Holiday Music

Well folks, December's here and you know what that means...time for holiday music! Here's some stations playing Celtic holiday music I found I'd like to share. Enjoy, and may you and yours have a happy and safe holiday season!


Harmonia Episodes:
The Ghosts of Harmonia Past
Traditions Series: Christmas
The Noel: Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque
Holidays with Anonymous 4, Stile Antico, and Montserrat Figueras
Holiday CD Sampler
Seasonal Settings And Angelic Appearances
Music For the Holiday Season
Christmas Carols, Chant And Legend
Santa's Playlist
Blog post on St. Nickolas.

Celtic Holiday Stations:
AccuRadio
Live 365

All's Faire in Love

Released in select theatres this past Friday, This uninspiring piece of work stars Christina Ricci, Bill Engvall, the legendary Ann Margaret (😮!) and Cederick the Entertainer among others...a surprisingly good cast that should've been given much more to work with. The story follows Kate (Ricci) an aspiring actress and Will (Owen Benjamin) a dumb jock who both take jobs for the summer working at Ye Olden Times Renaissance Pleasure Faire: Kate to earn money and spend time with her cousin (who also works at the faire), Will because he hast to get his professor (Cederick the Entertainer) to sign off on his many absences so he can play football next season. At the faire we meet Croket (Matthew Lillard), who befriends Will, Jester Roy and his puppet unicorn Horny, and the annoying Rank who keeps trying to get Kate to perform the grand finale production of Romeo and Juliet with him. In the end, Will and Kate find they're in love and Will finds that working at a faire isn't as bad as he originally thought. While the film's heart and story premise are in the right place, the lines and majority of acting in it are awful, and some things happen that would never happen at a faire. However, the costumes are decent, I'd have Ann Margaret as my faire's queen any day, and the look and feel of what faire is like is pretty much spot on. I give it 2 out of 5 stars

Coloring and Paper Doll Fun

As a dedicated follower of fashion, I have several paper doll books by Tom Tierney. So I decided to look on Amazon to see how many were dedicated to the Medieval/Renaissance eras and lo and behold, I found these:

Gothic Costumes Paper Dolls
Medieval Fashions Coloring Book

Medieval Costumes Paper Dolls
Italian Renaissance Costumes Paper Dolls
Renaissance Fashions Coloring Book
Tudor and Elizabethan Fashions Coloring Book
Elizabethan Costumes Paper Dolls
Christopher Columbus Paper Dolls
Henry VIII and His Wives Paper Dolls
Queen Elizabeth I Paper Doll
Mary, Queen of Scots Paper Dolls
Camelot Paper Dolls
Great Characters from Shakespeare Paper Dolls

I wish I could get them all...sigh, maybe someday...

TV Review: The Borgias

This past spring, Showtime rolled out its Tudors replacement, this time going back a bit to tell the story of the infamous Borgia family. They are headed by patriarch Rodrigo (Jeremy Irons): a cardinal who has a driving ambition to be pope, letting nothing and nobody stand in his way. Eventually, he becomes Pope Alexander VI...with the help of bribery and, as legend has it, murder. Sons Cesare (the priest), Juan (the soldier), and Joffre (the youngest), daughter Lucrezia, and their mother Vannozza de' Catanei round out the family, though Vannozza is soon outsed by the younger Giulia Farnese after Rodrigo becomes pope. The Borgias have been dubbed the original Godfather, and indeed, Godfather author Mario Puzzo was supposedly inspired by them to write the classic series, and wrote the novel The Family about them. With the star power of Irons and Neil Jordan (who created the series), this new show is a good one, and will be back next year for season two. If you haven't seen it already, and are a fan of The Borgias, the mob, or renaissance Italy, I highly request you do and catch up before next season! 3 1/2 stars 🙂

Little Actor, Big Win

A big hip, hip, HUZZAH for Peter Dinklage for winning best supporting actor in a drama series for his role as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones at tonight's Emmy awards! Game of Thrones also won one for Outstanding Main Title Design. The Borgias also won a couple: Outstanding Costumes For a Series, and Outstanding Main Title Theme Music, while The Pillars of the Earth won one for Sound Editing For A Miniseries, Movie, Or A Special. Congrats to all the winners!

