Welcome to a roundup of information and links, which is a way of keeping in touch with members, not only while Life is Weird, but something to do in any case, to keep us together.

Miscellaneous:

1. I have attached the quiz form the last newsletter, with the answers (here).  This was just for fun, to keep you on your toes; some will have found it easy and others will have had to research.

2. Remember that the Royal School of Church Music and the Royal College of Organists have been providing regular e-mails not only to members and affiliated groups, but to anyone who wants to have frequent contact with, e.g. daily and weekly hymns and services, tuition online and so on.

3. Our own website (at sslso.org) has plenty to read: views, facts, past and future meetings  –  and you can hear sixty organ pieces played by our members.   Another word of thanks to Martin Callingham for looking after the website for several years now; the baton (or whatever) has been passed to Sam Gover, or will be within the next few days.

4. BBC Radio 3 has had to rethink its schedule recently, with loads of cancelled concerts.  Two positive things now: the last two weeks of the Prom Concerts will take place (i.e. early September) with reduced forces performing and, I imagine, with no live audience.  Also, from yesterday (Monday, June 1st.), live lunchtime concerts (1p.m. for an hour) are being broadcast from the Wigmore Hall in Mondays to Fridays during June.

June and July meetings:

1. Saturday, June 6th was to have seen our outing to Thaxted and Saffron Walden in North Essex, which both sound like a dream to visit just now!  We certainly aim to try again to include events which have been postponed and your Committee will meet (virtually) later this month to consider what can be done.   In place of the trip to Essex, we had a discussion on Zoom at on Saturday, led by Norman Harper and hosted by Ashley Valentine.  Please see a note of the event here.

2. The meeting on July 4th, with Richard Pilliner, has been postponed and we’ll let you know about this and other planned events as time goes by.

Links to sundry pieces of music:

1. I received this from Reg Boulton from the Bexley Association:  https://youtu.be/A_i8qdfW5u8

2. From Charlie Warren, former SSLSO members and a one-time student of mine:  some observations, followed by a performance of two Brahms Chorale Preludes: Op.122, No.2 here, and here.  Then Op.122, No.3 here and here.

3. An interesting take on Ravel follows here.

You are welcome to offer your own links and thoughts and I’ll send another letter out in a few weeks.  If you want to record a piece of music and send it to me, do!

Best wishes, John