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Felice della Rovere

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Felice della Rovere
Estancia de Heliodoro (Misa de Bolsena), detail.jpg
Felice della Rovere portrayed by Raphael in The Mass at Bolsena, as identified by Prof. Murphy[1]
Born ca. 1483
Died 1536 (aged 52–53)
Spouse(s) Unknown first husband
Gian Giordano Orsini
Children Julia (b. 1507)
Giulio (b. and d. 1508)
Francesco (b. 1512)
Girolamo (b. 1513)
Clarice (b. 1514)
Parent(s) Pope Julius II
Lucrezia Normanni

Felice della Rovere (c. 1483 – September 27, 1536), also known as Madonna Felice, was the illegitimate daughter of Pope Julius II and was one of the most powerful women of the Italian Renaissance. She was born in Rome around 1483 to Lucrezia Normanni and Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, later Pope Julius II. Felice was well educated, became accepted into close courtly circles of aristocratic families, and formed friendships with scholars and poets through her education and genuine interest in humanism. Through the influence of her father, including an arranged marriage to Gian Giordano Orsini, she wielded extraordinary wealth and influence both within and beyond the Roman Curia. In particular, she negotiated a peace between Julius II and the Queen of France, and held the position of Orsini Signora for over a decade following the death of her husband in 1517. Felice further increased her power through a castle that she bought with money received from her father, the Castle at Palo, and through her involvement in the grain trade.

Felice gave birth to two sons, Francesco and Girolamo, choosing the second as the heir to the Orsini fortune (and thus ensuring a rivalry with her stepson, Napoleone), as well as two daughters, Julia and Clarice; another child died during infancy. Felice’s children married into prominent families: the Colonna, Sforza, Borghese, Gonzaga, and Appiani. Her Orsini offspring became the dukes of Bracciano and their lines maintained this role until 1699, when the family line went extinct. Felice’s legacy lasts to this day, as Murphy has identified her in two pieces of Art: Raphael’s The Mass at Bolsena, and Sebastiano del Piombo’s portrait of an unknown woman.[2] Felice had an influence on other renaissance icons as well, evident from her correspondences with figures such as Catherine de' Medici.[3]

Early life[edit]

Palazzo della Rovere in Savona, where Felice spent her young adult years

The exact date of Felice della Rovere’s birth is not known. She is believed to have been born in Rome, most likely in the year 1483.[4] Felice’s mother, Lucrezia Normanni, was born in Trastevere in Rome. Felice’s maternal lineage can be traced back to the 11th century, which, at the time of Felice’s birth, would have made the Normanni one of Rome’s oldest families.[5] Felice’s father, Giuliano della Rovere, was born in the coastal village of Liguria.[6] In his youth, Giuliano was a member of the Franciscan order before being made Archbishop of Avignon by his uncle, Pope Sixtus IV.[7] It is likely that Giuliano and Lucrezia had a brief relationship after meeting in Trastevere, where Giuliano was known to visit.[8] Felice grew up alongside two siblings, a half-brother named Gian Domenico and a half-sister, Francesca, both of whom were born after her mother’s marriage to Bernardino de Cupis. Felice’s step-father was employed by Cardinal Girolamo Basso della Rovere as a maestro di casa, and oversaw the cardinal’s servants.[9] Bernardino was well-rewarded by the della Rovere family and his earnings comfortably supported Felice and her family.[10] Felice spent her early years in the de Cupis Palace in the Piazza Navona in Rome. After her father attempted to have the Borgia pope, Alexander VI, deposed in 1494, Felice was taken away from Rome and brought to the Palazzo della Rovere in Savona where she would be safe from Borgia retaliation.[11]

Growing up in the Palazzo de Cupis in the Piazza Navona, a lively societal centre of Rome, meant that Felice was likely surrounded by important businessmen, merchants, lawyers, and apostolic secretaries that often visited her home.[12] As she grew older, Felice was genuinely interested in humanist scholarship and formed friendships with scholars and poets that visited the Vatican. Giovanni Filoteo Achillini, an Italian philosopher and poet, described Felice in his poem, Viridario, calling her honourable and worthy of praise.[13] She also became close with Scipione Carteromacho, a humanist scholar whose ties to a well-known publisher allowed Felice to acquire many books in both Latin and Italian.[13] Felice was an enthusiastic reader, evidenced by her large book collection. Through her relationships with both Italian and visiting scholars, she came to own a collection of manuscript books by ancient authors as well as many unnamed books, although they had little monetary value.[14] It is speculated that she used her interests in education and humanism to gain acceptance into the close courtly circles of the wealthy and powerful Medici and Gonzaga families.[15]

First Marriage[edit]

Felice’s father arranged a marriage for her when she was 14 or 15 years old. The identity of her first husband is unknown, but he was probably from Savona or Genoa and likely had strong political ties to his community that would have benefited Giuliano.[16] Not much information is available about this brief marriage, except that the man died in early 1504 due to unknown circumstances, and the experience probably caused Felice to be hesitant to remarry.[16] Following the death of her first husband, Felice rejected many prospective husbands and refused to marry Roberto Sanseverino, Prince of Salerno, a man favoured by her father.[17] Upon her husband's death, Felice likely received the dowry that was given on her marriage and this share of money would only be available to her while she remained unmarried.[18] It is likely that Felice did not want to give up the financial independence this dowry provided her, and this was possibly a contributing factor as to why she was reluctant to remarry.

Second Marriage[edit]

Monte Giordano, the main property of the Orsini Estate

After becoming pope in 1503, Pope Julius II aimed to find Felice a second husband.[11] This was a difficult task because Felice was not a popular choice for marriage: she was the illegitimate daughter of a pope and did not appear to be beloved by him, and she was 20, rendering her an unappealing match due to her older age.[19] A match was eventually made with Gian Giordano, son of Gentil Virginio Orsini, Lord of Bracciano, and the leader of two of Rome’s most powerful aristocratic families.[20] This was an excellent match for Felice as it allowed her to stay in Rome.[21] This match was also very beneficial for Pope Julius II, who wanted to end the bloody feud between the Orsini and Colonna families.[22] He accomplished this by gaining influence in both families by marrying his niece, Lucrezia, into the Colonna family, and Felice into the Orsini family.[22][20] Gian Giordano was 20 years Felice’s senior, and worked as a condotierre. He had previously been married to King Ferdinand of Naples’ illegitimate daughter, Maria D’Aragona of Naples, who had born him three children: Napoleone, Carlotta, and Francesca, before dying in 1504.[23] Felice’s dowry was 15,000 ducats, which was worth less than the dowry given to Lucrezia, who had received 10,000 ducats, but also a palace at the church of Dodici Apostoli, and the town of Frascati.[24][20] Scholars believe that Pope Julius II’s unfriendly treatment of Felice was due to his desire to differentiate himself from his predecessor and rival, Pope Alexander VI, who had practiced extreme nepotism, particularly by parading his daughter around Rome.[25][20] Felice’s father further humiliated her by forbidding any major festivities for her wedding and by not attending.[26] The wedding took place on the 24th and 25 May 1506, and was held at the Cancelleria (modern: Palazzo Sforza Cesarini), a palace then in disrepair.[27]

Cancelleria (modern: Palazzo Sforza Cesarini, the location of Felice's marriage to Gian Giordano in 1506

Some scholars have hypothesised the marriage as an unhappy one, claiming that Gian Giordano mocked Felice for being the bastard daughter of a pope,[20] but evidence suggests that Gian Giordano came to like Felice’s “managerial qualities and diplomatic skills,” and encouraged Felice to pursue her ambitions.[28][29] In the first 2 years of marriage Felice’s main objective was to give birth to a son, who would guarantee her security within the Orsini family, exclude her stepson, Napoleone Orsini, from receiving the Orsini lordship, and make her the regent of the family should Gian Giordano die while her son was a minor.[30] Without a son, Felice risked losing the power and wealth gained from her marriage.[31]

Reconciliation with her Father[edit]

When Pope Julius II refused to attend the wedding he arranged for his daughter and Gian Giordano, it is believed that Felice interpreted this as a lack of respect on the part of her father and was resentful towards him.[26] These feelings created a rift between Felice and her father that lasted for a few months.[32] In an effort to reconcile, Julius II invited Felice and her new husband to the Vatican in late June 1506 and held a lavish banquet in their honour.[33] Following this reconciliation, Julius II frequently made Felice the guest of honour at various parties in Rome, where oftentimes she was the only woman present. Felice's presence at various events in Rome throughout this period helped elevate her to a position of power within the Vatican court. In addition, the Pope gifted Felice with extravagant jewelry and significant sums of money, including an item that would become one of her most prized possessions: a diamond cross originally given to her father from the Republic of Venice.[34]

Economic Activities[edit]

Castle at Palo[edit]

During her marriage Felice was given her own personal assets, which allowed her to become a wealthy woman in her own right. Her main source of income was the estate and castle at Palo, a pre - existing property in modern - day Ladispoli.[35] Acquired in 1509, this castle provided both income and a method through which to increase both her influence and her family’s power. She did this primarily through establishing the estate as a papal residence. The castle was granted this status by her father when he was pope, and continued on after his pontificate ended. This prior use of the estate as a papal residence led to subsequent papal figures such as Pope Leo X being hosted at the castle. The grounds around Palo were suitable for hunting, which helped to attract these prominent guests, and eventually led to the property also being recognized as an official papal hunting lodge.[36] Felice was able to set up the residence as a hunting lodge by brokering a deal with Leo X.[37] He agreed to pay for the necessary repairs and upgrades the castle would need to turn it into a luxury property, and in exchange, Felice allowed Leo X to stay at Palo for free.[37] By employing the castle as a financial asset and opening it up to high - ranking guests, Felice was able to promote both the image of the della Rovere family as a whole, as well as her own image.