All the Queen's Players by Jane Feather

In this novel by bestselling author Feather, we meeet Rosamund Walsingham, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth's spymaster Francis, who accompanies her brother Thomas to court to work for (and hopefully be married off by) their infamous cousin using her gift for drawing. Once there, she meets and falls in love with another man in the pay of Sir Francis, Will Creighton who is also in love with her. Unfortunately for them, when they give into their passion, it is discovered, and Rosamund is shipped off by the queen and Sir Francis to act as a lady in waiting to the imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots and report all that goes on. She soon finds herself in the middle the the Babington plot and soon finds just how deep her cousin's web of players runs and how many lives depend on her doing her part well. with a dose of candid, risque scenes, intrigue, and portrayals of court life, All the Queen's Players is a good addition to any rennies library. I give it 4 out of 5 stars :-)

Film Review: Your Highness

Your Highness indeed! An appropriate title in more ways than one, this comedy stars Danny McBride as Thadeus, a lackluster second son living in the shadow of his hero brother Fabious (James Franco). Though wanting to escape his reputation, he also has no desire to change it...until he's forced on a quest by his father King Tallius (Charles Dance) to help Fabious get back his kidnapped betrothed Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel) from an evil magician named Leezar (Justin Theroux). Along the way they confront a perverted oracle, fight an evil savage chief with a wicked cauldron, an, er, lovelorn minatour, and enlist the help of a lone female warrior named Isabel (Natalie Portman) before finally taking down Leezar and getting Belladonna back. Despite the liberal use of the f-bomb, crude humor, and plenty of blood, there is also a surprise underlying message: with the love and loyalty of friends and family, you can defeat any obstacle if you try. Definitely a rennie man's buddy flick, there's also things in it ladies can enjoy too if they want a laugh. I give it 3 out of 5 stars 🙂

The Saxon Files

Hey folks, I want to spread the word on a new radio show on Coog Radio.com called The Saxon Files. Billed as "geek, nerd and dork radio", the show airs Fridays from 5-7P Central time and plays lots of rennie tunes! Go check them out and follow them on the book of Face and Twitter!
Coog Radio.com
Facebook
Twitter

Film Review: The Virgin Queen

This four part mini series was aired on Masterpiece Theatre back in 2005/2006 and stars Anne-Marie Duff as Elizabeth 1 and Tom Hardy as Robert Dudley. Beginning near the end of the reign of Mary 1, the story follows Elizabeth and Dudley from the very beginning her reign all the way to the end...literally: the last episode ends with the queen's death. Anyway, I found the series decent, and thought Duff did a good job showing the mercurial queen's many different sides. However, compared to Cate Blanchette's or Hellen Mirren's versions, it doesn't quite measure up. Hardy was not quite as strong as Dudley, and didn't really have the command that one would think Dudley would have. I'd say the costumes were decent, but nothing that made me gasp.  A "hey, I know that guy!" moment: the actor playing Essex was last seen playing Cranmer in The Tudors. All in all, a film to see as a fan of the era, not horrible, but not great. 2 out of 5 stars

Film Review: Black Death

This morning saw the film Black Death staring Sean Bean (last seen in Game of Thrones), Eddie Redmayne (Jack in Pillars of the Earth), and Carice Van Houten. Set in the 1300's during the first outbreak of the bubonic plague in England, Redmayne is Osmund, a young monk who, with a small group of men lead by tough guy Ulrich (Bean), set out to find a village of people who have somehow managed to survive & not gotten the deadly sickness. Not only that, but people who have managed to make their way into the village and "died" somehow come back to life. After a few obstacles, the group make it to the village, and while at first everything seems fine, the men soon learn that it's everything but. A nice turn of events here reminded me of the 1970's cult classic The Wicker Man, albeit set in the medieval times with the sword fights, blood and guts that go along with the era. That aspect also reminds me of one of the last films I reviewed, Ironclad, and would make a good double feature with that movie. Like Ironclad, this film is not for the squeamish, but if you stick through it, you'll be rewarded. Decent acting, good visuals, and a strong storyline make this film and I recommend it for fans of the medieval era. 3 1/2 out of 5 🙂

