Ian’s Blog 29th December 2024

My Boars Head song was included on the Strummers & Dreamers Christmas Special on Monday evening on Cambridge Radio 7-9pm UK time via the website:- https://cambridge105.co.uk/ You can hear my song at about 33 minutes into the show. Bring out the boars head Pour me some wine Eat, drink, be merry At this Christmas time A brew of ale and spices To drink to your good health As your good and noble lord This day I’ll share my wealth Drinking, singing, dancing In my castle hall You are all welcome I welcome you all Bring out the boars head And the Christmas pie Eat, drink, be merry And raise your tankards high The feast of St Nicholas To the twelfth night Christmas in my great hall To fill you with delight Eating, drinking, dancing In my castle hall You are all welcome I welcome you all The show included lots of new Christmas songs and a few classics as well. Here is a link to the show:- https://www.mixcloud.com/StrummersandDreamers/ This is the tracklist:- 01 Sweet chiming bells - Marina Florance 02 What will Christmas be? - Kyson Point 03 This Christmas morning - Ellie Walker & The Folly 04 My Christmas wish - Sakara 05 Christmas by your side - Rachel Hill 06 Gold, frankincense and murder - Old Man Boom 07 I saw three ships - Simon Mayor 08 Yule - Carol Fieldhouse & Armchair Gods 09 The Boar’s Head - The Legendary Ten Seconds 10 Song of winter dreaming - Eimear Quinn 11 Fairytale of New York - Martin Praetorius feat. Fiachna O’Braonáin 12 The wren - Lewis Barfoot 13 Midnight oil - The Magpies 14 On St. Stephen’s Day - Cherrington & Ward 15 Girl in a high castle - Holly Lerski 16 The cherry tree carol - Windborne 17 Will peace come in time for Christmas? - Melanie 18 The holy in everything - Thee Holy Brothers 19 Christmas revolution - Norman Lamont & The Heaven Sent 20 AT Christmas - Sofia Talvik 21 Home for Christmas - The Gjermund Larsen Trio 22 Once in royal David’s city - Caitlin Grey 23 Tiny heroes - The Coaltown Daisies 24 One more before you go - Seth Lakeman 25 Cmon cmon Rudolph - Tom Ciurczak 26 Christmas, single - Paul Goodwin (ft. Polly Paulusma) 27 Winter song - Lindisfarne 28 Christmas in Paradise - Steve Earle 29 River - Joni Mitchell Also at about 1 hour and 18 minutes into the show my song called All He Wants for Christmas is a Mellotron, was played on the Horizon Broadening Hour Christmas special on 23rd December 2024. It can be listened as an archive, anytime, here:- https://radiowaterloo.ca/new-music-added-to-libretime-the-horizon-broadening-hour-christmas-special/ This is the tracklist:- Alex Deuzeman – Christmas Bella Brown & the Jealous Lovers – Always Christmas Eve Dan Politano – It’s Christmas Zachary Friederich – Christmastime is Here Violett Jean – Christmas To Me Cassidy Taylor – Evergreen CIK – It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas N3S – Maligayang Pasko Blackmore’s Night – Here We Come A-Caroling Raging Flowers – Kiwi Christmas Johnny 99 – It Can’t Be Christmas Glenn Erb – Santa’s in Jail Son of Dave – The Kids are Coming Home for Christmas Thanks Light – Dirtbag Christmas KC Armstrong – I HATE THAT SWEATER Ryan Dsouza – The Letter Two Piano Tornado & The Spectacles – You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch Old Hoss – Small Town Christmas Eve Nick Guiton – Christmas Day Brenda Best – Sounds of My Season Carla Muller – I Can Hear the Bells Sam Kruger – Worst X-Mas Ever The Legendary Ten Seconds – All He Wants for Christmas is a Mellotron Wonders of the Yukon – Christmas Not Ending Robert Thomas & the Session Men – Little Things Robbie Harte – Hallelujah Charles Szczepanek – In the Bleak Midwinter David Bach – Greensleeves Ryan Michael Richards – That Trip to Bethlehem Rick Sparks – Winter Dream Christina Tourin & Peter Sprague – Imaginings Gergana Velinova – This Is the Time Alana Bridgewater – You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To Anita Eccleston – Little Town

Ian’s Blog 22nd December 2024

At about 1 hour and 5 minutes into this radio show you can hear my Mellotron themed Christmas song which was mixed and mastered by Lord Zarquon https://www.mixcloud.com/BrumRadio/alternative-roots-with-mike-davies-15122024/

Ian’s Blog 15th December 2024

Two tracks from my album Wonder Songs were played on the radio show Filby's Folk on Royston Radio on Sunday 17th November at 6pm. This was show number 74 of Filby’s Folk. Links to the radio station and podcasts (a week or two after the show) can be found on the Unicorn Folk website homepage. The first song of mine that was played is called Dissolution which you can hear at about 31 minutes. The second song was Gates of Exeter which you can hear at about 49 minutes towards the end of the show. Here is a link to the show number 74:- https://unicornfolk.uk/2435-2/

Ian’s Blog 8th December 2024

 There has been a great deal of fuss and bother around the recent TV programme which has stated that there is some new evidence that has been discovered which goes towards proving that the sons of Edward IV were murdered during the reign of Richard III. I have not watched the documentary because I have been told that it does not include any of the evidence provided by Philippa Langley via her missing Princes project. I have read Philippa’s book about her missing Princes research twice since it was published and I’ve been reading, discussing and writing about Richard III for the last 10 years. I am convinced that the sons of Edward IV were not killed during the reign of Richard III. I am also convinced that Edward V was at the battle of Stoke in 1487 and his younger brother Richard was called Perkin Warbeck by the Tudor monarchy. Not surprisingly many Ricardians are rather annoyed with Tracy Borman and Tim Thornton who seem to be clutching at straws to try to prove that Richard III murdered the Princes in the Tower. I firmly believe that many historians who have written books stating that Richard III is guilty are not happy that their books will be obsolete because of the ongoing investigations instigated by Philippa Langley. 

When I started my Richard III music project I noticed that quite a few Ricardians would get upset with anti Richard III comments. I thought it was a bit silly but now I understand how they feel because I now get terribly annoyed with anyone who states that Richard III murdered the Princes based upon the account written by Thomas Moore etc.

I am currently listening to an interesting Nathen Amin podcast interview about this which highlights the anger which results from both sides of the argument. He makes some good points but his theory about the Princes being thrown into the Thames is a bit far fetched and I worry that the less well informed will believe him:-

https://histfest.substack.com/p/princes-in-the-tower-case-solved?utm_source=podcast-email%2Csubstack&publication_id=2187623&post_id=152573490&utm_campaign=email-play-on-substack&utm_medium=email&r=4k8iy6&triedRedirect=true

For more information I would recommend that you read this really excellent blog written by Matt Lewis:-

https://medievalmatt.substack.com/p/a-damning-discovery?r=17nngx&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true

Ian’s Blog 1st December 2024

 https://ianchurchward.substack.com/p/ians-blog-1st-december-2024

Graham Moores has sent me the pencil sketch for a new album cover which I think looks great. I am really looking forward to seeing the finished version.