Today March 12 2021, my commission from Peter Shearn at Soundart Radio https://www.soundartradio.org.uk/ was for a song about the Hancock Whatsap Hinpack Impact Scandal. So I found words in the paper and sang them, I didn't change any. Beer bottle used for blowing and blue-tac-riffing, blue tac on the piano strings. What more scandals will we uncover? How long will this fluckery continue? Singalong please.

Hancock’s Hinpack Whatsap Impact

The former neighbour of Matt Hancock
who is supplying the NHS 
with millions of Covid test tubes joked
to the health secretary that he had
 “never heard of him” during a private 
WhatsApp exchange.

The disclosure of the messages 
is likely to intensify pressure 
on Hancock to fully explain 
how Bourne’s company came to be
awarded lucrative work 
supplying test tubes for use 
in NHS Covid test kits.

Bourne’s company, Hinpack, 
which he runs from his father
-in-law’s industrial potato 
farm in Cambridgeshire, has been
beset by problems. It 
recently voluntarily recalled 
at least 8m test tubes that had
been delivered to warehouses 
for the NHS over quality issues.

Hancock’s Hinpack Whatsap Impact
Hancock’s Hinpack Whatsap Impact

Hancock's Hinpack Whatsap Impact

Composed and played on mandolin and guitar by John Edwards. Siveen large body mandolin by Paul Evans, County Kerry. Martin Westside custom guitar, style 0028.

In the Gloaming - John Edwards

A response to August Tunesmiths challenge a composition based upon a descending bassline.

Variations: The Ups & Downs o' Life - Ken Patterson

Summer Rain - Ed Wood

Yo Pumkin Head composed by Yoko Kanno. Arranged by Sean Davey
Performed by Blast Furness Street Band, Ulverston Cumbria 
Recorded by Satt (The Creative Arts Centre Kendal) 
https://www.facebook.com/BlastFurness


Yo Pumkinhead

A reflection upon NE England's past and present values and self image.

Life on the Geordie Shore - Ken Patterson

A 7/8 track with a Middle Eastern feel in D Double Harmonic or by many other names: Bhairav Thaat, Byzantine Major Gypsy, Hitzazkiar, Hungarian Folk, Mela Mayamalavagaula, Raga Paraj mode.

Ken Patterson's Album

Desert Star- Ken Patterson

Salsa Latino - Kevin James

Stampede - Chris Crick

A song for the evening of the day that Vera Lynn died

On The Day That Vera Lynn Died

The Simonside Dwarfs also known as Brownmen, Bogles and Duergars are a race of ugly dwarfs, particularly associated with the Simonside Hills of Northumberland, in northern England. Their leader was said to be known as Roarie .
This balad is based upon F. Grice's telling of the traditional story The Duergar in Folk Tales of the North Country (1944),The duergar's described as being short, wearing a lambskin coat, moleskin trousers and shoes, and a hat made of moss stuck with a feather.
The legendary dwarfs of Simonside were mentioned in the local newspaper, the Morpeth Gazette, in 1889, and in Tyndale’s Legends and Folklore of Northumbria, 1930. They delighted in leading travellers astray, especially after dark, often carrying lighted torches to lead them into bogs, rather like Will-o'-the-wisps . The menacing creatures would often disappear at dawn.
The word duergar is likely to be derieved from the Old Norse word for dwarf or dwarfs (dvergar), however it may also come from the dialectual words for "dwarf" on the Anglo-Scottish border which include dorch, dwerch, duerch, Duergh and Duerwe amongst others. (Many thanks to Wikepedia for the information).

The Simonside Duergar Ballad - Ken Patterson

Tunesmiths is a collective of composers who every couple of months write a piece of music in response to challenge. August: The NE: its past and future. June: A special place. April: Sycamore, February: Detective ThemeNovember: Green. Sept.  Ghostly Themes. July: LANDSCAPE May: PARTY CITY.
March: Ancient Elements.
Jan: take a known theme and arrange in in a new way.
New Challenge for October / November a piece inspired by an artwork.  August / September '23: compose a piece based upon a descending bassline.  
Summer Challenge:a piece inspired something in the news.
April / May Challenge: a cover version with a new arrangement.
Previous challenges this year:  Hazy days of Summer, New Orleans, Jubilee Music, 'Furniture Music' as inspired by Erik Satie. Ambient background music.
December 21, challenge: a composition or arrangement conveying a mood, emotional state.
Autumn challenge '21: a hora using a Klezmer scale, Winter: a piece inspired by a book.
May June: an arrangement in a particular style of another composer or genre.
Challenge for Jan/Feb Carnival, March/ April American presidents.

October - November : Autumn Leaves
July - Septembber A Sea Composition
April- June Time passing
Task for Feb / March: composition about the animal world.
January: an ICY composition.
Nov / Dec: A Latin tune. Task for September / October:  Music with a poem as a startling point.
June July 2019 A Cajun inspired piece
April May 2019 A composition about myths and legends.
February March 2019 A song with chord structure I V V I. November / December 2018: a piece in 7/8.
Task for October: music to chill to.
Task for August / September: Write a piece of music influenced by someone else - ideally a friend, colleague or family member.  The influence could be a saying that that person always uses or a snatch of a melody they always hum. June July 2018 The theme of travel: a journey, trip, jaunt, ride, voyage, flight, walk, stroll, train journey, etc,
April May 2018 An piece using slowly changing ostinato. 
March 2018, a percussion-led piece.
Present composing task: a piece with a sense of place. November: Telephone hold music, or its impact on the listener.
Sept /October: 'A composition based upon a single chord or motif'' ....... Listen to 'Tunesmiths' who set each other composing tasks throughout the year and share the results of their work here……. any one can take up the challenge…. let us know if you want to post a composition

2017 August: 'Dementia'
2017 June: 'Something in the news'
2017 March: a composition with an irregular time signature.
2017 Jan: write a  piece inspired by the wind. 
2016 Nov Winter: Fandango
2016 Oct Challenge:Machine Music
2016 Sept Challenge: Classical Cheese
2016 Aug Challenge: Night Music
2016 July Challenge: a Tarantella
2016 June Challenge: a Reggae
2016 May Challenge: a blues
2016 March Challenge. Write in the style of your music hero
2016 January Challenge: Write in the form of 'La Folía' 
2015 December Challenge: Christmas single
2015 November Space Music
2015 September Challenge: a Waltz
2015 Summer Challenge: 'Minimalist Music'
2015 June challenge: 'Dance Music'
2015 April challenge: a piece with Indian feel
2015 February Composing Challenge A piece about water.
2014 Nov. Composing Challenge:  a piece of music that consists of only percussion and the human voice