It is interesting to see what impact the discovery of Richard’s remains had on the arts.  Those who attended the Australasian Convention will remember vividly Graham Keitch’s beautiful ‘In memoriam Ricardus Rex‘.  However, he is not the only musician to be inspired by what happened in Leicester.

Some time ago, I had the pleasure to listen to a few songs about Richard III by a group called The Legendary Ten Seconds.  These songs are part of their new album ‘Loyaulté me lie’, which can now be purchased in mp3 format.

The American branch of the Richard III Society wrote this for the sleeve notes:

In this brilliant collection of songs, the Legendary Ten Seconds reveal the unquenched fighting spirit of the House of York and the steadfast loyalty of Good King Richard. They also bring to life the haunting sadness of death itself. This album is indeed worthy of King Richard III’s motto.

The Richard III Society, American Branch. R3.org (November 2013)

Proceeds from the sale of the music will be donated to a scoliosis charity.

You can download the album from both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk or from iTunes.

While these are compositions by modern musicians, the York Waits have recorded a new album ‘The White Rose And The Red: Music From The Age Of Richard III‘ with music from Richard’s lifetime.  As one of their members explains:  “We know that the Duke of Gloucester, or Richard III as he became, was a cultivated man who employed musicians. “

You can order their new CD via their website.

Tags: Music, Richard III

Further to my review of Richard III:  The King under the Car Park, I just noticed that one of the authors, Richard Buckley, is one of the nominees for Archaeologist of the Year by the Current Archaeology magazine.  These awards are voted for entirely by the public – there are no panels of judges.  The vote is also open to non-UK residents, you can make your vote count here.

Tags: Leicester, Leicester Greyfriars Dig

Book Review:  Richard III – The King under the Car Park

Mathew Morris & Richard Buckley, Richard III – The King under the Car Park. University of Leicester Archaeological Services, 2013.  ISBN 978-0-9574792-2-7

Richard III –  The King under the Car Park tells the story of the Greyfriars Dig from the point of view of the scientists involved in the dig:  Mathew Morris supervised the field work and Richard Buckley was the lead archaeologist.  It is a slim book, only 64 pages, but it is amazing how much well-founded information it contains.  The many well-chosen illustrations, both historical ones as well as modern photographs, are a treat.

Before describing the dig and its outcome, the book covers the historical background that led to Richard III being buried in the church of the Greyfriars (ie. Franciscans) in the first place.  They acknowledge that “Shakespeare weaves a compelling portrait of the king, yet in real life he was a loyal brother and a fearless leader who inspired great loyalty amongst his followers, and a lawmaker whose legal reforms still affect us today.” [p.8]  They follow Richard to the Battle of Bosworth, also summarising the research that established the actual site of the action.

The section explaining Leicester’s history was particularly interesting and helps to visualise the historic sites in the modern city.  Part of their research was overlaying and comparing historical maps with modern maps of Leicester.

They explain their objectives in undertaking this dig.  They wanted to find the remains of the Franciscan Friary, identify clues and orientation of the buildings, locate the church within the friary, if they managed to locate the church, they wanted to find the choir, and the fifth objective, which seemed highly unlikely to achieve, was locating Richard’s remains.  It is well known by now that they managed to realise all five objectives.  The dig itself is chronologically explained and illustrated with diagrams.

The last pages cover the post-dig research which established that the remains which were found are indeed those of Richard III.  The issue of the DNA match, which can be rather confusing to the lay person, is well explained.

The book acknowledges the roles played by Philippa Langley, John Ashdown-Hill and the Richard III Society in general.

Richard III –  The King under the Car Park is highly recommended for anyone interested in the finding of Richard’s remains.

Note: I would like to thank my friend in Leicester, who attended the launch of this book and bought an extra copy and posted it to me.   This is particularly appreciated, as this book does not seem to be available yet to Australians through the usual channels.However, you can order it directly from the University of Leicester shop at http://shop.le.ac.uk/

Tags: Books, Leicester, Leicester Greyfriars Dig, Richard III

Our guest speaker for our last meeting of the calendar year will be member Lynne Foley with a presentation about Medieval Jewellery. As it is our Christmas gathering, please bring a bread & butter plate of some Christmas food to share at afternoon tea.

