@tudorfp.bsky.social
20thc. musicians and wives: Gustav, Isobel and Imogen Holst and Vally Lasker. Mrs. Gustav Holst (2022). Church history, mostly Tudors and Huguenots.
St Cecilia at rest in her basilica in Trastevere, Rome. Posted for her day today, photo taken May 2019 at the end of the final stage of the Via Francigena.
November 22, 2025 at 1:20 PM
St Cecilia at rest in her basilica in Trastevere, Rome. Posted for her day today, photo taken May 2019 at the end of the final stage of the Via Francigena.
Maximum punning in Bulls, New Zealand.
November 9, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Maximum punning in Bulls, New Zealand.
A very #Tudor time at Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery yesterday, with the unexpected treat of a volunteer playing period music on the lute. I otherwise had the early galleries mostly to myself, so was able to linger trying to count the Tudor roses on Elizabeth I’s very fine outfit.
November 8, 2025 at 5:50 AM
A very #Tudor time at Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery yesterday, with the unexpected treat of a volunteer playing period music on the lute. I otherwise had the early galleries mostly to myself, so was able to linger trying to count the Tudor roses on Elizabeth I’s very fine outfit.
Open until 31 January (Wed to Sat) the Museum of Croydon has an interesting one-room exhibition about Croydon-born composer and campaigner Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. Good selection of images, several of which were new to me. Well worth a 30 minute visit and a shortish walk from East Croydon station.
October 31, 2025 at 7:36 AM
Open until 31 January (Wed to Sat) the Museum of Croydon has an interesting one-room exhibition about Croydon-born composer and campaigner Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. Good selection of images, several of which were new to me. Well worth a 30 minute visit and a shortish walk from East Croydon station.
Last night’s concert by @royalphilorchestra.bsky.social and chorus was indeed a Titan. The programme and performance were stellar and Mahler 1 and Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms a memorable pairing. Outstanding solo by @westminsterabbey.bsky.social choir treble in the latter. A triumph all round.
October 22, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Last night’s concert by @royalphilorchestra.bsky.social and chorus was indeed a Titan. The programme and performance were stellar and Mahler 1 and Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms a memorable pairing. Outstanding solo by @westminsterabbey.bsky.social choir treble in the latter. A triumph all round.
Happy, excited and very grateful to be a fellow of @ihr.bsky.social for 2025-26. Much has changed since I last had an academic home, in 1982, including greatly increased diversity and extensive access to electronic sources. Delighted to belong to such a welcoming and inclusive community of scholars.
October 2, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Happy, excited and very grateful to be a fellow of @ihr.bsky.social for 2025-26. Much has changed since I last had an academic home, in 1982, including greatly increased diversity and extensive access to electronic sources. Delighted to belong to such a welcoming and inclusive community of scholars.
Unique opportunity to handle objects from the V&A collections in the lunch break of today’s Sacred Ceramics; devotional images in European porcelain event. 5 super presentations and 3 more to go. Many thanks to all concerned.
September 30, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Unique opportunity to handle objects from the V&A collections in the lunch break of today’s Sacred Ceramics; devotional images in European porcelain event. 5 super presentations and 3 more to go. Many thanks to all concerned.
Today is international world heart day. The 2025 theme is “don’t miss a beat”, encouraging individuals and organisations to raise awareness of how to promote heart health. The Castle at Colioure in S. France does its bit with its topiary heart, photographed last week. @bhfpolicy.bsky.social
September 29, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Today is international world heart day. The 2025 theme is “don’t miss a beat”, encouraging individuals and organisations to raise awareness of how to promote heart health. The Castle at Colioure in S. France does its bit with its topiary heart, photographed last week. @bhfpolicy.bsky.social
Chineke! concerts are always outstanding and exciting, but today’s concert by Junior Chineke (age 12-22) was a 1st for us. It was a great performance, including Averil Coleridge Taylor’s Sussex landscape (1939) and well up to Chineke’s high standards. Thank you Chineke! For your brilliance and hope.
September 28, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Chineke! concerts are always outstanding and exciting, but today’s concert by Junior Chineke (age 12-22) was a 1st for us. It was a great performance, including Averil Coleridge Taylor’s Sussex landscape (1939) and well up to Chineke’s high standards. Thank you Chineke! For your brilliance and hope.
Otd 1953 piano manufacturers Pleyel confirmed the identity of the piano sent to composer Chopin for his winter in Menorca in 1838. His time staying in Carthusian cell no 4 was productive. George Sand was unimpressed. It snowed. He composed. We can still enjoy the results. Photographed last week.
September 23, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Otd 1953 piano manufacturers Pleyel confirmed the identity of the piano sent to composer Chopin for his winter in Menorca in 1838. His time staying in Carthusian cell no 4 was productive. George Sand was unimpressed. It snowed. He composed. We can still enjoy the results. Photographed last week.
#GustavHolst, born otd 1874. This is my favourite photo of him, taken when he and his wife Isobel were in the USA in 1923. Daughter Isobel wrote « he was the happiest » person she knew. Photo now at his birthplace museum in Cheltenham. Lots more to see there and excellent mss scores online.
September 21, 2025 at 3:58 AM
#GustavHolst, born otd 1874. This is my favourite photo of him, taken when he and his wife Isobel were in the USA in 1923. Daughter Isobel wrote « he was the happiest » person she knew. Photo now at his birthplace museum in Cheltenham. Lots more to see there and excellent mss scores online.
