A New Novel of Richard III

Finally my new novel, Distant Echoes, is available on Kindle for only £2.50 ($2.99 on Amazon.com). The paperback is imminent too!

It was inspired by lyrics from a song, Sheriff Hutton, by The Legendary Ten Seconds. Here is the synopsis of the story:

A new, innovative invention. The DNA of a mediaeval king. Put them together and the past comes to life!

Eve works for a software solutions company and they have a new technology that can track a subject’s DNA through time, tracing their voice vibrations. Criminals can incriminate themselves with their own words. Lost children can be found safely. And a five-hundred-year-old mystery can be solved straight from the horse’s mouth! Eve’s company tracks the notorious and controversial king, Richard III, through his life, eavesdropping on his conversations. Will they succeed in solving the enduring mystery of the Princes in the Tower?….

I wanted to find a way to include many of the previously little-known deeds and events of Richard’s life, the ones that are not so newsworthy as the ‘Princes in the Tower’, such as his laws and good judgements, his founding of Middleham College and his pious acts.

I hope you enjoy it and that, whether you do or not, you will give it a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Thank you for your support. Here is the link to its Amazon UK page: Click here

Advertisements

Another Legendary Ten Seconds album

This is the list of tracks from “Mer de Mort”, a collection of songs about the Mortimer roots of the House of York and recorded for the Mortimer History Society‘s tenth anniversary. Here is an introduction.

Ricardian Heavy Metal & Tyrell’s Rotten Rap

RUNNING WILD–BLOODY RED ROSE

I came across this heavy metal song from the 1980’s a while back– BLOODY RED ROSE by Running Wild.  It is ‘pro-Richard III’  and here are the lyrics:

In the war of the roses, the tragedy source
King Edward was bound to die
Richard III the new “lord protector”
Ruled with “loyalty me lie”
A vigilant guardian to the sons of the king
As sure as an eagle will fly
He died in a battle in 1485
And Henry defamed Richard with lies

Richard was charged in the “act of attainder”
With tyranny, murder and gain
Henry revoked the “titulus regius”
With the smile of the vicious insane
Henry (8th?)that rotten bastard
Executed the whole house of York
Elizabeth Woodville was (injured?)for life
And Tyrrel the liar was acquitted by court

The poisoned thorns of the bloody red rose
Red venom of deepest dye
Henry the traitor, the victor by sin
Soiled Richard’s blood with a grin

While Richard was ruling, the boys were alive
When he died the boys disappeared
Henry killed them to get onto the throne
But the book of truth was sealed
Henry paid Tyrrel to say that he had murdered
In the name of Sir Richard the brave
Henry killed Tyrrel without any trial
So Tyrrel took the truth to his grave

The poisoned thorns of the bloody red rose
Red venom of deepest dye
Henry the traitor, the victor by sin
Soiled Richard’s blood with a grin
The poisoned thorns of the bloody red rose
Red venom of deepest dye
Henry the traitor, the victor by sin
Soiled Richard’s blood with a grin.

While it was nice to have a Ricardian point of view in Running Wild’s song, I could not help but feel rather sorry for James Tyrell, whom I  think has been  defamed in a similar manner to Richard with no strong proof. And to think almost 30 years after this song was written, David Starkey was still pointing (a very shaky) finger at Tyrell in the ‘Princes  in the Tower’ documentary that, rather ungraciously, appeared at the time of Richard’s reinterment.

The so called ‘confession’ Tyrrell made appears to be mythical; there is not one shred of evidence it actually existed, and one has to wonder if it were true, why Tyrell was not executed for regicide and murder but for treason in aiding Edmund de la Pole, the Duke of Suffolk. Starkey seemed to make a huge deal of the fact Henry was at the Tower with Elizabeth of York at the time of the trial ‘so something was clearly going on.’ A pretty weak ‘finding’, I would say, since James Tyrell was not tried at the Tower but at Guildhall, and while Starkey’s beloved Thomas More wrote about the ‘confession’, other writers of the time such as Polydore Vergil make no mention of it. A pretty important thing to miss, no?

More, it might be worth saying, also had Tyrrell knighted by Richard for killing the princes when ,in reality, he had been knighted years before by Edward IV at Tewkesbury.  The whole scene by More regarding  the Princes ‘murder’ smacks of farce to me–Richard on the toilet telling his wicked plans to a random page boy, then stepping into the corridor and stumbling  upon some  convenient thugs lying on a pallet outside the door whom he casually asks to do the wicked deed alongside Tyrell. I think More may will have been writing some  form of satire here–and let us not forget that he starts off his book  with the death of Edward IV, but the age of the King at his death is WRONG by many years. The age More gives is that of  Henry Tudor at HIS death! So what was he really trying to say?

