This TV drama is based on one of my favourite books of all time however I don’t think that the TV show would inspire many people to read the book which quite frankly has a different plot. To be fair; to cover all the historical detail included in the book the dramatisation would have to be about 50 episodes long. I enjoyed watching it but it seemed to lack authenticity, even though there were a lot of well known British actors in the cast it still felt quite American, almost as if good script writing and storytelling had been sacrificed in favour of CGI. Never mind, I was still entertained but sometimes for the wrong reasons.

I’ve read the book and now I’m watching the TV series which is meant to be based on the book. The main characters are the same but their personalities and the plot is a bit different. I’m enjoying it so far, there’s just enough gratuitous violence and sex to keep me wondering when the next spurt of blood or flash of breast will come next. The dodgiest thing about it is the comical array of accents, especially the Prior who seems to keep forgetting that he’s meant to be Welsh.

I thought the ending was a bit disappointing. Towards the end I got a bit excited and thought that the ending (without giving anything away) might convey the message that humans, even in a post-apocalyptic world of their own making, cannot break the habit of seeking to absolve their responsibilities for their actions through religion. That is is easier for the characters in the film to “resurrect” God and then make God the reason and cause of their environment and destiny rather than have to face the world as it is and then try to put it right themselves.

I do think that the film raises some interesting philosophical themes, i.e. if humans can destroy the world does that then mean they can destroy God?

To be honest though, I’m not sure how useful the bible would be in a post-apocalyptic world. Perhaps a Ray Mears book about how to survive in the desert would be more practical or maybe the SAS survival guide. Maybe these sorts of books would form the bible of an earth returned to wilderness.

I’ve always enjoyed historical fiction but wanted to get a clearer picture of the facts behind some of the books I’ve read about the Tudors by authors such as Phillipa Gregory and Margaret George. Alison Weir has also had a crack at historical fiction and I think that her writing style is very accessible and engaging. I enjoy reading historical biographies but find that many authors make an interesting subject hard work by writing in a style that’s just too dry for bedtime reading. I think Alison Weir tries to empathise with the individuals she writes about in a way that makes this book an enjoyable read. I think this book is an excellent starting point for someone who wants to learn more about the Tudors. I’ve already started ‘Children of England, The heirs of King Henry VII.’ as this first book has whetted my appetite the learn more.

This film starts out badly and then gets worse and then there comes a point where it’s so bad that it starts to get good again. I accept that I’m not their target audience and that I’m maybe too jaded and cynical and elderly for this film. I did laugh but for the wrong reasons.

Estelle Jorgensen isn’t a lady who minces her words. She tells it like it is (or how she sees it) and if you’re a music teacher or traininng to be a music teacher then the intorduction may well put you back up a little. Sometimes I think she writes in a provoking manner just to check if we’re all paying attention. This book is essential reading to anyone interested in the sociology of music and the rationale behind music education in the west.

I know this is meant to be a very well respected piece but I can only get so far with it before I just become so irritated by the repetitiveness that I have to stop.

I’ve listened to it all now – to be honest, it “did my head in” quite a bit. I don’t think I’d go out of my way to listen to it again. Undoubtably it’s an artistic musical work of great merit but I think the components that make up the whole part are just too aggitating for me to enjoy the music. It’s worth a listen but for the most part I didn’t enjoy listening to it.

I’ve never really gotten into feminist theory and even in the field of music I have made a conscious effort to avoid my writing and research straying into this particular field. This is odd because as a performing and composing musician I’m all too aware of the huge gender inequalities within music and musicology. It’s not that I’m not interested in feminism within music but more that I’m perhaps a little afraid of compromising my reputation and status as a musician within the musical circles and societies I operate in by raising questions about whether I am treated differently, judged differently, viewed differently by my predominantly male contemporaries. I do not want to risk raising the questions that might highlight the “elephant in the room” (or elephant on the stage) that I use my femininity to my advantage on the stage and in my creative practice and yet, perhaps, the price I pay for that is that I do suffer prejudice, resentment and downright misogany by men and sometimes women who do not like to see a female performer who does not conform to the traditional “behaviours” such as modesty, passiveness, shyness and weakness.

I’d like to think that I further feminist issues in music by being a technically proficient and confident ragtime guitarist and singer, but I don’t think I’d want to risk my music by becoming more outspoken on the issue which is perhaps a sad reflection on just how far there is to go in the struggle for gender equality within music.

I bought this on the strength of the track Technicolour. I’ve listened to a few track so far. I don’t really understand why this band is really famous. Their music is brilliant! I love their choice of instruments.

Finished listening now – This is my new favourite band.

Lucy Green has written some pretty interesting things about the sociology of music, in particular music and feminism and the tensions between the western classical music tradition and popular music. Although these topics might sound like they belong in acadmeic discussions alone I would disagree. Why would we want to tell the entire internet what we’re consuming and what we like consuming if we did not think that these choices reflected positively on us? In previous writing Lucy Green states that we like music not just because we like the order, pattern and sound of the music but also because we perceive particular music as having cultural and intelectual meanings which are not dependent on the noise itself. In music education in the UK western classical music has been held up as the superior music. Lucy Green seeks to illustrate ways in which informal music practices and learning methods can and should be incorporated into the school music curriculum.

The teaching of cultural values in school is, I believe, a political act. Middle Class teachers teach us middle class values, in turn the middle class children succeed and the working class children become more and more culturally impoverished. In the UK our class system means that children do not compete on a level playing field when it comes to their education. It’s not fair. EVERYONE does music! Everyone listens to it, plays it, hums it, sings it, everyone participates in music but only a small minority would consider their music activity as cultural activity. I’m interested in reading any book which explores issues of how social class affects the way in which we participate in cultural activities. What I can’t decide about Lucy Green is whether or not she secretly thinks that western classical music is superior and that popluar music might be the bait in which to engage the student in music lessons so that they can be “converted” into classical music lovers.

This kind of stuff keeps me awake at night! Music and social class – both of these things have had a profound affect on my life.