Grain Trade[edit]

Besides property - owning, Felice also used the grain trade as a source of income. This involvement in business gave Felice experience that would help to support her both during her marriage and after her husband’s death. The fields on her Palo property were well - suited for grain growing, and could produce a significant amount of wheat, as attested to by the entries written by Felice’s servants in the account books for the estate.[36] However, during the 1533-1534 grain crisis in Rome, Felice’s revenue suffered. The reasons for the crisis were mainly a bout of poor weather conditions and an underdeveloped transportation system.[38] As a result, Rome had to import grain from other areas of Italy, and this often led to the price of grain being doubled.[38] As Felice’s property was located close to Rome itself, she mainly sold her grain directly to people in and around the city and was therefore affected by the bad harvest.[39] As well, grain suppliers located in Northern Italy were able to abuse the system during this time because the supply of grain in Rome itself was so poor, allowing them to charge steep prices.[40] This left local suppliers such as Felice in a dire situation. During this crisis, Felice had to resort to bargaining to get a better price for her grain. Felice’s individuality is revealed through actions such as these, as haggling was not something upper class women were supposed to do.[41] Ultimately, despite these struggles, Felice was able to use the grain trade to increase her wealth.

Role in Peace Negotiations between the Papal States and France[edit]

In 1510, in the midst of the Italian Wars, Pope Julius II wanted to eliminate France’s presence in Northern Italy.[42] In order to accomplish this, the Pope dissolved the League of Cambrai, originally established in 1508 as an anti-Venetian alliance between France and the Papal States.[43] In place of the League of Cambrai, the Pope established the Holy League, forming an alliance between the Papal States and Venice.[44] The exclusion of France from the Holy League caused tension to escalate between Julius II and Louis XII.[45] After the Papal States lost Bologna to France, Julius II agreed to negotiate with Louis XII. Negotiations were held between Bishop Andrew Forman and others, including Felice's husband, Gian Giordano Orsini.[42] Julius II sent Felice to accompany Gian Giordano to France in July 1511 where she was involved in negotiations with Queen Anne of Brittany for two years.[42]

Births and Early Years[edit]

Felice and Gian Giordano had 5 children, 4 of whom survived into adulthood.[46][47] Like most noble women of the 16th century, Felice employed wetnurses and was therefore able to have children in rapid succession.[46] Felice gave birth to 2 daughters: Julia in 1507,[48] and Clarice in 1514.[49] She also had 3 sons: Giulio in 1508, who died a few months later,[50] Francesco in 1512, and Girolamo in 1513.[51] Felice was a very involved mother: she named her children, a task typically given to the godparents at baptism, hired their wetnurses, and managed their financial affairs.[46] She was also primarily responsible for the upbringing of her surviving sons, Francesco and Girolamo, who were ages 4 and 5 when their father died in 1517.[52]

Relationship with Stepson, Napoleone[edit]

Some of the Orsini family viewed Felice as an evil stepmother because her sons displaced Napoleone’s claims to inheritance, but this was actually Gian Giordano’s choice.[52] It appears that Felice sympathized with Napoleone, as she tried to improve his situation by having her father appoint Napoleone abbot through an endowment of the Abbey of Farfa, an estate over 80 square miles in size, and had Napoleone granted an additional income of 1000 ducats a month under Pope Leo X.[53] Felice’s only role in the isolation and alleged mistreatment of Napoleone was that she believed Napoleone to be an aggressive boy and feared that he would hurt her sons in an attempt to regain the inheritance.[52] To protect herself and her sons, Felice kept Napoleone at a distance[54] and ensured that he did not receive a cardinal’s hat under Pope Leo X.[55]

As the Orsini Signora, Felice had a role in orchestrating the marriages of her stepchildren and her children. In October 1519, Felice secured her stepdaughter Carlotta’s marriage to Giovanni Pico, Count of Mirandola.[56] Because Felice was not Carlotta’s mother, she required the approval of Napoleone, and other Orsini males.[56] Felice then married her daughter Julia to Pier Antonio de Sanseverino, the ruler of Bisignano.[57] They agreed upon a dowry of 40,000 ducats and a cardinal’s hat to a member of Pier’s family in exchange for 24,000 ducats: 8,000 for Pope Leo X and 16,000 for Felice.[58] This marriage benefitted Felice by providing her with funds and a strong ally in the South, but it also came with consequences: the union angered members of the Orsini family because it involved a Southern family, the dowry was twice the size of Carlotta’s, and it angered Napoleone who felt that the cardinal’s hat given away was rightfully his.[59] Napoleone forfeited his claim to the Abbey of Farfa to Francesco when he married Claudia Colonna.[60] After the Sack of Rome, Felice married Clarice to Don Luigi Carafa, the Prince of Stigliano, whose family was on good terms with the Spanish, providing Felice an Imperial ally.[61][62] Francesco never married, but had many illegitimate children.[60] Felice arranged for Girolamo to marry Francesca Sforza, daughter of Count Bosio of Santa Fiora, but this union did not occur until October 1537, a year after Felice’s death.[63][62]

Gian Giordano became ill in September 1517 and made a living will bestowing the authority to act as Orsini regent to Felice after his death while their sons were still minors. Giovanno Roberta della Colle, one of Gian Giordano’s chiefs of staff, was present when the living will was made, and records that Gian Giordano said: “I shall leave my wife, that is Madonna Felice, named as Lady and Guardian of the children and of the estate because she has been such a woman and such a wife, and so rightly she merits such an honour.”[64] This announcement was very publicly made to ensure that the Orsini family would have no grounds to oppose Felice becoming the Lady and Guardian of the estate because she was a woman, not an Orsini by blood, or not of Roman nobility.[65] Gian Giordano died on October 11 at his castle in Vicovaro and left all of his worldly possessions to his sons Francesco, Girolamo, and Napoleone.[66] His appointment of Felice as Signore et Patrona made her one of the most powerful figures in Rome,[67] a position scholars note she was well prepared for due to her humanist education.[68] Pope Leo X ratified this position by writing a bull stating that Felice would be the guardian and caretaker of Gian Giordano Orsini’s children as long as she remained a widow.[69]

There were some rumours surrounding Gian Giordano’s death, as Marino Sanuto recorded that Gian had died without receiving confession or communion because doctors did not think he was ill, indicating that Felice may have been responsible for his death, rendering her fortuitous appointment as the head of the Bracciano Orsini clan unlawful. Some members of the Orsini household rallied behind the 17-year-old Napoleone as the rightful leader, but this did not gain power as Leo X had proclaimed his support for Felice, and there was no additional proof of any suspicious activity surrounding Gian Giordano’s death.[70]

The Sack of Rome[edit]

Escaping Rome[edit]

A painting depicting the brutal Sack of Rome.

Felice was not staying in the Orsini Palace, Monte Giordano, in Rome when the Sack began, and this likely saved her life, as it was one of the first palaces to be attacked.[71] She and her children were with her mother, Lucrezia, and half-siblings Gian Domenico and Francesca, at the De Cupis palace when the Sack began.[72] They decided that it would be safest to divide by gender and flee Rome. The women dressed in plain clothes, hid their jewels underneath their dresses and went to Isabella d’Este’s rented castle, Dodici Apostoli, which provided refuge to 1200 noblewomen and 1000 noblemen and was one of the only palaces not attacked because Isabella’s son was a chief lieutenant leading the attack.[73][74] The palace was soon put under ransom.[75] Felice paid for herself and a few others, including 2000 ducats for her nephew Christofano.[76] Felice and her family then fled Rome for Ostia where they took a boat to Civitavecchia and were united with the rest of Felice’s family.[77] The family split up again because Felice wanted to be far from Rome to protect her children from Napoleone, who was stationed at Felice’s Bracciano estate with some followers.[78] Felice feared that Napoleone might use the chaos of the sack as an opportunity to kill his half-siblings and reclaim what he believed to be his rightful inheritance of the Orsini lordship.[78][79] Felice and her children went to stay with her cousins in Urbino, where she received a palace in the hillside town of Fossombrone. In Fossombrone, Felice helped noblemen and women in Rome, sending money and coordinating supplies.[80]

Modern Aerial View of Fossombrone

Return to Rome[edit]

The Sack of Rome ended in 1528, but Felice did not immediately return to Rome because Napoleone had set up a force fighting against the Imperial attackers in Bracciano.[81][82] Soon after, the Imperial forces dispelled Napoleone, and Felice felt safe returning.[81][82] Once in Rome, Felice had the Orsini estate Monte Giordano rebuilt for the sake of her sons and the family’s reputation. Her property near Trinità dei Monti had also been ransacked and destroyed, so she had it rebuilt.[83] The Sack of Rome had significantly changed Felice’s life, and for the first time in her life she was poor.

Felice's Presence in Art[edit]

Raphael's "The Mass at Bolensa," in which Felice is believed to be represented.