Clearly, certain historians like to cherry-pick More’s work and perhaps, lacking as it would seem, a sense of humour, take every word  literally  and far more seriously than  perhaps was ever intended by the author (who, incidentally, neither finished nor published it in his lifetime.)

Autumn Rain

Here is the Legendary Ten Seconds‘ song “Autumn Rain”, about the Buckingham rebellion, which failed amid the wet weather in 1483.

“On the Trail of the Mortimers”

This song was written in conjunction with the Mortimer History Society for Philip Hume’s book about the noble family.

The Wydeville Household

A performance in Coldridge – a review

The Legendary Ten Seconds Concert at Coldridge

 Nestling deep in the Mid-Devon countryside is the hill-top village of Coldridge where the windswept St Matthews Church is hiding secrets relating to the mystery of The Princes in the Tower.

The Church and its links to Richard III and Edward V are currently being investigated by Philippa Langley’s Missing Princes Project.

Maybe in an attempt to stir up some mediaeval spirits of the past, it was very fitting that on 5 March 2018 the folk rock band the Legendary Ten Seconds came to Coldridge and presented an excellent concert to the village.

The atmospheric and acoustic setting of the Church resonated with original and very entertaining music evocative of the Tudor Period. It was very special to hear the mediaeval harmonies sung so well in that ancient building.

The bands highly competent musicians comprised Ian Churchward on guitar and vocals, Elaine Churchward vocals, Rob Bright lead guitar and Lord Zarquon (Mike) on keyboards.

We were entertained by a range of songs, composed by the band, featuring;

WRITTEN AT RISING (about a letter written in June 1469 by the Duke of Gloucester at Castle Rising)

LORD ANTHONY WOODVILLE (a song about Elizabeth Woodville’s oldest brother who was looking after Edward V at Ludlow)

THE LADY ANNE NEVILLE ( sung by Elaine )

FELLOWSHIP OF THE WHITE BOAR

KING IN THE CAR PARK  ( sung by Elaine )

HOW DO YOU REBURY A KING (the reburial of Richard III in Leicester)

RAGGED STAFF instrumental

THE GOLD IT FEELS SO COLD (about Edward IV’s campaign in France 1475)

THE YEAR OF THREE KINGS (Edward IV, Edward V and Richard III 1483)

THE COURT OF KING RICHARD III (the visit of a knight from Silesia to the Court of Richard III in Nottingham in 1484)

ACT III SCENE IV (using the words written by Shakespeare in Act III, Scene IV of the play called Richard III)

The above three photographs showing the band recording their album “Murrey & Blue”

WHITE SURREY (Richard III at the battle of Bosworth)

HOUSE OF YORK (the first song that The Legendary Ten Seconds recorded about Richard III)

 

I spoke to several villagers after the concert and all were in agreement that it was a thoroughly enjoyable and special experience for the Church, and who knows – was that the armour of  our Tudor Knight, Sir John Evans, we heard clinking away in time to the music ? !

John Dike

Coldridge

Devon.

Recording the Murrey and Blue album

 

 

The Mediaeval Free Company

Here is another video from the Legendary Ten Seconds, this time in honour of a group of Roses re-enactors …

Below is an army featuring a zombie, which is how “David” must include Sir Hugh Swynford in the 1470-1 battles.

A “The Legendary Ten Seconds” Christmas

Murrey-and-Blue by The Legendary Ten Seconds to be released on 1^st November 2017 which is the anniversary of when Richard, later Richard III, was created the Duke of Gloucester in 1461.

 

A concept album of songs by The Legendary Ten Seconds about the Wars of the Roses and England in the late fifteenth century.

 

Featuring the following songs:-

 

• The Boars Head, a song inspired by the chapter in a book by Toni Mount about a medieval Christmas.
• John Judde, who died at a battle at St Albans, another song inspired from Toni Mount’s book about life in medieval London.
• The Medieval Free Company, inspired by a display of archery and medieval life of a Wars of the Roses reenactment group at Buckland Abbey.
• Plantagenet Pavane, a stately dance usually in slow duple time but in true Legendary Ten Seconds style this instrumental is played in triple time.
• Francis Cranley, a song about the main character in a Ricardian novel called The Woodville Connection written by Kathy Martin.
• The Woodville Household, a song for the fifteenth century reenactment group who portray the retinue of Sir Anthony Woodville.
• The Month of May, a fictional exchange of letters written during 1483.
• John Nesfield’s Retinue, this instrumental is for the retinue of John Nesfield.
• The Seventh of August, Henry Tudor lands at Mill Bay in August 1485 with his French mercenaries. A song inspired by a book written by Chris Skidmore.
• The Dublin King, a song about Lambert Simnel and the battle of Stoke in 1487,

inspired after reading a book of the same name by John Ashdown-Hill.

