Finished reading the first 591 pages of Rollin Smith’s Vierne bio this morning. The rest of the book is a catalog of the themes in his organ work and nine appendices most of which I will not read. I will photocopy the two appendices which contain lists of errors in his published symphonies and the 24 Pièces de Fantasie for future reference. I found some missing accidentals in his Communion op. 8, but I didn’t see any corrections for it in Smith’s book.

I will be returning the Vierne bio to the Hope College Library before we take off for California next Wednesday. I interlibrary loaned a book recently to read an essay by Diarmaid MacCulloch. It came yesterday and I’m hoping to read the essay before Wednesday.

I was charmed into pursuing this essay after MacCulloch wrote in a footnote that he speculates “irresponsibly” in it.

The essay is entitled, “The Latitude of the Church of England.”

I am expecting some interesting speculation about how James I and his court might possibly have been secretly members of a Christian heretical sect called “Family of Love” (also known as “Familists”) which specialized in continuing to give the appearance of being good C of E members while secretly believing lots of weird shit.

I have decided not to take my laptop on the trip to California. I think I can use my tablet for my needs. The main draw back of the tablet being that I can’t type fluently on its screen. But the main thing I type is this blog so I think that will probably work out okay.

I continue to find the tablet very useful. Yesterday after giving a piano lesson on the drive home (only messing with at the stoplights!!) I managed to download the piece my student is playing and put it in my music reader. Very cool.

Eileen and I are madly trying to get the house in shape for a visit from my grandson, Nicholas. He will be flying back with us for a week visit in Michigan.