Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Matthew McCormack @historymatt.bsky.social · 14h

This is fantastic news. As is often the way, it's not so much a "discovery" as it was already in an archive - more a case of better cataloguing

www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...

‘Almost unheard of’: experts find more music by English composer Henry Purcell

Printed score and keyboard manuscript by Purcell, who died in 1695, unearthed in Worcestershire and Norfolk

www.theguardian.com

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Matthew McCormack @historymatt.bsky.social · 1d

The Bootleg Beatles were awesome at the Derngate last night. Many of the songs were never intended to be played live, so to recreate the studio sound with only a handful of musicians was hugely impressive

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Reposted by Matthew McCormack

Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 2d

The RHS is a membership organisation of 6500+ historians. We welcome applications to join us at any time. Our next closing dates are 13 October and 15 December.

We offer categories for all kinds of historians and at all stages of research, from Postgraduate to Fellow: bit.ly/46V8WOQ #Skystorians

Closing dates for next application rounds:
Mondays 13 October and 15 December 2025

The Royal Historical Society represents the interests of historical researchers in universities, libraries, archives, museums, heritage and broadcasting, as well as those engaged in public, community and family history research.

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Matthew McCormack @historymatt.bsky.social · 2d

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Matthew McCormack @historymatt.bsky.social · 2d

Jilly Cooper interviewed members of the Bournemouth SO when she was researching the bonkbuster Appassionata. She was hoping for tales of bedhopping musicians, but the findings were disappointingly dull.

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Matthew McCormack @historymatt.bsky.social · 3d

You've probably heard of this, but it reminds me of the campaign by the shoemaker Timothy Bennett, who took Lord Halifax to court in 1754 and won the right to walk across Bushy Park

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Reposted by Matthew McCormack

dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 4d

This is a great piece of local journalism - about all those flags going up in Brum.

Some interesting details.

The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 4d

Ryan Bridge has become a familiar face in Stirchley lately. He's one of two "company directors" of raisetheflags.org, where he collects donations from £10-£500 for flags.

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Matthew McCormack @historymatt.bsky.social · 5d

Many thanks to @zarakesterton.bsky.social for a very generous review of Shoes and the Georgian Man in the new issue of Selvedge. Much appreciated!
www.selvedge.org/products/iss...

Issue 127 Aurora (Pre-Order)

COMING NEXT AURORA–Northern light Out 15 October FLAX AND FOOTBALL–Christian Jeffery PATTERN PLAY–Marimekko DIZZYING DELIGHTS–Valentino SPARKING JOY–Folk dress of Eastern Telmark A SMOKING SHUTTLE–Wel...

www.selvedge.org

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Reposted by Matthew McCormack

The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) @themerl.bsky.social · 6d

New Absolute Units is live!

Join us and @katrinanavickas.bsky.social as we explore resistance to enclosure in the modern era: from riots, to raves, to Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

Listen below, or search 'Absolute Units' wherever you get your podcasts!

merl.reading.ac.uk/explore/abso...

Absolute Units - a podcast from The Museum of English Rural Life.

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Matthew McCormack @historymatt.bsky.social · 5d

An easy headline, but brass instruments are great for health and wellbeing. Holst took up the trombone to help with his asthma.

www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/...

NHS spends £25k on trombones and trumpets while heart rehab is cut

NHS Western Isles claimed the musical instruments would help the group members ‘physically, cognitively, emotionally and socially’

www.thetimes.com

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Matthew McCormack @historymatt.bsky.social · 6d

"We should not go abroad in this season in too light cloaths or too thin shoes."
From J. Forthergell, Rules for the Preservation of Health (1770)

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Matthew McCormack @historymatt.bsky.social · 6d

"Of all the seasons autumn is the most unhealthy, because the perspirable fluid is both obstructed and apt to grow putrid; but it cannot hurt him whom the coldness of that season shall find well cloathed, and who uses a proper diet"...

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Reposted by Matthew McCormack

Warwick History Post-Doc Club @post-doc-club.bsky.social · 9d

Great news!
JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month

www.jstor.org/action/showL...

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Matthew McCormack @historymatt.bsky.social · 11d

Alien: Earth was OK. The best thing about it by a MILE was the eyeball monster. Give it more screen time, or its own show

Matthew McCormack @historymatt.bsky.social · 12d

There are several complete cycles, I like the Fischer one:
open.spotify.com/album/0hGIxo...

Haydn: The Complete Symphonies

open.spotify.com

Reposted by Matthew McCormack

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 16d

History curious? You don't need to be in London (or the UK) to attend many Institute of Historical Research seminars, although if you're in Bloomsbury you'll enjoy doing so. Most are hybrid (online/in person). They're free, usually fortnightly and open to the public.

Starting this week:

Events

Stay up to date with the upcoming events organised or hosted by the Institute of Historical Research

www.history.ac.uk

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Matthew McCormack @historymatt.bsky.social · 12d

The picture placement of Sarkozy seems deliberate. "Papiers s'il vous plait!"

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Matthew McCormack @historymatt.bsky.social · 12d

If you listen to streamed music while you work, I can recommend Haydn's complete symphonies. It's very uplifting and lasts for weeks

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Reposted by Matthew McCormack

Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 14d

If you're starting a postgraduate course in History this autumn, please do consider joining the Royal Historical Society bit.ly/41mTuck

Postgraduate Membership brings access to research funding, events, publications and networks. You'll join an international community of more than 6500 historians.