Hard rehearsal

This morning after breakfast, I took Clare to her eye appointment at the Heath Hospital, and then worked on completing this week's Morning Prayer video. When she returned, we drove to Lidl's  in Llandaff North where she'd seen a DAB kitchen radio designed to fit under a shelf or a wall cabinet. We had one in place next to the cooker for many years. It was quality and hard to tune if it lost power, but served its purpose. There were several in stock and it was just the right shape, so we bought one, and did most of this week's grocery shopping as well. Fitting the radio is the next task, one which Clare is keen to do herself, so she's satisfied it's done right. 

Ruth's weekly email arrived with next week's texts to work on, so I prepared them, recorded and edited the Office. Later I wrote an accompanying biblical reflection, as well, then cooked butter beans in a sauce with pasta for lunch.  

I walked several laps around Thompsons' park listening to a recording on my phone of the 14th century plainsong version of 'O Virgo Splendens' repeatedly. I find it very tricky to memorise correctly, which is vital in a vocal ensemble of eight people. It doesn't seem to stick as well as the other pieces we're doing, but I must persist so I don't make a mess of it on the day. Our first performance is next Sunday evening in St Illtud's Llantwit Major.

Then, an early supper, as we had a choir rehearsal in Saint Catherine's at half past six. It was demanding on concentration and stamina, but Anna our choir director seemed fairly satisfied with the result. Mother Frances is singing with us, and afterwards she signed the verification paperwork for the documents needed to confirm who I am to the Euro diocese safeguarding people. These now have to be scanned and sent, to expedite matters with the paperwork mailed later, I suppose. In a couple of months I'll have to go through this process all over again for the Church in Wales' safeguarding process. Frances is a naturally diligent person, but I think she shares my distaste for this 'prove who you are' business in a community where the pastoral watchwords are 'know and be known'.

I've volunteered to take the eight o'clock Communion again on Sunday. Rota arrangements haven't yet taken into account the resumption of this once monthly traditional Sunday act of worship, attended by about ten people, so Frances doesn't have the support of Rhys next Sunday and would otherwise have to take three services and rush around far too much. I'm so happy to be fit and well enough to be in a position to offer to do this nowadays.

I recorded and edited the biblical Reflection when we got back from church, and went out for a breath of fresh cold night air, to stretch my legs at half past ten. Finally a DuoLingo Spanish session. The app is congratulating me for the length of my continued span of learned over the past six nearly seven years. IT says I'm among the top one percent of learners, and invited me to boast about this achievement on social media. I don't believe their stats and certainly wouldn't boast about it on social media. Such a silly idea, inviting all sorts of trolling and spam.