Please note this will also be the last meeting that will be held at the Harry Jensen Centre in the Rocks. Starting in February 2014 we will be returning to the Sydney Mechanics Institute meeting rooms at 280 Pitt Street.

Tags: NSW Branch

The December issue of the Ricardian Bulletin is starting to arrive in Australia!  Congratulations to the Bulletin Committee on a wonderful new issue.  Not only the contents are very appealing, but so is the new style with full colour throughout.  And it got here extremely quickly, virtually at the same time as for members in the UK.

Hoping yours arrives soon, too.  If you are a member of the NSW branch and have not received your copy by 14 December, please let me know at publications@richardiii-nsw.org.au.

Tags: NSW Branch, Richard III Society

Born within the sound of Bow Bells, Eileen became a Ricardian in 1955 after reading Historical Whodunits by Hugh Ross Williams, and she was one of the earliest members of the Sydney Branch around 1981 when the group met in committee members’ houses.

Eileen performing a sketch (photo by I Martyn)

She had a tremendous sense of fun and 1983 saw the first comic sketch that we did together at the Commemoration Banquet in the Sydney School of Arts with Eileen Junoesque and magnificent in a long wine red velvet mantle and black hat. Other sketches and songs followed through the eighties and nineties including a forty-five minute off-schedule entertainment at the Australian and New Zealand Medieval and Renaissance Conference in Hobart, and a special performance of the ‘Oh no, Thomas More’ song for Professor Tony Pollard.

One of her most memorable roles was a party political broadcast as Boudicca sporting a pudding basin with horns, and carrying a spear. Oh yes, and a yellow wig as well! She also did a political speech as Lady Margaret Beaufort imitating the UK Prime Minister of the time with a Thatcheresque breathy voice. She very much enjoyed being part of Ye Kynge’s Syngers and she was also an eager participant in scenes from Shakespeare and other playwrights, organised by our actor member, the later Peter Ryan, with some of his fellow players.

Besides King Richard, Eileen’s other great passion was enjoying Shakespeare plays.

Despite being badly afflicted by rheumatoid arthritis in her hands and feet, and with responsibility every weekend for her Down Syndrome daughter, she nevertheless never let it stop her from attending meetings and dressing up for the medieval cabarets. Recently, she was delighted to know that some of the songs and sketches were still being used from time to time.

Eileen was 87 when she died at the retirement home on 9 November.

Tags: NSW Branch

The King’s Grave

Book Review:  The King’s Grave

Philippa Langley, Michael Jones, The King’s Grave.  St. Martin’s Press, 2013

All of us in the Richard III Society and many others followed the discovery of what was later confirmed to be Richard III’s remains under the car park in Leicester with fascination and awe.  In several homes the champagne corks popped, when it was announced on 4 February 2013 that these remains were indeed those of Richard III.

The King’s Grave is written by Philippa Langley and Michael Jones.  It would be safe to say that without Philippa’s drive and determination the Greyfriars Dig would never have taken place.  Michael Jones is a well-known historian of the period.  Here the authors are telling two different but related tales in alternating chapters in one book about “a search for Richard’s remains – and also, accompanying it, the search for his real historical reputation.” [Preface]

Philippa recounts the story of the lead-up to the dig, the time of the dig itself and its fantastic result. While it gives a good day to day account of the dig, it is also a very personal story and the reader experiences with her all the frustrations, hiccups and anxieties she felt along the way, thus making it personal for the reader as well.  However, it has to be said that this very emotional style, the constant use of the word “I” and the frequent reminders of the strange sensation she first experienced in the car park in May 2004, might come across as if it was all about Philippa, though she does acknowledge John Ashdown-Hill and Annette Carson and others.

Michael on the other hand provides the historical background to Richard’s life – and death – in a sympathetic, but unsentimental way.  His aim is “Not to condemn him, nor to sanitize his actions, but to place him firmly back in the context of his times” [Preface] and he succeeded in doing so.  He emphasizes Richard’s keen sense of justice and religiousness.