Though no official portraiture of Felice has been identified, Caroline Murphy has suggested two works might be depictions of Felice. These are Raphael’s The Mass at Bolsena and Sebastiano del Piombo’s portrait of an unknown woman.[84] The Mass at Bolsena was commissioned by Julius II in 1512, and depicts the miracle of Bolsena.[85] As Julius II was Raphael’s patron, he would have influenced who exactly appeared in the painting.[86] Both clergy and male members of the della Rovere family appear in the painting, as well as a few female figures.[87] The figure Murphy identifies as Felice is dressed in black, kneeling, and gazing up at Julius II.[41] She argues that this is possibly Felice because she is depicted differently from all the other female figures, who appear to be stylized.[88] Sebastiano del Piombo was another painter who completed many works in this period, including portraiture.[89] The fact that he was personally known to Felice, and the similarities in dress between this piece and The Mass at Bolsena led Murphy to suggest that Piombo’s portrait of an unknown woman is also a depiction of Felice.[85] Felice’s presence cannot be fully confirmed as she was never properly identified in these art pieces. However, as Julius II was a patron of the arts it is likely he included his daughter in some of the paintings he commissioned.

Though Felice is less well - known nowadays in comparison to female contemporaries such as Lucrezia Borgia and Isabella d’Este, Felice was still a respected figure in her own time. She was acquainted with other sixteenth –century figures such as Catherine de' Medici and Pope Leo X, and it is clear that despite the lack of documentation on her life, she was corresponding with various important people. Catherine de' Medici, queen of France, had stayed with Felice for a short period of time as a young child, and later wrote a letter thanking Felice for the care she had received.[90] Though this letter was written long before Catherine became an important figure, Felice’s good reputation can be discerned from the letter Catherine wrote to her. Another figure Felice corresponded with was Pope Leo X, who succeeded Felice’s father as pope.[91] Her reputation among high-ranking figures is reflected through her business dealings with Leo X and her hosting of him and his guests at her residence.[36] Her reputation is also apparent in Francesco Sansovini’s History of the House of Orsini, which states that Felice’s granddaughter shared both her grandmother’s name and good manners.[90]

  1. ^ Contemporary Review. July 2005. "The Pope's Daughter".
  2. ^ Murphy 2005, pp. 187; 132.
  3. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 314.
  4. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 11.
  5. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 9.
  6. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 2.
  7. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 4.
  8. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 10.
  9. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 15.
  10. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 25.
  11. ^ a b Murphy 2007, p. 113.
  12. ^ Murphy 2005, p.24
  13. ^ a b Murphy 2005, p. 71.
  14. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 72.
  15. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 70.
  16. ^ a b Murphy 2005, p. 35.
  17. ^ Shaw 1993, p. 182.
  18. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 36.
  19. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 74.
  20. ^ a b c d e Williams 1998, p. 55.
  21. ^ Meek 2007, p. 866.; Sansovini in Murphy 2005, p. 75.
  22. ^ a b Murphy 2005, pp. 77-8.
  23. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 79.
  24. ^ Murphy 2005, pp. 80-1.
  25. ^ Meek 2007, p. 866
  26. ^ a b Murphy 2005, pp. 81-2.
  27. ^ Murphy 2005, pp. 82, 84.
  28. ^ Clough 2007, p. 759
  29. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 99.
  30. ^ Murphy 2007, pp. 114.
  31. ^ Murphy 2005, pp. 100-1.
  32. ^ Murphy 2005, pp.82
  33. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 102.
  34. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 103.
  35. ^ Murphy 2007, p 111.
  36. ^ a b c Murphy 2007, p 116.
  37. ^ a b Murphy 2005, p 158.
  38. ^ a b Bullard 1982, p. 279.
  39. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 256.
  40. ^ Bullard 1982, p. 283.
  41. ^ a b Murphy 2005, p. 298.
  42. ^ a b c Chambers 2006, p. 118.
  43. ^ Bedini 1997, p. 5.
  44. ^ Bedini 1997, p. 6.
  45. ^ Shaw 1993, p. 289.
  46. ^ a b c Murphy 2005, p. 152.
  47. ^ Williams 1998, p.52.
  48. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 101.
  49. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 154.
  50. ^ Murphy 2007, p. 144.
  51. ^ Murphy 2005, pp. 100,102.
  52. ^ a b c Meek 2007, p. 867.
  53. ^ Murphy 2005, pp. 214-5.
  54. ^ Murphy 2007, p. 119.
  55. ^ Murphy 2005, pp. 215-6.
  56. ^ a b Murphy 2005, p. 210.
  57. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 211.
  58. ^ Murphy 2007, p. 118.
  59. ^ Murphy 2007, p. 119-20.
  60. ^ a b Murphy 2005, pp. 275-6.
  61. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 273
  62. ^ a b Williams 1998, p. 52.
  63. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 303,310-1
  64. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 176.
  65. ^ Murphy 2005, pp. 176-7.
  66. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 178.
  67. ^ Meek 2007, p. 866
  68. ^ Clough 2007, p. 760.
  69. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 179.
  70. ^ Murphy 2005, pp. 179-80.
  71. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 236.
  72. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 237.
  73. ^ Murphy 2005, pp. 238-9
  74. ^ Chamberlin 1979, p. 166.
  75. ^ Chamberlin 1979, pp. 166-7.
  76. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 240.
  77. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 241.
  78. ^ a b Chamberlin 1979, p. 239.
  79. ^ Murphy 2007, p. 119.
  80. ^ Murphy 2005, pp. 245-7.
  81. ^ a b Hook 1972, p. 239.
  82. ^ a b Murphy 2005, pp. 252-3.
  83. ^ Murphy 2007, p. 120.
  84. ^ Murphy 2005, p. 132, 187.
  85. ^ a b Murphy 2005, p. 132.
  86. ^ Jones and Penny 1983, p.49.
  87. ^ Murphy 2005, p.133.
  88. ^ Murphy 2005, pp. 132 – 133.
  89. ^ Hirst 1981, p. 119.
  90. ^ a b Murphy 2005, p.314.
  91. ^ Cummings 2012, p.viii.

  • Bullard, Melissa Meriam (1982). "Grain Supply and Urban Unrest in Renaissance Rome: The Crisis of 1533-1534." in Rome in the Renaissance: The City and the Myth,ed. P.A Ramsey. Binghamton, New York: Center for Medieval and Early Renaissance Studies. pp 279–292. ISBN 978-0-86698-057-9.
  • Chamberlin, E.R (1979). The Sack of Rome. London: B.T. Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-1645-9.
  • Chambers, David, and Ebrary Academic Complete (Canada) Subscription Collection. (2006). Popes, Cardinals, and War: The Military Church in Renaissance and Early Modern Europe. New York: I. B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84511-178-6.
  • Hook, Judith (1972). The Sack of Rome: 1527. London: Palgrave MacMillan. ISBN 0-333-13272-6.
  • Meek, Christine (2007). "Review of The Pope's Daughter: The Extraordinary Life of Felice della Rovere." in The Sixteenth Century Journal 38.3 (2007), pp. 866–867.
  • Murphy, Caroline P (2005). The Pope’s Daughter: The Extraordinary Life of Felice della Rovere. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-518268-2.
  • Murphy, Caroline P (2007). "Felice della Rovere and the Castello at Palo" in Patronage and Dynasty: The Rise of the della Rovere in Renaissance Italy. Kirksville: Truman State University Press. pp. 112–121. ISBN 978-1-931112-60-4.
  • Williams, George L (1998). Papal Genealogy: The Families and Descendants of the Popes. Jefferson: McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0315-2.

  • Bedini, Silvio A., and Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian (1997). The Pope's Elephant. Manchester: Carcanet Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85754-277-6.
  • Clough, Cecil H (2007). "Review:The Pope's Daughter" in Renaissance Studies 21.5 (2007), pp. 758–760.
  • Cummings, Anthony M (2012). Pope Leo X, the Renaissance Papacy, and Music. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-11791-8.
  • Hirst, Michael (1981). Sebastiano del Piombo. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 978-0-19-817308-3.
  • Jones, Roger and Nicholas Penny (1983). Raphael. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-04052-4.
  • Shaw, Christine (1993). Julius II, The Warrior Pope. Cambridge, USA: Blackwell. ISBN 978-0-631-16738-9.


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Hanauma Bay

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Aerial view of Hanauma Bay

Hanauma (/ˌhɑːnəˈmə/; Hawaiian: [həˈnɔumə])[1] is a marine embayment formed within a tuff ring and located along the southeast coast of the Island of Oʻahu (just east of Honolulu) in the Hawaiian Islands.[2]

Hanauma is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the Island and has suffered somewhat from overuse (at one time accommodating over three million visitors per year). In 1956, dynamite was used to clear portions of the reef to make room for telephone cables linking Hawaii to the west coast of the US.[3]

The word hana means bay in the Hawaiian language (the usual addition of bay in its name is thus redundant). There are two etymological interpretations of the second part of its name.[4] One interpretation derives it from the Hawaiian word for curve, referring to either the shape of the feature or to the shape of the indigenous canoes that were launched there.[4] Another stems from the indigenous hand-wrestling game known as "Uma".[4]

Marine life[edit]

A turtle at Hanauma Bay

Hanauma is both a Nature Preserve and a Marine Life Conservation District (the first of several established in the State of Hawaiʻi). Reflecting changes in attitude, its name has changed over time from Hanauma Bay Beach Park to Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve.[5] Visitors are required by law to refrain from mistreating marine animals or from touching, walking, or otherwise having contact with coral heads, which appear much like large rocks on the ocean floor (here, mostly seaward of the shallow fringing reef off the beach). It is always recommended to avoid contacting coral or marine rocks as cuts to the skin can result and neglecting such wounds may bring medical problems.