The Tudors by G.J. Meyer

In 1485, young Henry Tudor, whose claim to the throne was so weak as to be almost laughable, crossed the English Channel from France at the head of a ragtag little army and took the crown from the family that had ruled England for almost four hundred years. Half a century later his son, Henry VIII, desperate to rid himself of his first wife in order to marry a second, launched a reign of terror aimed at taking powers no previous monarch had even dreamed of possessing. In the process he plunged his kingdom into generations of division and disorder, creating a legacy of blood and betrayal that would blight the lives of his children and the destiny of his country.
The boy king Edward VI, a fervent believer in reforming the English church, died before bringing to fruition his dream of a second English Reformation. Mary I, the disgraced daughter of Catherine of Aragon, tried and failed to reestablish the Catholic Church and produce an heir. And finally came Elizabeth I, who devoted her life to creating an image of herself as Gloriana the Virgin Queen but, behind that mask, sacrificed all chance of personal happiness in order to survive. 
The Tudors weaves together all the sinners and saints, the tragedies and triumphs, the high dreams and dark crimes, that reveal the Tudor era to be, in its enthralling, notorious truth, as momentous and as fascinating as the fictions audiences have come to love.

* * *

Tauted as "the complete story of England's most notorious dynasty," this non-fiction book doesn't quite deliver, but only just. I wish more of Henry VII's reign would've been covered, but the rest of this thick read (the last listed page number is 623) is quite good. It not only goes in decent depth through the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizzabeth I, but also goes on asides through such topics as "The Old Church," "Schooling and the Schools" and one I found quite interesting, "Torture" among other things. What I also like about this book is that it's easy enough to read while not being over simple. Like all biographies, there's an insert of color photos as well. While I don't tend to favor biographies, this is one I find enjoyable and informative...not easy to do with biographie, especially on a subject that's been done to death like the Tudors. But then again, I'm one of those that never grows tired of seeing them presented in fresh, new ways. Anyway, if this happens to be your first time reading about the Tudors, or like me, an old fan, this is deffinately worth a read. Just be sure you have the time to finish it! 3 1/2 out of 5 🙂

Make Merry In Step and Song by Bronwen Forbes

The rest of the title is "A Seasonal Treasury of Music, Mummer's Plays & Celebrations in the English Folk Tradition" and that's exactly what this book is...four chapters of fun songs, dances and plays done by season and one on songs that are magical but not seasonal. About that, I will have to warn that this book was written by a pagan author so some of that is reflected in it. Don't let that keep you from reading this if you're not though...the bits in here that deal with that can easily be phased out if necessary and is not overwhelming. And if you are pagan, even more reason to read it (on that note, I also encourage you to read Bronwen's other book Small Town Pagan...it's awesome and makes me more sad she passed away and we'll never get another book by her)! All the songs, dances and plays, being rooted in the as before mentioned folk traditions, make excellent additions to Medieval/Renaissance Faires or themed events and I heartily recommend you do so if possible. The book is an easy read and the instructions are clear and done step by step. The chapters start with a bit of backround on the things presented and a short atmosphere setting tale. This is deffinately one to read to keep you in the faire spirit the whole year 'round! 4 out of 5 stars :-)

TV Review: The Tudors

From the spring of 2007 until the spring of last year, Showtime aired this series about Henry VIII (played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers), his six wives, and his court. I own all four seasons on DVD, and still love watching it every now and then: the acting is decent, the costuming is lovely at times, and the end of season two was great. It is, of course, a bit trumped up for Holywood though, and there were some glaring errors: Henry's sister Margaret marrying the old king of Portugal for example; in reality, it was his sister Mary who married the old king of France. Margaret actually married the king of Scots. Not to mention the fact she smothers him to death to get out of being married to him. I also wasn't sure what to make of how Henry's being visited by the ghosts of his first three wives near the end of his life was done. Then there's the fact they killed Henry Fitzroy off at around 5 or 6 when in reality he lived to be 16 or 17. I also have a bit of beef with them having Meyers play Henry...while a fine actor and he played the part well, Meyers looks absolutely nothing at all like him. Surely out of all the British actors out there, they couldn't find one that at least somewhat fit both in looks and ability to play Henry well? Come on now. Nonetheless, the series is well worth watching for any fan of the Tudors and those that don't mind their history a bit like a soap opera, and I recommend it at least for the fun value of it. 3 out of 5 stars 🙂

The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell

This book, published in 1997, was the first for bestselling author Maxwell. A once you start, you can't stop read, this novel moves back and forth between the newly crowned Elizabeth Tudor and her long deseased mother Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth has recently been given a long hidden diary of Anne's by Lady Sommerville, an elderly woman who's uncle was the constable of the Tower during Henry VIII's reign, and through it discovers the whole story of her parents courtship, Anne's rise, her own birth and Anne's infamous beheading. On Elizabeth's side, we follow the challenges of wearing the crown and her intensely passionate relationship with the love of her life Robert Dudley. I love that Anne's parts are written in diary form and the way Maxwell makes it all come alive in a fresh, new way. This book is a deffinite must read especially for those who never tire of the Henry/Anne story. 5 out of 5 stars :-)