• Lambeth MS 474, an instrumental for the book of hours of Richard III
• Shining Knight, written by Riikka Katajisto and Ian Churchward for all the Ricardian ladies who have fallen in love with Richard III of which there are very many.
• Court of King Richard III, a new 2017 recording of the song which was originally featured on the Tant le desiree album. The version of this song features new bass guitar and singing.
• White Surrey August 1485, another new 2017 recording of the song which was

originally featured on the Tant le desiree album which features a mix of new recordings and also old recordings of the original version of this popular song.

 

Album artwork painted by G Harman of Red fox illustrations.

 

Ian Churchward vocals, guitars and mandola.

 

Lord Zarquon keyboards, bass and drums.

 

David Clifford bass guitar on John Judde, The Medieval Free Company, Court of King Richard III and White Surrey August 1485.

 

Rob Bright guitar on John Judde, John Nesfield’s Retinue and The Seventh of August.

 

Pippa West vocals on The Boars Head, The Medieval Free Company, Francis Cranley and The Month of May.

 

Elaine Churchward vocals on The Seventh of August.

 

Camilla Joyce vocals on the 2017 versions of Court of King Richard III and White Surrey.

 

John Bessant lap steel guitar on The Dublin King and Lambeth MS 474.

 

All songs written by Ian Churchward except Shining Knight written by Riikka Katajisto and Ian Churchward.

 

All songs arranged by Lord Zarquon.

 

Recorded in Torbay at Rock Lee and Rainbow Starshine studios for Richard The Third Records.

 

THE MONTH OF MAY (1483)

Dearly beloved I greet you this day

So much has happened in the month of May

The stench from the street assaults my nose

How I do long for the scent of a rose

 

The news of the queen is very disturbing

Remaining in sanctuary so we are learning

The date of the coronation is set

One Sunday in June it’s not happened yet

 

Dearly beloved I greet you good day

So much has happened since the month of May

Of true honesty there’s nought to be had

And the stench from the Thames it is terribly bad

 

The news of Lord Hastings is very disturbing

Of his execution this we are learning

The date of the coronation draws near

Of its cancellation I really do fear

Lannister and York: Kasabian’s III Ray (The King)

A very unusual video came down my timeline the other day; at first I thought it was a joke (ok, ok, I’m older than God and am no longer in touch with the current music scene!) but it seems I was very wrong.  Successful Leicester band Kasabian have released a music trailer for their new song III Ray–The King (which contains the lyrics ‘King for a Day) which uses the finding of Richard’s remains as a basis. It is funny but silly, and certainly won’t be to everyone’s taste, but even if it’s taking the mickey, it seems to be poking fun in  a non-vicious way.

In the video, a female history freak holds seances and lights candles in a carpark and then, magically,  Richard appears! Stunned and dazed, the King is dragged through the streets of Leicester like a celebrity lumbered by his ‘biggest fan’. He ends up in a pub, where he immediately notices the low necklines on the female population, and finds out that beer is much stronger in the 21st c than in the 15th! At the end though, magic doesn’t last and he can only be ‘king for a day.’

Richard is played by Michael Socha , star of THIS IS ENGLAND, and at least is in the right age group and wearing clothes that are actually based on those in Richard’s portraits (better than what we’ve recently  seen on certain documentaries fronted by ‘historians’, ahem.)

Perhaps the most interesting part of the Kasabian video is that ‘the fan’ is played by Lena Headey, star of the wildly successful series  GAMES OF THRONES, in which she plays the scheming and incestuous Cersei Lannister. GOT  is, in part, based on Wars of the Roses, and many characters are amalgamations of historical figures mixed with the author’s own ideas. Some believe Cersei is  partly based on Elizabeth Woodville and partly on Margaret of Anjou. The character also did  the infamous ‘Walk of Shame’ which was clearly based on Jane Shore’s penance…only it was much, much worse.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-4836734/Game-Thrones-star-Lena-Headey-Kasabian-video.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf3CPnDMVz0