About 400 species of fish are known to inhabit the bay.[6] Hanauma Bay is known for its abundance of Green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas, known as Honu. Hanauma is a nursery ground for the immature turtles, which have their nesting grounds at French Frigate Shoals.[7] It is also known for its abundance of parrotfish.

Hanauma Bay Oahu Hawaii

The Hawaiian Islands are a group of volcanoes that have risen up over a hot spot, which is a section of the Earth's surface that has exhibited volcanism for an extended period of time. Volcanic chains such as the Hawaiian Islands form as a result of the movement of a tectonic plate across fixed hot spot beneath the surface. In the case of the Hawaiian Islands, the Pacific plate has moved slowly northwestward over such a hotspot.

Approximately 3.9 million years ago, the Waiʻanae volcano created the island of Oʻahu. About 2.5 million years ago, the Koʻolau volcano erupted on the ocean floor, and continued to grow in elevation until about 1.7 million years ago, when it went dormant. Most of the eastern or windward portion of Oʻahu are remnants of this volcano. Most of the familiar geographic landmarks of eastern Oʻahu were created by eruptions from Koʻolau from about 500,000 to 10,000 years ago. The eastern flank of the Koʻolau volcano including the caldera slid into the sea, leaving the Koʻolau mountain range that can be seen today on the windward side of the island.

The Hanauma Crater was created about 32,000 years ago during the Honolulu volcanic series, the latest (and perhaps final) burst of volcanic activity to occur on Oʻahu.[8] Tens of thousands of years ago, a series of volcanic vents opened along the southeast shoreline of Oʻahu. Unlike the gentle lava flows currently building the island of Hawaiʻi, the late-stage eruptions on Oʻahu were violent explosions. The volcanic vents that formed Hanauma Crater opened on the sea floor. Upwelling magma vaporized the ocean water and steam explosions blew the magma into fine ash. The explosions built cones of ash, which solidified into tuff. The eruptions shattered the sea floor—coral reef and basalt—and scattered pieces that are now embedded in the tuff. Wave erosion eventually cut through the low, southeast wall of the crater, forming the current bay.[2]

Human history[edit]

Hanauma Bay Beach

Due to the lack of fresh water in the vicinity, the area was not inhabited, although archeologists have found fishing tools and other indications of human presence there.[4] The bay was used as a recreational area by the Hawaiian nobility (Ali'i), including King Kamehameha[disambiguation needed] and Queen Ka‘ahumanu, who fished, entertained visitors, and sponsored games there.[3] It was also used as a layover and as a navigational lookout point, since the waters between Oahu and Molokai are at times difficult.[3]

Hanauma Bay was purchased from the Bernice Pauahi Bishop estate by the City and County of Honolulu, and subsequently opened for public use. It was initially a favorite fishing and picnic spot for residents who were willing to travel out to the bay. In the 1930s the road along Hanauma Bay's corner of Oahu was paved and a few other amenities provided that made it easier to visit the beach and reef. After the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, barbed wire was placed at the beach and a bunker was constructed for use by sentries.[4] The Bay area reopened after the war and became even more visitor friendly after blasting in the reef for a transoceanic cable provided room for swimming. Hawaii-themed films and television shows, including Blue Hawaii, Paradise, Hawaiian Style, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Hawaii Five-O, and Magnum, P.I., shot footage at the bay.[9]

In 1967 it was set apart by the State division of Fish and Game as a Marine Protected Area, a term used generically to describe any marine area that had some or all of its resources protected. In Hanauma Bay's case everything became protected, from the fish to the reef, to the sand itself. A volunteer group set up a booth at the beach and began teaching visitors about conservation of the reef and fish who lived there. More changes in the 1970s by the City cleared more area in the reef for swimming, made an additional parking lot, and shipped in white sand from the North Shore, leaving Hanauma Bay increasingly more attractive to visitors.

By the late 1980s the bay had become a major attraction on Oahu. Tourists were brought in by the busload and sometimes as many as 13,000 visitors descended on the beach in one day. Most were uneducated about the fragile marine ecosystem and, unwittingly, "these crowds stirred up sediment, disturbed and trampled the coral and algae, dropped trash, fed the fish and left a slick of suntan lotion on the bay's surface."[10] Consequently, the beautiful multicolored coral reef closest to the beach died; only its blackened skeleton is visible today.

Panoramic view of Hanauma Bay

By 1990 overuse of the beach and surrounding area was a real problem, with visitors walking on the reef, swarming the surrounding areas, parking on the grass and on the sides of the road. Commercial filming was banned during that year.[9] Measures were taken to limit use and so visitor access was limited to the parking lot, and when it was full everyone after was turned away. In 1997, the city of Honolulu levied an entrance fee on non-residents of the state, leading to a class action lawsuit by a visitor, which was settled in favor of the city during 2004.[11][12] Then in August 2002 the Marine Education Center was opened at the entrance to the bay, where still today new visitors must watch a short film and receive instruction about conservation of the Bay's resources. Upon watching the film, visitors are allowed to sign a form and skip any subsequent film if they should return within the following 365 days.

Today Hanauma Bay sees an average of 3000 visitors a day, or around a million visitors a year. The majority are tourists.[13] The bay is closed to tourists on Tuesdays in order to allow the fish a day of feeding without interruption by swimmers.

Toilet Bowl[edit]

Along the left point is the Toilet Bowl, a natural spa tub that gently rises and falls with the tide. The Bowl has been closed due to injuries suffered by visitors.[14]

 This article incorporates public domain material from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration document "Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii".

  1. ^ Place Names of Hawai'i
  2. ^ a b "Hanauma Bay, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi". NASA Earth Observatory. Retrieved 2006-05-19.
  3. ^ a b c "CRAMP Study Sites: Hanauma Bay, Island of O‘ahu". Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program - University of Hawaii. Retrieved 2011-10-06.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Hanauma Bay History". City and County of Honolulu. Retrieved 2011-10-06.
  5. ^ Tsutsumi, Cheryl Chee (2005). Hanauma Bay: Hawai’i’s Coastal Treasure. Waipahu, Hawai’i: Island Heritage Publishing. p. 39. ISBN 0-931548-61-6.
  6. ^ "Audit of the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve Fund" (PDF). honolulu.gov. June 2007. Retrieved 2011-10-12.
  7. ^ Hanauma Bay, a Marine Life Guide: Hanauma Turtle.
  8. ^ "Hanauma Bay Geology". Honolulu.gov. Retrieved 2011-10-23.
  9. ^ a b Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi (August 5, 2007). "Hanauma Bay embodies ocean beauty and Oahu lore". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved 2011-10-11.
  10. ^ http://www.coralreef.gov/meeting18/evhcri_samoa_2007.pdf
  11. ^ "entrance fee -The class action says the city discriminates against nonresidents". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. July 10, 2001. Retrieved 2011-10-06.
  12. ^ James Mak (March 2008). Developing a dream destination: tourism and tourism policy planning in Hawai'i. University of Hawaii Press. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-8248-3243-8. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
  13. ^ IduMap Review: Tourism and Public Use History.
  14. ^ JEANNE COOPER (July 26, 2011). "Hawaii's most dangerous spots (and how to survive them)". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2011-10-06. Many locals grew up playing in the now-closed Toilet Bowl at Oahu's Hanauma Bay, where the high numbers of visitors have led to a proportionately high injury rate.

External links[edit]

Coordinates: 21°16′17″N 157°41′40″W / 21.27139°N 157.69444°W / 21.27139; -157.69444 (Hanauma Bay)

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Kaveh Golestan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Kaveh Golsetan
کاوه گلستان
Kaveh Golestan.jpg
Born July 8, 1950
Tehran, Iran
Died April 2, 2003(2003-04-02) (aged 53)
Kifri, Iraq
Education Millfield[1]
Occupation Photographer
Family Ebrahim Golestan
Lili Golestan
Mehrak Golestan

Kāveh Golestān Taghavi Shirazi (8 July 1950 - April 2, 2003), (Persian: کاوه گلستان ) was an Iranian photojournalist and artist. Golestan was educated at Millfield School in Somerset, England.[2]

In 1988, working as a freelance photographer, he took the first pictures of the aftermath of the Halabja poison gas attack during the Iran-Iraq War.

On April 2, 2003, he was killed at the age of 53, as a result of stepping on a land mine while working for the BBC in Kifri, Iraq.[3] He is buried in a cemetery in the east of Tehran.[4]

Kāveh Golestān and his sister Lili

Kaveh was the son of the Iranian filmmaker and writer Ebrahim Golestan and the brother of Lili Golestan,[5] translator and the owner-artistic director of the Golestan Gallery in Tehran, Iran.

Kaveh was married to Hengāmeh Golestān; they had a son, Mehrak.