Film Review: Ironclad

I saw this about 2 weeks ago, and I have to say this is a medieval film that while it's not a big budget one, is well made and well acted. Everyone knows that King John (played here wonderfully by Paul Giamatti) signed the Magna Carta in 1215 from their high school history class, but do you know what happened next? This is the premise of this movie with a lot of blood and a pinch of romance thrown in. This is definitely NOT one you show young kids because of the afore mentioned blood...this is a medieval war type film that is quite true to what it might've been like back then. That being said, if you have the stomach for that, this film is one worth watching. The main plot of the movie is a small band of people (including a member of the Knights Templar) band together to defend a castle that King John wants to take over. If you're a fan of medieval times and war films, this is one you'll definitely want to look for on Netflix, in the Redbox, ect. 3 out of 5 stars 🙂

Royal Affairs by Leslie Carroll

The title says it all here! One I've reread several times, this debut book, published in 2008, is both witty and interesting, as well as a great companion to any non-fiction book about the British monarchy. It's also just a good, fun, easy read on it's own. Starting with Henry II all the way down to Charles and Diana, Carroll tells all, and somehow makes the well known worth reading about all over again. She's also written two follow ups: Notorious Royal Marriages and Royal Pains, and if you like this book, I highly reccomend those too. This is also a good read for those that love their history mixed with scandal (and really, who doesn't?). 5 out of 5 stars :-)

Film Review: The Princess of Montpensier

Break out the subtitles! This French film was released last year and was a pleasant surprise. It takes place in the 1560's and tells the story of Marie, a young noblewoman engaged to marry (and in love with) the charismatic and handsome Henri de Guise, but made to marry the also handsome, but passionately cold, Prince de Montpensier. She also catches the eye of the Duc d'Anju, younger brother of the king. The light spot in her life in all this is the tutorage and protective love of the Comte de Chabannes, who was once her husband's tutor. Things come to a head when the Duc invites the prince, his wife and Chabannes to court, and the ending is touching and rather unexpected. Good acting, pacing, and costuming make this film, and I was pleased with way it took a more realistic look at love. If you like more high brow, international films, this one's for you. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars 🙂

The Virgin Queen's Daughter by Ella March Chase

Tucked away in the country estate of her beloved father, Lord Calverley, young Nell de Lacey feeds her hungry mind with philosophy, language, and studies of science. Her mother, once a devoted lady-in-waiting to Henry VIII’s last wife, Katherine Parr, would rather her daughter stop dabbling in the grand affairs of men and instead prepare for her eventual duties as a wife. She knows all too well what menace lurks in royal courts.

But Nell’s heart yearns for something more, and a chance meeting with Princess Elizabeth, then a prisoner of the Tower of London, pushes her closer toward finding it. Now, years later, Nell’s chance arrives when she is summoned to serve as a lady-in-waiting to the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth. Nell is entranced by the splendor and pageantry of royal life, unaware of the danger and deception that swirls around the monarch and her courtiers.

But a lingering rumor about nine unaccounted for months in the Virgin Queen’s past reignites when the flame-haired Nell—a mirror image of Her Majesty both physically and intellectually—arrives at court. Quickly she catches the eye not only of the cunning Elizabeth, but of those who would see the queen fail. With strong evidence to connect Elizabeth to her newest maid of honor and the politics of England in turmoil, the truth could send Nell and those she loves to the Tower to join in the wretched fates of those who’ve gone before her.

Engrossing and enlightening, The Virgin Queen’s Daughter brings to life one of the greatest mysteries of one of the greatest monarchs. Ella March Chase’s vivid storytelling gives due credence to a daughter who might have been and a mother who never was.