Many happy returns for the great lexicographer Dr Samuel Johnson, born in Lichfield otd 1709. This stained glass window is at his London house @drjohnsonshouse.bsky.social, a wonderful place to visit.
September 18, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Many happy returns for the great lexicographer Dr Samuel Johnson, born in Lichfield otd 1709. This stained glass window is at his London house @drjohnsonshouse.bsky.social, a wonderful place to visit.
Two visits 6 years apart. Today’s treat was the recently restored Crystal Palace subway (opened 1865) in south London. The photo of Cordoba Mosque/Cathedral was taken in January 2019.
September 13, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Two visits 6 years apart. Today’s treat was the recently restored Crystal Palace subway (opened 1865) in south London. The photo of Cordoba Mosque/Cathedral was taken in January 2019.
An upcheering sight in the middle of a thundery downpour on London’s Victoria Street just now - @cathamclarke.bsky.social’s new History of England in 25 poems in Waterstones window display.
September 11, 2025 at 2:02 PM
An upcheering sight in the middle of a thundery downpour on London’s Victoria Street just now - @cathamclarke.bsky.social’s new History of England in 25 poems in Waterstones window display.
This is the way to do an online exhibition! Fabulous images and insights from the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, superbly curated and including images from the Victoria & Albert illuminated manuscript collection. Sections on visual, physical and auditory devotion, with videos, essays and glossary.
September 11, 2025 at 8:01 AM
This is the way to do an online exhibition! Fabulous images and insights from the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, superbly curated and including images from the Victoria & Albert illuminated manuscript collection. Sections on visual, physical and auditory devotion, with videos, essays and glossary.
Thorney Abbey door, little changed from when Jean Jembelin was minister of its French church 1685-c.1712. The church notice board of ministers confuses him with a cousin. Thanks to @lampallib.bsky.social for enabling me to write about his sermons in @huguenotsociety.bsky.social journal, just out.
September 8, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Thorney Abbey door, little changed from when Jean Jembelin was minister of its French church 1685-c.1712. The church notice board of ministers confuses him with a cousin. Thanks to @lampallib.bsky.social for enabling me to write about his sermons in @huguenotsociety.bsky.social journal, just out.
So glad that you mentioned St Radegund/Kummernis. My interest was piqued by Richard Pynson printing her life as a devotional tract. One of the many saints to whom devotion has waned and who had different names in different languages. This image from Osnabruck c. 1520. Photographed in Berlin.
September 4, 2025 at 6:13 PM
So glad that you mentioned St Radegund/Kummernis. My interest was piqued by Richard Pynson printing her life as a devotional tract. One of the many saints to whom devotion has waned and who had different names in different languages. This image from Osnabruck c. 1520. Photographed in Berlin.
A challenge at today’s @womenshistnet.bsky.social conference has been choosing between the parallel panels. No choice for me after lunch as a presenter on women and performing arts, enjoying talks from @jesmyth.co.uk, Kirsty Roberts and Christina Guillaumier. So glad to talk about Vally Lasker.
September 4, 2025 at 2:19 PM
A challenge at today’s @womenshistnet.bsky.social conference has been choosing between the parallel panels. No choice for me after lunch as a presenter on women and performing arts, enjoying talks from @jesmyth.co.uk, Kirsty Roberts and Christina Guillaumier. So glad to talk about Vally Lasker.
I agree, and have done so several times, but Colmar also has one of the many stellar libraries of Alsace.
August 31, 2025 at 3:49 PM
I agree, and have done so several times, but Colmar also has one of the many stellar libraries of Alsace.
Parking near Parliament square in London is always a problem. Unusual vehicle there just now.
August 31, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Parking near Parliament square in London is always a problem. Unusual vehicle there just now.
Postal deliveries to South London have been an infrequent excitement over the past few years, but this delivery for @womenshistnet.bsky.social was particularly exciting. Really looking forward to getting stuck in.
August 30, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Postal deliveries to South London have been an infrequent excitement over the past few years, but this delivery for @womenshistnet.bsky.social was particularly exciting. Really looking forward to getting stuck in.
Volunteering @lampallib.bsky.social is always a joy as well as a great privilege, but late this afternoon three of us cataloguers were treated to this view of Archbishop Laud’s tortoise, which survived him by many years. Inspiring to study this stellar archive so close to where the events took place
August 29, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Volunteering @lampallib.bsky.social is always a joy as well as a great privilege, but late this afternoon three of us cataloguers were treated to this view of Archbishop Laud’s tortoise, which survived him by many years. Inspiring to study this stellar archive so close to where the events took place
Inspiring break from writing about Samuel Johnson’s words of wisdom on confidence and self-confidence today. Super visit to the London house where he lived, worked on his great dictionary and entertained, with an excellent talk on his letters by @lizison.bsky.social
August 23, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Inspiring break from writing about Samuel Johnson’s words of wisdom on confidence and self-confidence today. Super visit to the London house where he lived, worked on his great dictionary and entertained, with an excellent talk on his letters by @lizison.bsky.social
A huge thank you to @choirofkcl.bsky.social and their Director @josephfort.bsky.social for a wonderful evensong featuring Samuel Coleridge Taylor’s sacred music followed by a recital of his part songs just now. Wonderful to celebrate his music so close to his 150th birthday. Both were sublime.
August 17, 2025 at 5:02 PM
A huge thank you to @choirofkcl.bsky.social and their Director @josephfort.bsky.social for a wonderful evensong featuring Samuel Coleridge Taylor’s sacred music followed by a recital of his part songs just now. Wonderful to celebrate his music so close to his 150th birthday. Both were sublime.