together, a great idea I thought. I spotted the winner, a pianist called Deschanel Gordon from Hackney. He was so creative in his references to a range of jazz piano styles, but in ways so original that kept springing surprises on the listener. Jazz improvisation was always good at quoting well known melodies and playing around with them in original ways, and this art is as alive now as it was in the time of J.S. Bach. All the finalists exhibited the same skill. A two hour musical treat!
Before bed, I added another page to the final chapter of my novel, now inching towards closure, and the moment when I can start the lon awaited top to tail review and revision of my effort, praying for 'grace to see the whole' as Pope Gregory the Great used to say.
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