This is my contribution to the Christmas song market. A song based in the 80's wham and George Michael with all the trimmings including Syn Drums and all. It's a bit of a fun song. Ho Ho Ho , Sing along and bop along. I hope it becomes your favorite Christmas song. Right up there beside White Christmas and the Little Drummer Boy. Defiantly a great Party song .   
Written , played produced by Johnny Mc Farlane 2023 . 
Hope you enjoy riding in the Snow :-))))))))) Ho Ho Ho

Riding In The Snow

Set Dj-Techno-30min

Today, 3rd March 2025, a key debate on the e-petition will take place at  Westminster Hall. https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/c0367db8-6dfe-490d-99c9-7d422c75c586?fbclid=IwY2xjawIyQ-9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHSWMguH_T5yX7OfaGeh_RB4JBqfIP6jsQM76MtpC2pgX6RsiZRsjGs1FZg_aem_5XVLKKfkIzwrIJyzEclXOw
on the subject of VAT being added to independent school bills of 20% and rates relief. This educational reform is a key flag ship of the new labour government. Two court cases are due to be heard soon in support of children and their families being discriminated and charged an excessive amount on top of the school fee. The government claims it is a 'tax break' but education is never taxed as it is a 'merit good' for society and no European country can do this and this is enshrined in European human rights conventions. Greece is an example of where this experiment miserably failed. 

Some say that Change Labour's policy of closing down independent schools in the UK has been a long-standing ambition. Since July 2024 the Labour government has gone full steam ahead to bring this vision into reality with the imposition of VAT (20%) applied to school fees from January 2025. One of Change Labour's  leading proponents for implementing this policy has been Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education (MP for Haughton and Sunderland South 
https://www.bridgetphillipson.com/.) Some say she is driven by a Marxist ideology and cares little for the children, teachers, parents and schools in her pursuit to give the 'best life chances' for all children.  The aim is to use the VAT income -  some 1.6 bln per year, to take off those fees paid and put that unfair tax some to fund more teachers and improve standards for the 94% of children attending state schools. She has started in this vein to provide 'subsidised' breakfasts for some 750 schools in England recently.

However, mercifully we have two outstanding opposition groups standing against this insidious policy: ENT Education Not Education https://educationnottaxation.org/ (not to be confused with ENT.... Ears, Nose and Throat!) and the ISC Independent School Council  https://www.isc.co.uk/about-isc/ representing independent schools through out the United Kingdom.


Many smaller independent schools (including faith and SEND schools) are finding it difficult to balance the books. Notably over recent months almost weekly announcements are made of impending closures due in part made by the VAT imposition, NIC contributions and the increase in rates.  This is a cruel and vindictive policy which seeks to punish hard working parents who have already contributed their share of taxes for their children's education) and those making sacrifices for their children. Many are not rich but are working parents and want the choice and also enjoy wrap around care so they can work and contribute to the wider economy.  The additional burden of the VAT will put the cost beyond many and thousands of children will be impacted and be required to enter  State education which will put more pressure on the State and will be counter productive as this policy will end up costing more than it raises. It will guarantee the disruption of the lives of young people and bring closures to great organisations that contribute to their communities and have done so for decades.


Change Labour must be prevented from delivering their ideological crusade to eradicate our proud independent schools and hopefully these legal actions this year, will end the absurdity of adding VAT to school fees.

I would like to thank and credit the artwork used in the thumbnail image which was published by https://www.spectator.co.uk to accompany the article by Peter Jones on 16th January.

Change Labour

Sun Is Out

This Empty World 

It is hard to escape the unrest in the world at the moment, horrific picture of  starving children, millions dying in wars, Psychopaths running countries and threatening nuclear war if they don’t get what they want. Very frightening times. 

All of this is having a profound effect on me and I am sure on a lot of normal people and I wonder, do these So called leaders have any idea of the effect all of these bombs going off and exhaust from tanks and jets is having on our Atmosphere ? what would happen to humanity if they actually did press that Nuclear button?  Armageddon would be released followed by disease and mother earth would fight back. 

With this as a mental backdrop, I had an idea for a song about the last human being left alive on Earth after such an event. There would have to be a “ Last man standing “  A bitter sweet experience to have survived nuclear wars, pandemic after pandemic and the death of life on the planet but to be All alone in this empty world. I had the music but not the lyrics. I sent off what I had to my Friend and musical collaborator Finn Eces and what you are about to hear is the amazing result.

Thank you Finn for the Lyrics, such top class vocals and harmonies and a Class mix and professional Production . 

Music : Johnny Mc Farlane 
Lyrics : Finn Eces 
Vocals: Finn Eces 
Lead Guitar : Finn Eces 
Production and mastering: Finn Eces 

Check out Finn   https://on.soundcloud.com/1CiSAJze02IRz2ePFE


This Empty World 

In the stone dead mist there stands the world's last man 
In his stone cold fist holds the world’s last plan 
Now the skies don’t speak  and silent oceans wreak 
not another soul to seek in this empty world 

In this empty world, This empty world  

In the silent streets was heard, a weak heartbeat 
Will our own disease be our last defeat ? 
Mother earth is ill  and her breath grows still 
Just one more grave to fill this empty world 

This empty world
This empty world  

Chorus
Is there anyone here to remember me ? 
Is there anyone here to recall ? 
Does anyone see ? 
Does anyone hear ? 
I don’t what to the be the last 

This empty world,
this empty world  
In this Empty World, 
this Empty World


Chorus
Is there anyone here to remember me ? 
Is there anyone here to recall ? 
Does anyone live ? 
Does anyone breath ? 
Lights went out and now the darkness reigns 
In this empty world in this empty world

This Empty world ( Featuring Finn Eces )

Here 4 U

Hyacinth

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roam

I was recently on holiday in Lanzarote and i was caught in a Rip Tide. A really scary experience and i am very glad that i lived to tell the tale. I was only about 2 feet from the shore and i could not reach the shore because of the power of the Rip Tide, no matter how hard i swam, i was certainly drowning. All of a sudden a young local man saw that i was in danger and with no regard for his own life just jumped right in and somehow managed to get me to the shore. It was a truly heroic act on his part. It took me about 45 mins to get myself together from the shock and the Adrenaline. I found him and thanked him and i am ashamed to say that i do not even know his name. Thank you .

When i was reflecting on this experience i realised that life is like a Rip Tide. It pulls you out to sea and sometime we really do need someone to Literally jump in and save us, or throw us a life buoy to get us to safety. This song is about being caught in the Rip Tide of life and dedicated to the young man who saved my life . 

Written and performed by Johnny Mc Farlane

Rip Tide

An instrumental song written for string quartet + piano + oboe, with oboe playing the starring role.

I was in a pretty jolly mood when I wrote most of this and I think it influenced the way the song came out - most of the time I'm not trying to capture any specific emotion when writing but this song is sort of an exception, at least in places.

Score: https://musescore.com/user/28784368/scores/5104222

First upload of a new album that I'll be uploading one song at a time over the next few months. 

Hope you enjoy!

Human Error

What We Find

Murmur

Enjoy listening and just occasionally singing (to myself) 'Bothy Ballads' from The North East of Scotland. Influenced in my teens by legendary folk singer Marc Floyd Ellington and Charlie Allan. 

'Written' a few very simple lockdown ballads in the 12 months since the global pandemic struck and tried to learn the guitar...it helps!

Change Labour

Nicholas