See also[edit]

External links[edit]


text:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Marillion, 2009. L-R: Ian Mosley, Pete Trewavas, Steve Hogarth, Mark Kelly, and Steve Rothery.
Background information
Origin Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England
Genres Progressive rock, neo-progressive rock, pop rock, alternative rock, art rock, acoustic rock
Years active 1979–present
Labels EMI, Capitol, Castle, Racket, Intact, IRS, Caroline, Sanctuary, Velvel/Koch, Edel, Liberty, Pony Canyon
Members Steve Rothery
Mark Kelly
Pete Trewavas
Ian Mosley
Steve Hogarth
Past members Mick Pointer
Brian Jelliman
Doug Irvine
Diz Minnitt
Andy Ward
John 'Martyr' Marter
Jonathan Mover

Marillion /mʌˈrɪlˌjən/ are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, in 1979. They are known as the most successful band to emerge from the United Kingdom's 1980s neo-progressive rock scene.[1] They have sold more than 15 million albums.[2]

Their recorded studio output since 1982 is composed of seventeen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve Hogarth in early 1989. The band achieved eight Top Ten UK albums between 1983 and 1994, including a Number One album in 1985 with Misplaced Childhood, and during the period the band were fronted by Fish they scored eleven Top 40 hits on the UK Singles Chart, including 1985's "Kayleigh", which reached No. 2 and became their biggest hit single. The first album released with Hogarth, 1989's Seasons End, was another Top Ten hit, and albums continued to chart well until their departure from EMI following the release of their 1996 live album Made Again and the dissipation of the band's mainstream popularity in the late 1990s; save for a resurgence in the mid- to late-2000s,[3] they have essentially been a cult act since then.[4] Marillion have achieved a further twelve Top 40 hit singles in the UK with Hogarth, including 2004's "You're Gone", which charted at No. 7 and is the biggest hit of his tenure. The band continue to tour internationally, and were ranked 38th in Classic Rock's "50 Best Live Acts of All Time" in 2008.[5]

Marillion are widely considered to have been one of the first mainstream acts to have fully recognised and tapped the potential for commercial musicians to interact with their fans via the internet, starting in around 1996, and are nowadays often characterised as a rock & roll 'Web Cottage Industry'.[6][7] The history of the band's use of the Internet is described by Michael Lewis in the book Next: The Future Just Happened as an example of how the Internet is shifting power away from established elites, such as multinational record labels and record producers. The band are renowned for having an extremely dedicated following (often self-termed 'Freaks'),[6] with some fans regularly travelling significant distances to attend single gigs, driven in large part by the close fan base involvement which the band cultivate via their website, podcasts, biennial conventions[8] and regular fanclub[9] publications. The release of their 2001 album Anoraknophobia, which was funded by their fans through advance orders instead of by the band signing to a record company, gained significant attention and was called "a unique funding campaign" by the BBC.[10] Writing for The Guardian, Alexis Petridis described Marillion as "the undisputed pioneers" of fan-funded music.[11]

Line-up, influences and sound changes[edit]

The core line-up[12] of Steve Rothery (lead guitar, and the sole 'pre-Fish' original member), Pete Trewavas (bass), Mark Kelly (keyboards) and Ian Mosley (drums) has been unchanged since 1984.

Marillion's music has changed stylistically throughout their career. The band themselves stated that each new album tends to represent a reaction to the preceding one, and for this reason their output is difficult to 'pigeonhole'.

Their 1980s sound (with Fish on vocals) was guitar and keyboard led neo-progressive rock. They were often compared unfavourably by critics during this period with the Peter Gabriel era of Genesis,[13][14] although the band had many other influences. Fish was heavily influenced by a wide range of artists, including Van der Graaf Generator, Joni Mitchell, the Who, Pink Floyd, John Martyn, Yes, Lowell George, Led Zeppelin, Roy Harper, the Faces, the Beatles and Supertramp.[15] Rothery's main influences were Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, David Gilmour, Andrew Latimer of Camel, Steve Hackett, Jeff Beck and Joni Mitchell, with Gordon Giltrap also an early influence on the development of his playing style.[16] Kelly's biggest inspiration was Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman,[17] and Trewavas' favourite bass player was Paul McCartney.[18] Original drummer Mick Pointer was a huge fan of Neil Peart's drumming in his favourite band, Rush.[19]

During the Steve Hogarth era, their sound has been compared, on various albums, to more contemporary acts such as U2,[20] Radiohead,[21][22] Coldplay,[22] Muse,[22] Talk Talk,[23] Elbow,[23] and Massive Attack.[23]

The Fish era[edit]

Formation and early years (1979–1982)[edit]

Marillion was formed in 1979 as Silmarillion, after J.R.R. Tolkien's book The Silmarillion, by Mick Pointer, Steve Rothery, and others. They played their first gig at Berkhamsted Civic Centre, Hertfordshire, on 1 March 1980.[24]

The band name was shortened to Marillion in 1981 to avoid potential copyright conflicts[25] at the same time as Fish and bassist William 'Diz' Minnitt[26] replaced original bassist/vocalist Doug 'Rastus' Irvine an audition at Leyland Farm Studios in Buckinghamshire on 2 January 1981. Rothery, drummer Mick Pointer, and keyboardist Brian Jelliman completed this line-up; the first gig with this line-up was at the Red Lion Pub in Bicester, Oxfordshire, on 14 March 1981. By the end of 1981, Kelly had replaced Jelliman, with Trewavas replacing Minnitt in 1982.[27] Minnitt later formed Pride of Passion.[28]

The early works of Marillion contained Fish's poetic, fantastical and introspective lyrics melded with music to create a sound that reflected the band's influences. Marillion's first recordings were two demos recorded in March and the summer of 1980, prior to Fish and Minnitt joining the band. Two versions of the Spring demo circulate amongst collectors; the first has four tracks; "The Haunting of Gill House", "Herne the Hunter", an untitled track known as "Scott's Porridge", and "Alice". The second version has an instrumental version of "Alice" in place of "Scott's Porridge". All tracks are instrumental apart from "Alice", with vocals by Doug Irvine. The summer demo has three tracks; "Close" (parts of which were later rewritten into "The Web", "He Knows You Know" and "Chelsea Monday"), "Lady Fantasy" (an original based on an earlier Electric Gypsy song), and another version of "Alice". Both were recorded at The Enid's studio in Hertfordshire. Following Irvine's departure and replacement by Fish and Minnitt, the band recorded another demo tape, produced by Les Payne, in July 1981 that included early versions of "He Knows You Know", "Garden Party", and "Charting the Single".

The group attracted attention with a three-track session for the Friday Rock Show (early versions of "The Web", "Three Boats Down from The Candy", and "Forgotten Sons") and were subsequently signed by EMI. They released their first single, "Market Square Heroes", in 1982, with the epic song "Grendel" on the B-side of the 12" version. Following the single, the band released their first full-length album in 1983.

Script for a Jester's Tear and Fugazi (1983–1984)[edit]

The music on their debut album, Script for a Jester's Tear, was born out of the intensive gigging of the previous years. Although it had some progressive rock stylings, it also had a darker edge, suggested by the bedsit squalour on the album's cover. The album was a commercial success, peaking at number seven on the UK album chart and producing a top 20 single, "Garden Party". Following the UK tour to promote Script for a Jester's Tear, Mick Pointer was dismissed due to Fish's dissatisfaction with what he later described as his "awful" timing and failure to develop as a musician with the rest of the band.[29] Former Steve Hackett drummer Ian Mosley was eventually secured as Pointer's replacement after a series of other drummers, including Andy Ward and Jonathan Mover, proved short-lived and less than satisfactory. Despite the numerous production problems encountered during this period, the second album, Fugazi, built upon the success of the first album with a more electronic sound, improved on the chart placing of its predecessor by reaching the top five and produced the top 30 singles "Punch and Judy" and "Assassing".[30]

In November 1984, Marillion then released their first live album, Real to Reel, featuring songs from Fugazi and Script for a Jester's Tear, as well as "Cinderella Search" (B-side to 'Assassing') and the debut single "Market Square Heroes", which had not been available on album until that point. The album entered the UK album charts at No. 8.

Misplaced Childhood and international success (1985-1986)[edit]

Marillion with Fish (1986)

Their third and commercially most successful studio album was Misplaced Childhood. With the blessing of their record company, the band was free to depart stylistically from their previous albums, in the process developing a more mainstream sound. The lead single from the album, "Kayleigh", received major promotion by EMI and gained heavy rotation on BBC Radio 1 and Independent Local Radio stations as well as television appearances, bringing the band to the attention of a much wider audience. The band were able to showcase their ability to juxtapose easily accessible rock ballads ("Kayleigh", charting at No. 2 in the United Kingdom, behind charity fundraiser "You'll Never Walk Alone" by The Crowd, and "Lavender", which charted at No. 5) with darker subject matter on the album such as drug abuse, alcoholism and prostitution, ultimately leading to rebirth and redemption, all inspired by Fish's life experiences. Following the exposure given to "Kayleigh" and its subsequent chart success, the album went to No. 1 in the United Kingdom, knocking Bryan Ferry's Boys and Girls off the top spot and holding off a challenge from Sting, who released his first solo album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles, in the same week. The third single from the album, "Heart of Lothian", became another top-thirty hit for the band, reaching No. 29. The album came sixth in Kerrang! magazine's "Albums of the Year" in 1985. "Kayleigh" also gave Marillion its sole entry on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 74. In the summer of 1986, the band played to their biggest ever audience as special guests to Queen at a festival in Germany attended by a crowd of over 150,000 people. The band were also offered the Highlander soundtrack but turned it down because of their world tour, a missed opportunity which Rothery later claimed to regret.[31]