***

What if Queen Elizabeth 1 really was as unvirginal as some claim and had a secret child? That's the premise behind this fresh and original debut novel by Ella March Chase which came out in 2008. The story follows Nell de Lacey, a young noble woman raised in the country who becomes a lady in waiting to the newly crowned queen. Having been fed lessons philosophy, language and science as a child, her intellect and close resemblance to Elizabeth draws to her the attention of not only the queen, but her enemies. Rumors of 9 missing months years before don't help, and it all comes to a head as the truth about the queen's past (and Nell's) makes it's way to the monarch herself, and Nell awaits her fate in the infamous Tower of London. Well written, thought provoking and breezy read, I read this sooner than I thought and am eagerly awaiting her new novel which comes out August 2. The depictions of the pageantry & intrigues of court life is also well presented. Fans of the Elizabethan era should definitely read this! 4 out of 5 stars

TV Series Review: Pillars of the Earth

I saw this one some months ago, and thought it to be quite good: the story follows Prior Philip, a clergyman with the ambition to build a large and magnificent church after his original is burnt to the ground. Helping him is a master builder and his two children, a gypsy woman and her son (who turns out to be a gifted stone carver), a vengeful noblewoman and her cheated-out-of-his-title brother. Opposing them is another noble family (mother, father and son-with whom the mother seems to have a more than familial relationship) and a corrupt priest, who holds the key to it all. This is one of those epics that has it all (love, war, loss, and the joys of dreams fulfilled), is an eight part series based off the novel by Ken Follett that's set in 12th century England, and, it turns out, was originally aired on Starz...the same folks who brought us Camelot. The best thing I think about this series is that it allows you to loose yourself in the story and I found myself watching multiple episodes a day. So a warning: make sure you have plenty of time before you get started...If you liked the novel, the medieval times, and the history of famous bouldings, I highly reccomend this. 4 out of 5 stars :-)

The Other Tudors by Philippa Jones

This little gem was found in the bargin section ($8.68 and that's plus tax!), but don't let that keep you from reading this...it was quite fascinating and I learned a lot from it. As the title says, this book is about the many mistresses of Henry and their children by him. Yes, the more famous ones are covered here (Bessie Blount and Henry Fitzroy, Mary Boleyn and her children Catherine and Henry Carey), but there are more chronicled that are unknown, as well as a section telling about the ones that may or may not have been. This in itself makes the book such an interesting read. The stories are in depth and well written, and deffinitely shine a light on those whose stories have for so long been untold. Highly reccomended! 5 out of 5 stars. :-)

Film Review-The Other Boleyn Girl

This week's film review is not really a new one, and one I'm sure everyone's probably already seen, but they are two I have seen and never reviewed, and hey, maybe there's folks out there that haven't yet: The Other Boleyn Girl. I saw two because there are two versions, one done in 2003 by the BBC, the other done in 2008 by Sony Pictures/Focus Features. Both films were based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Phillippa Gregory(which I have also read). The BBC version stars Natascha McElhone as Mary Boleyn, Jodhi May as Anne Boleyn, and Jared Harris as King Henry VIII. The one by Sony/Focus stars Scarlett Johansson as Mary, Natalie Portman as Anne, and Eric Bana as Henry. First the bad: both films don't follow the novel all that closely, I'm not a fan of the way Anne & Mary talk to the camera in the '03 version...it feels to contemporary, and the '08 version changes things around in some parts and leaves out other things I felt are key. Now for the good: the '03 version is a bit more closer to the book than the later version, and the acting is well done. The '08 version's acting is also well done, as expexted, and the costumes were beautiful. As for the story itself, for those who may not have read it, is about the love/hate relationship between Anne and Mary, their battle for the love of the king, and, of course, Anne's tragic downfall. Deffinately check them out if you're a lover of the reign of the infamous Henri Octus. '03 version: 3 out of 5 '08 version: 2 out of 5. :-)

TV Series Review: Game of Thrones

My first review and here it is, for the HBO series Game of Thrones! Ok, so the thing I like about this series is the depth of detail it showed as well as the way they make you either love or hate the characters. The story's a bit sprawled, but basically it boils down to this: there are several families battling for the iron throne of Westeros : the Starks, the Lannisters, the Baratheons, the Targaryens and the Freys among others. There's quite a bit of intruige, murder, and mythical creatures (white walkers & dragons being shown so far), and even a bit of incest and whores thrown in for good measure too :-o. Season 1 just finished with a doozy of an ending in episode 9, and I'm already looking forward to season 2 in the spring, so be sure to keep an eye out for that! I'm sure if it's not already out on NetFlix, it will be soon. If you liked Lord of the Rings, you're sure to like this as well; and like LotR, it's based on a series of 4 books with number 5 out in the next few weeks. I give it a 4 out of 5. :-)