Wednesday June 20th: Tom arrived late-ish last night, and we'd arranged to meet Michael at the church at 10.30 this morning. We're really getting down to the detail now: which readings, who's going to do them (Debs will do one, Tom the other - there may be a third, if we can find something we like), whether we're standing, sitting or kneeling, how long it will take Peter and me to walk from the door to the chancel steps (about a minute and a half! Michael and I paced it out to the opening of Bach's St Anne Prelude, which fitted very neatly), what music and how much of it ... We talked briefly about hymns, but after some less-than-helpful suggestions by Jules and Tom ("Turn back, O Man", "Fight the good fight", "Through the night of doubt and sorrow" ...) we decided to defer the discussion until later! Music's more or less sorted, though, and I am so glad Tom is happy to play - it's been a while since I've heard him, and I'd forgotten how good he is!
I asked Michael if he would come to the reception afterwards, but he says he decided a while back not to attend the receptions of the couples he marries. Pity, but I can understand how he feels.
Back at home, I dug out Dad's old Hymns A&M to search for inspiration; I think we've finally decided on Jules' choice of "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind" (even if the second line is "Forgive our foolish ways" ...) and my choice of "O Praise Ye the Lord" (for which Tom has to go away and practise the twiddly pedal bit in the last verse, and fit in an English cadence somewhere!)