Clutching at Straws and the departure of Fish (1987–1988)[edit]

The fourth studio album, Clutching at Straws, shed some of its predecessor's pop stylings and retreated into a darker exploration of excess, alcoholism, and life on the road, representing the strains of constant touring that would result in the departure of Fish to pursue a solo career. It did continue the group's commercial success, however; lead single "Incommunicado" charted at No. 6 in the UK charts gaining the band an appearance on Top of the Pops, and the album entered the UK album chart at No. 2, Marillion's second highest placing. "Sugar Mice" and "Warm Wet Circles" also became hit singles, both reaching No. 22. Fish has also stated in interviews since that he believes this was the best album he made with the band.[32] The album came sixth in Kerrang! magazine's "Albums of the Year" in 1987, equalling the ranking given to Misplaced Childhood. It was also included in Q magazine's "50 Best Recordings of the Year".[33] Fish explained his reasons for leaving in an interview in 2003:

"By 1987 we were over-playing live because the manager was on 20 per cent of the gross. He was making a fantastic amount of money while we were working our asses off. Then I found a bit of paper proposing an American tour. At the end of the day the band would have needed a £14,000 loan from EMI as tour support to do it. That was when I knew that, if I stayed with the band, I'd probably end up a raging alcoholic and be found overdosed and dying in a big house in Oxford with Irish wolfhounds at the bottom of my bed."[34]

Fish gave the band a choice to continue with either him or the manager. The band sided with the manager and Fish left for a solo career.[35] His last live performance with the band was at Craigtoun Country Park on 23 July 1988.[36] After lengthy legal battles, informal contact between Fish and the other four band members apparently did not resume until 1999; Fish would later disclose in the liner notes to the 2-CD reiussue of Clutching at Straws that he and his former bandmates had met up and discussed the demise of the band and renewed their friendship, and had come to the consensus that an excessive touring schedule and too much pressure from the band's management led to the rift.

Although reportedly now on good personal terms, both camps had always made it very clear that the oft-speculated-upon reunion would never happen. However, when Fish headlined the 'Hobble on the Cobbles' free concert in Aylesbury's Market Square on 26 August 2007, the attraction of playing their debut single in its spiritual home proved strong enough to overcome any lingering bad feeling between the former band members, and Kelly, Mosley, Rothery, and Trewavas replaced Fish's backing band for an emotional encore of 'Market Square Heroes'.

In a press interview following the event, Fish denied this would lead to a full reunion, saying that: "Hogarth does a great job with the band. We forged different paths over the 19 years."[37]

The Steve Hogarth era[edit]

Seasons End and Holidays in Eden (1989–1991)[edit]

After the split, the band found Steve Hogarth, the former keyboardist and sometime vocalist of The Europeans. Hogarth stepped into a difficult situation, as the band had already recorded some demos of the next studio album, which eventually would have become Seasons End. Hogarth was a significant contrast with Fish, coming from a new wave musical background instead of progressive rock. He had also never owned a Marillion album before joining the band.[38]

After Fish left the group (taking his lyrics with him), Hogarth set to work crafting new lyrics to existing songs with lyricist and author John Helmer. The demo sessions of the songs from Seasons End with Fish vocals and lyrics can be found on the bonus disc of the remastered version of Clutching at Straws, while the lyrics found their way into various Fish solo albums such as his first solo album, Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors, some snippets on his second, Internal Exile and even a line or two found its way to his third album, Suits.

Hogarth's second album with the band, Holidays in Eden, was the first he wrote in partnership with the band, and includes the song "Dry Land" which Hogarth had written and recorded in a previous project with the band How We Live. As quoted from Steve Hogarth, "Holidays in Eden was to become Marillion's "pop"est album ever, and was greeted with delight by many, and dismay by some of the hardcore fans".[39] Despite its pop stylings, the album failed to crossover beyond the band's existing fanbase and produced no major hit singles.

Brave, Afraid of Sunlight and split with EMI (1992–1995)[edit]

Holidays in Eden was followed by Brave, a dark and richly complex concept album that took the band 18 months to release. The album also marked the start of the band's longtime relationship with producer Dave Meegan. An independent film based on the album, which featured the band, was also released.

The next album, Afraid of Sunlight, would be the band's last album with record label EMI. Once again, it received little promotion and no mainstream radio airplay, and its sales were disappointing for the band. Despite this, it was one of their most critically acclaimed albums and was included in Q's 50 Best Albums of 1995.[40] One track of note on the album is Out of This World, a song about Donald Campbell, who died while trying to set a speed record on water. The song inspired an effort to recover both Campbell's body and the "Bluebird K7," the boat which Campbell crashed in, from the water.[41] The recovery was finally undertaken in 2001, and both Steve Hogarth and Steve Rothery were invited.[42] In 1998, Steve Hogarth claimed this was the best album he had made with the band.[43]

This Strange Engine, Radiation and (1996–1999)[edit]

What followed was a string of albums and events that saw Marillion struggling to find their place in the music business. This Strange Engine was released in 1997 with little promotion from their new label Castle Records, and the band could not afford to make tour stops in the United States. Luckily, their dedicated US fan base decided to solve the problem by raising some $60,000 themselves online to give to the band to come to the US.[44] The band's loyal fanbase (combined with the Internet) would eventually become vital to the band's existence.

The band's tenth album Radiation saw the band taking a different approach and was received by fans with mixed reactions.[21] was released the following year and showed some progression in the new direction. The band were still unhappy with their record label situation. As Steve Hogarth explained:

"We'd come to the end of our record deal and there were various indie labels interested in us. But we didn't feel comfortable with any of them. We're a band with a big fanbase, but the problem is that, as a result, no-one has an incentive to market us. Record labels know they could spend a fiver on promoting our album and our fans would still go and buy it if they had to find it under a stone. And we knew what would happen if we signed to an indie label. They'd do nothing, sell the album to the fanbase and put the money in the bank."[45]

Anoraknophobia and Marbles (2000–2006)[edit]

The band decided that they would try a radical experiment by asking their fans if they would help fund the recording of the next album by pre-ordering it before recording even started. The result was over 12,000 pre-orders which raised enough money to record and release Anoraknophobia in 2001.[46] The band was able to strike a deal with EMI to also help distribute the album. This allowed Marillion to retain all the rights to their music while enjoying commercial distribution. By this time the band had also parted company with their long-time manager, saving 20 per cent of the band's income.

The success of Anoraknophobia allowed the band to start recording their next album, but they decided to leverage their fanbase once again to help raise money towards marketing and promotion of a new album. The band put up the album for pre-order in mid-production. This time fans responded by pre-ordering 18,000 copies.[47]

Marbles was released in 2004 with a 2-CD version that is only available at Marillion's website – kind of a 'thank-you' gesture to the over 18,000 fans who pre-ordered it, and as even a further thanks to the fans, their names were credited in the sleeve notes (this 'thank you' to the fans also occurred with the previous album, Anoraknophobia).

Marillion in 2007, left to right: Steve Rothery, Steve Hogarth, Pete Trewavas (front row), Mark Kelly, Ian Mosley (back row)

The band's management organised the biggest promotional schedule since they had left EMI and Steve Hogarth secured interviews with prominent broadcasters on BBC Radio, including Matthew Wright, Bob Harris, Stuart Maconie, Simon Mayo and Mark Lawson. Marbles also became the band's most critically acclaimed album since Afraid of Sunlight, prompting many positive reviews in the press.[48][49][50][51][52][53][54] The band released "You're Gone" as the lead single from the album. Aware that it was unlikely to gain much mainstream radio airplay, the band released the single in three separate formats and encouraged fans to buy a copy of each to get the single into the UK Top Ten. The single reached No. 7, making it the first Marillion song to reach the UK Top Ten since "Incommunicado" in 1987 and the band's first Top 40 entry since "Beautiful" in 1995. The second single from the album, "Don't Hurt Yourself", reached No. 16. Following this, they released a download-only single, "The Damage (live)", recorded at the band's sell-out gig at the London Astoria. It was the highest new entry in the new UK download chart at number 2.[citation needed] All of this succeeded in putting the band back in the public consciousness, making the campaign a success. Marillion continued to tour throughout 2005 playing several summer festivals and embarking on acoustic tours of both Europe and the United States, followed up by the "Not Quite Christmas Tour" of Europe throughout the end of 2005.

A new DVD, Colours and Sound, was released in Feb 2006, documenting the creation, promotion, release, and subsequent European tour in support of the album Marbles.

Somewhere Else and Happiness is the Road (2007–2008)[edit]

April 2007 saw Marillion release their fourteenth studio album Somewhere Else, their first album in 10 years to make the UK Top No. 30. The success of the album was further underscored by that of the download-only single See it Like a Baby, making UK No. 45 (March 2007) and the traditional CD release of Thankyou Whoever You Are / Most Toys, which made UK No. 15 and No. 6 in the Netherlands during June 2007.