The conclusion is that

“Richard III wasn’t a saint. He was a man, who played the hand he was dealt loyally and, as far as he could within the limitations of his time, humanely. Above all, whether on and off the battlefield, he never failed to display courage.” [Chapter 11:  The Man Behind the Myth]

The mystery of what happened to Edward IV’s sons, though not related to the archaeological search for Richard, but very much part of “the search for his real historical reputation”, is dealt with in an Appendix.  Here the two authors agree to disagree.  Philippa explaining convincingly why Richard should be innocent and Michael explaining equally convincingly why he probably had to do it.

A second appendix to The King’s Grave is about the psychological analysis of Richard III by Prof Mark Lansdale and Julian Booth, a more extensive version of this was included in the March 2013 Ricardian Bulletin.

The King’s Grave is illuminated by many examples, some of them well-known to a Ricardian, some maybe less so.  Thomas Barowe, and his generous gift to Cambridge University as a memorial of Richard III is mentioned.  The book also introduces the reader to Jane Sacheverell and the way she changed the law.

I found it interesting to find out that, while Henry had Richard’s body displayed in Leicester, he himself moved on to Coventry to celebrate his victory, before returning to Leicester and then continuing on to London.

The King’s Grave is a book that will resonate with any Ricardian who lived through this exciting period, but will also be of interest to readers, who might not have followed the events with so much enthusiasm while they unfolded.

You can watch a short interview with the author’s of The King’s Grave on YouTube.

This is a review of an advance ebook copy supplied by the publishers through NetGalley.com.  Quotes are therefore referenced by chapters rather than page numbers.

Tags: Books, Leicester, Leicester Greyfriars Dig, Richard III

The documentary about finding the remains of Richard III is coming to Australia.  It will be screened this Sunday, 20 October, at 20h30 on SBS One.  If you have not yet watched the documentary, or would like to see it again, here is your chance.

The follow-up, Richard III:  The Unseen Story will be shown the following week, Sunday, 27 October, an hour earlier at 19h30 on SBS One.

Tags: Leicester, Leicester Greyfriars Dig, Richard III

The Annual General Meeting of the New South Wales Branch of the Richard III Society was held on Saturday, 12 October 2013, at the Harry Jensen Centre.

Opening remarks were made by Chair Judith, with a review of the branch activities in the past year, a very exciting one for Ricardians. A warm welcome was extended to the new members and visitors present. Thanks were expressed for the work of all the committee members throughout the year, with gifts given to Julia and Kevin – both stepping down after many years of devoted contribution to the branch.

Thank you, Julia and Kevin, for many years of service to the branch!

Judy delivered her report as Treasurer about the financial success of the convention and good finances due to new members. Dorothea told us that the website is attracting more visitors than ever. Lynne reported on Sales. Julia presented her last report as Secretary, which included a look-back at some of the highlights of the branch activities over the past year.

The Committee then officially stepped down, and Carole facilitated the elections for all of the officers of the branch.  A number of officers returned unopposed to their roles, including Judith as Chair, Judy as Treasurer, Dorothea as Webmaster and Editor of the Chronicles, Lynne as Sales Officer, and Rosemary as Tea Lady. New faces on the committee included Rachel as Secretary, Angela as Social Secretary, Leslie as editor of the Affinity newsletter, Joan as keeper of the portrait of Richard, and Jacqueline as Deputy Chair. (You can see some of the new – and old – faces here.)

Our scheduled guest speaker was unable to come, so our Chair Judith presented a talk about the innovations encountered by the medieval crusaders when they ventured east. They brought back with them a world of new ideas and treasures including glass, lacquer, porcelain, many new spices, gems like turquoise, pearls and jade, silks and satins, buttons, ivory and ebony, paper, poppy seeds and gunpowder, the concept of the musical scale, the idea of carrying banners and of decorating one’s horses. The works of the great Greek thinkers, such as Aristotle, had been lost with the fall of Rome and during the Dark Ages, but had been preserved by Arabic scholars. These works were now re-introduced to Western Europe, leading to great intellectual development in the 11th and 12th centuries. It was a wonderful talk, illustrated with exquisite examples of gems and objets d’art from Judith’s private collection.

Our next gathering will be our Christmas meeting scheduled for 14 December 2013, when Lynne will be speaking about medieval jewelry.

Tags: NSW Branch