In July 2008 the band posted a contest for fans to create a music video for the soon-to-be released single "Whatever is Wrong with You", and post it on YouTube. The winner would win £5,000.[55][56]

Happiness Is the Road, released in October 2008, again featured a pre-order "deluxe edition" with a list of the fans who bought in advance, and a more straightforward regular release. It is another double album, with one disc based on a concept and the second containing the other songs that aren't a part of the theme. Before the album's release, on 9 September 2008, Marillion achieved a world first[citation needed] by pre-releasing their own album via p2p networks themselves. Upon attempting to play the downloaded files, users were shown a video from the band explaining why they had taken this route. Downloaders were then able to opt to purchase the album at a user-defined price or select to receive DRM-free files for free, in exchange for an email address. The band explained that although they do not support piracy, they realised their music would inevitably be distributed online anyway, and wanted to attempt to engage with p2p users and make the best of the situation.[57]

Less is More and Sounds That Can't Be Made (2009–2012)[edit]

The band's sixteenth studio album (released 2 October 2009) was an acoustic album featuring new arrangements of previously released tracks (except one, the new track: 'It's Not Your Fault') entitled Less Is More.

Their seventeenth studio album is titled Sounds That Can't Be Made and was released in September 2012. Two versions of the album were released: A 2-disc 'deluxe' version that included a DVD with 'making-of' features and sound-check recordings and a single CD jewel case version. The 'deluxe' version also included a 128-page book that incorporated lyrics, artwork and, as was the case with Anoraknophobia, Marbles and Happiness is the Road, the names of people who pre-ordered the album. Parts of the album were recorded at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios in 2011.

Marillion were awarded "Band of the Year" at the annual Progressive Music Awards in 2013.[58]

Marillion in the media[edit]

By their own admission, the band have never been fashionable in the eyes of the media. On the subject of joining the band, Steve Hogarth once said: "At about the same time, Matt Johnson of The The asked me to play piano on his tour. I always say I had to make a choice between the most hip band in the world, and the least." In the same interview, he claimed: "We're just tired of the opinions of people who haven't heard anything we've done in ten years. A lot of what's spread about this band is laughable."[38]

Much of the band's enduring and unfashionable reputation stems from their emergence in the early 1980s as the most commercially successful band of the neo-progressive rock movement, an unexpected revival of the progressive rock musical style that had fallen out of critical favour in the mid-1970s. Some early critics were quick to dismiss the band as clones of Peter Gabriel-era Genesis due to musical similarities, such as their extended songs, a prominent and Mellotron-influenced keyboard sound, vivid and fantastical lyrics and the equally vivid and fantastical artwork by Mark Wilkinson used for the sleeves of their albums and singles. Lead singer Fish was also often compared with Gabriel due to his early vocal style and theatrical stage performances, which in the early years often included wearing face paint.

As Jonh Wilde summarised in Melody Maker in 1989:

At the end of a strange year for pop music, Marillion appeared in November 1982 with "Market Square Heroes". There were many strange things about 1982, but Marillion were the strangest of them all. For six years, they stood out of time. Marillion were the unhippest group going. As punk was becoming a distant echo, they appeared with a sound and an attitude that gazed back longingly to the age of Seventies pomp. When compared to Yes, Genesis and ELP, they would take it as a compliment. The Eighties have seen some odd phenomena. But none quite as odd as Marillion. Along the way, as if by glorious fluke, they turned out some singles that everybody quietly liked – "Garden Party", "Punch and Judy" and "Incommunicado". By this time, Marillion did not need the support of the hip-conscious. They were massive. Perhaps the oddest thing about Marillion was that they became one of the biggest groups of the decade. They might have been an anomaly but they were monstrously effective.[59]

The band's unfashionable reputation and image problem has often been mentioned in the media, even in otherwise positive reviews. In Q in 1987, David Hepworth claimed: "Marillion may represent the inelegant, unglamorous, public bar end of the current Rock Renaissance but they are no less part of it for that. Clutching at Straws suggests that they may be finally coming in from the cold."[60] In the same magazine in 1995, Dave Henderson wrote: "It's not yet possible to be sacked for showing an affinity for Marillion, but has there ever been a band with a larger stigma attached?" He also claimed that if the album Afraid of Sunlight "had been made by a new, no baggage-of-the-past combo, it would be greeted with open arms, hailed as virtual genius."[61] In Record Collector in 2002, Tim Jones claimed they were "one of the most unfairly berated bands in Britain" and "one of its best live rock acts."[62] In 2004, Classic Rock's Jon Hotten wrote: "That genre thing has been a bugbear of Marillion's, but it no longer seems relevant. What are Radiohead if not a progressive band?" and claimed Marillion were "making strong, singular music with the courage of their convictions, and we should treasure them more than we do."[50] In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, an article on Marillion written by Mick Wall described them as "probably the most misunderstood band in the world".[63]

In 2007, Stephen Dalton of The Times stated:

The band have just released their 14th album, Somewhere Else, which is really rather good. Containing tracks that shimmer like Coldplay, ache like Radiohead and thunder like Muse, it is better than 80 per cent of this month's releases. But you are unlikely to hear Marillion on British radio, read about them in the music press or see them play a major festival. This is largely because Marillion have – how can we put this kindly? – an image problem. Their music is still perceived as bloated, bombastic mullet-haired prog-rock, even by people who have never heard it. In fairness, they did once release an album called Script for a Jester's Tear. But, come on, we all had bad hair days in the 1980s.[22]

Despite publishing a very good review for their 1995 album Afraid of Sunlight and including it in their 50 Best Albums of 1995, Q refused to interview the band or write a feature on them. Steve Hogarth later said: "How can they say, this is an amazing record... no, we don't want to talk to you? It's hard to take when they say, here's a very average record... we'll put you on the front cover."[38]

In 1999, DJ Simon Mayo commented on BBC Radio 1: "Marillion ... where are they now? And who cares anyway?" Fans objecting to the comment brought the station's computer system to a standstill with thousands of emails of complaint. Mayo subsequently apologised for his comment to keyboard player Mark Kelly when he phoned the show to take part in a quiz.[64]

To accompany the release of Anoraknophobia in 2001, the band issued a press release asking critics to review the album in "a manner that is both accurate and fair. So, our challenge to you is to firstly listen to the album. Then write a review without using any of the following words: "Progressive rock", "Genesis", "Fish", "heavy metal", "dinosaurs", "predictable", "concept album". Because if you do, we'll know that you haven't listened to it."[64]

Reviewing the band's appearance on BBC Two's The Future Just Happened in 2001, Gareth McLean of The Guardian described the band as "once dodgy and now completely rubbish" and their fans as "slightly simple folks". He also dismissed the band's efforts to continue their career without a label by dealing directly with their fans on the Internet, claiming: "One suspects that their decision occurred round about the time that the record industry decided to shun Marillion."[65]

Rachel Cooke, a writer for The Observer and New Statesman, has repeatedly referred negatively to the band and insulted their fans in her articles.[66][67][68][69]

The band have been prepared to send up their unfashionable status, naming their 2001 album "Anoraknophobia" and printing T-shirts with the logo "Marillion: Uncool as F*ck."

Several bandmembers are currently active[when?] in UK music industry bodies – amongst them the FAC, whilst Mark Kelly was elected in November 2009 to both the Performer and Main Boards of the UK's PPL.[70]

In an interview in 2000, Hogarth expressed regret about the band retaining their name after he joined:

If we had known when I joined Marillion what we know now, we'd have changed the name and been a new band. It was a mistake to keep the name, because what it represented in the mid-Eighties is a millstone we now carry. If we'd changed it, I think we would have been better off. We would have been judged for our music. It's such a grave injustice that the media constantly calls us a 'dinosaur prog band'. They only say that out of ignorance because they haven't listened to anything we've done for the last 15 bloody years. If you hear anything we've done in the last five or six years, that description is totally irrelevant... It's a massive frustration that no-one will play our stuff. If we send our single to Radio 1 they say: 'Sorry, we don't play music by bands who are over so-many years old... and here's the new U2 single.' I suppose it's something everyone has to cope with – every band are remembered for their big hit single, irrespective of how much they change over the years. But you can only transcend that by continuing to have hits. It's Catch 22. You know, at some stage, someone has to notice that we're doing interesting things. Someday someone will take a retrospective look at us and be surprised.[71]

The 2013 film Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa includes a fictional portrayal of the band’s drummer as a running joke. The band granted special permission after being shown clips.[72]

1979–1981 1981 1981–1982 1982–1983
  • Doug 'Rastus' Irvine – bass guitars, lead vocals
  • Brian Jelliman – keyboards
  • Mick Pointer – drums
  • Steve Rothery – electric guitars, acoustic guitars
  • Brian Jelliman – keyboards
  • Mick Pointer – drums
  • Steve Rothery – electric guitars, acoustic guitars
  • Fish – lead vocals, lyrics, percussion
  • Diz Minnitt – bass guitars
  • Mick Pointer – drums
  • Steve Rothery – electric guitars, acoustic guitars
  • Fish – lead vocals, lyrics, percussion
  • Diz Minnitt – bass guitars
  • Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
  • Mick Pointer – drums
  • Steve Rothery – electric guitars, acoustic guitars
  • Fish – lead vocals, lyrics, percussion
  • Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
  • Pete Trewavas – bass guitars, backing vocals, additional guitars, samples and effects
1983 1983 1983–1984 1984–1988
  • Steve Rothery – electric guitars, acoustic guitars
  • Fish – lead vocals, lyrics, percussion
  • Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
  • Pete Trewavas – bass guitars, backing vocals, additional guitars, samples and effects
  • Andy Ward – drums, percussion
  • Steve Rothery – electric guitars, acoustic guitars
  • Fish – lead vocals, lyrics, percussion
  • Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
  • Pete Trewavas – bass guitars, backing vocals, additional guitars, samples and effects
  • John 'Martyr' Marter – drums
  • Steve Rothery – electric guitars, acoustic guitars
  • Fish – lead vocals, lyrics, percussion
  • Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
  • Pete Trewavas – bass guitars, backing vocals, additional guitars, samples and effects
  • Jonathan Mover – drums
  • Steve Rothery – electric guitars, acoustic guitars
  • Fish – lead vocals, lyrics, percussion
  • Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
  • Pete Trewavas – bass guitars, backing vocals, additional guitars, samples and effects
  • Ian Mosley – drums, percussion
  • Steve Rothery – electric guitars, acoustic guitars
  • Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
  • Pete Trewavas – bass guitars, backing vocals, additional guitars, samples and effects
  • Ian Mosley – drums, percussion
  • Steve Hogarth – lead vocals, lyrics, keyboards, guitars, percussion

Main article: Marillion discography

  1. ^ "Neo-Prog". Allmusic. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  2. ^ "'Gutted' Fish lives happily ever after". The Scotsman. The Scotsman Publications. 19 September 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  3. ^ Allmusic review of Marbles
  4. ^ Allmusic review of Marbles Live
  5. ^ 50 Best Live Acts of All Time (April 2008). Classic Rock Magazine. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  6. ^ a b Big George Webley. "Sound on Sound". Sound on Sound. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  7. ^ "Web Cottage Industry" (PDF). Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  8. ^ "weekend Marillion convention website". Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  9. ^ "The Web – Marillion fansite". Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  10. ^ Masters, Tim (11 May 2001). "Marillion fans to the rescue". BBC News. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  11. ^ Petridis, Alexis (18 April 2008). "This song was brought to you by ...". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  12. ^ "Marillion lineup". Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  13. ^ Prasad, Anil. "Fish: Mirroring influences". Innerviews. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  14. ^ "MUSIC – Discography – Script for a Jester's Tear". 19 June 1997. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  15. ^ Mann, Rachel (20 May 2013). "This Must Be The Plaice: Fish's Favourite Albums". The Quietus. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  16. ^ "Steve Rothery Interview". All Access Magazine. 27 August 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  17. ^ Kahn, Scott. "Marillion's Mark Kelly: Keyboards in Eden". Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  18. ^ Ward, Steven. "Interview with Pete Trewavas of Marillion". PopMatters. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  19. ^ "Mick Pointer interview". New Horizons. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  20. ^ Demalon, Tom. "AllMusic review of Holidays in Eden". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  21. ^ a b "MUSIC – Discography – Radiation". 15 October 1998. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  22. ^ a b c d Stephen Dalton (21 April 2007). "How to thrive on a Fish-free diet". The Times. UK.
  23. ^ a b c Kirkley, Paul (12 September 2012). "From prog to a prince: how Marillion took on the music industry - and won". Cambridge News (Cambridge). Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  24. ^ Mick Wall (1987). Market Square Heroes – The Authorised Story of Marillion. Sidgwick & Jackson Ltd. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-283-99426-5.
  25. ^ Marcelo Silveyra (2002). "Chapter 1 – Writing Down The Script". Season's End – The True Marillion Story. Archived from the original on 4 June 2008.
  26. ^ "A trip down memory lane «". 2013-02-26. Retrieved 2014-04-19.
  27. ^ "Interview - Diz Minnitt of Marillion". The Marquee Club. Retrieved 2014-04-19.
  28. ^ "Record News", Sounds, 14 December 1985, p. 6
  29. ^ Ling, Dave (October 2001). "Fish interview". Classic Rock. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  30. ^ "MUSIC – Discography – Fugazi". Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  31. ^ O'Neill, Eamon (6 September 2014). "Steve Rothery - Marillion - Uber Rock Interview Exclusive". Uber Rock. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  32. ^ Rob Hendriks. "Interview June 2002". The Web magazine.
  33. ^ "1987 Q Magazine Recordings of the Year". Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  34. ^ Edinburgh Evening News, 29 May 2003.
  35. ^ "Back singing for his supper after taking stock". The Scotsman. UK. 29 May 2003.
  36. ^ "Tour history 1988".
  37. ^ "Singer Fish and Marillion reunite". BBC News. 28 August 2007.
  38. ^ a b c Dave Ling (May 2001) Interview with Steve Hogarth Classic Rock Magazine
  39. ^ "MUSIC – Discography – Holidays in Eden". Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  40. ^ Q, February 1996.
  41. ^ "Out of this World, Trivia". Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  42. ^ "Band Member Journal : A Day in the Lakes". 8 March 2001. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  43. ^ "Afraid of Sunlight Sleeve Notes".
  44. ^ "NEWS – Press Room – Anoraknophobia". Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  45. ^ "The band that broke the mould".
  46. ^ "MUSIC – Discography – Anoraknophobia". Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  47. ^ "MUSIC – Discography – Marbles". Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  48. ^ Betty Clarke The Guardian, 30 April 2004.
  49. ^ Tim Jones Record Collector, May 2004, Issue 297.
  50. ^ a b Jon Hotten Classic Rock, May 2004, Issue 66.
  51. ^ Roger Newell Guitarist, June 2004
  52. ^ Simon Gausden Powerplay, June 2004
  53. ^ Guitar, June 2004
  54. ^ The Star, June 2004
  55. ^ "Marillion bringing Happiness to JB's". Shropshire Star. 12 November 2008.
  56. ^ "Marillion – Whatever is Wrong with You? – Video Contest". 26 July 2008. Archived from the original on 26 July 2008.
  57. ^ Marillion Press Release (11 September 2008) "Marillion Use P2P for Album Release" Anti Music
  58. ^ "Hawkwind star honoured at awards". BBC News. 4 September 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  59. ^ Jonh Wilde Melody Maker, 28 October 1989
  60. ^ David Hepworth (July 1987)Review of Clutching at Straws, Q Magazine (archived at Official Fish Site)
  61. ^ Dave Henderson Q, August 1995.
  62. ^ Tim Jones Record Collector, May 2002.
  63. ^ Mick Wall Q Classic: Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, 2005.
  64. ^ a b "Anoraknophobia Pre-Order Press Release". Marillion PR. September 2000.
  65. ^ Gareth McLean (13 August 2001). "In the realm of pretences". The Guardian. UK.
  66. ^ "Reader, I loved it". The Observer. UK. 26 November 2006.
  67. ^ "I get the picture: comics can be cool". The Observer. UK. 15 July 2007.
  68. ^ "I just can't get you out of my head". New Statesman. UK. 26 June 2008.
  69. ^ "The Anti-Social Network (BBC3)". New Statesman. UK. 26 March 2012.
  70. ^ "Mark Kelly elected to PPL Performer Board and Main Board". 20 November 2009.
  71. ^ Chris Leadbeater (28 November 2000). "The band that broke the mould". The London Evening Standard.
  72. ^ Adam Sherwin (23 July 2013). "A-ha! Alan Partridge movie Alpha Papa gives airtime to forgotten pop classics". The Independent (UK).

External links[edit]


text:
Sydney Festival

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Sydney Festival
Symphony in the Domain 2007.jpg
Part of the Sydney Festival, Symphony in the Domain, pictured in 2007
Genre Major arts, theatre, music and cultural festival
Begins Second week of January
Ends Final week of January
Frequency Annually
Location(s) Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Years active 38
Inaugurated 1977
Most recent 2014
Participants 931 artists (2011)[1]
Attendance ~500,000 to free events (2011)[1]
~153,000 to ticketed events (2011)[1]

Sydney Festival is a major arts festival in Australia's largest city, Sydney that runs for three weeks every January, since it was established in 1977. The festival program features in excess of 100 events from local and international artists and includes contemporary and classical music, dance, circus, drama, visual arts and artist talks. The festival attracts approximately 500,000 people to its large-scale free outdoor events and 150,000 to its ticketed events, and contributes more than A$55 million to the economy of New South Wales.[1]

The origins of the Sydney Festival are in the Waratah Festival which was established in 1956 by the Sydney Committee and took place from late October to early November, coinciding with the blooming of the NSW emblematic flower the Waratah. It was an important cultural event which included a parade, a popular art competition, beauty contests, exhibitions, performances and the Lord Mayor's reception at the Sydney Town Hall.[2]

Sydney Festival was established by the Sydney Committee, the NSW State Government and the City of Sydney with a view to attracting people into the city centre during the summer holiday month of January. In many ways it is probably still best understood as a celebration of Sydney and what the city has to offer. In the festival's early years, its program offered everything from vintage car rallies, face-painting and kite-flying to bocce, dog obedience trials and Chinese scarf dancing.[3]

For three weeks, the festival offers a program of more than 330 performances and 100 events involving 900 artists from 17 countries,[1] covering dance, theatre, music, visual arts, cross media and forums. In any given year, the program's diversity might include burlesque circus to New York rap to Russian theatre; from contemporary dance to family programs to traditional Indigenous arts practice. The festival uses at least 30 venues including the city's main theatre venues such as Sydney Theatre, Carriageworks, City Recital Hall and venues at Sydney Opera House and in Parramatta, as well as community halls, parks and the city streets themselves.

Sydney Festival presents a number of large-scale free outdoor events including the long-running Concerts in The Domain with, each attracting up to 60,000 people,[1] a decrease from peaks of 80,000 people during earlier years.[citation needed] At its peak, it is estimated that the festival attracted 1.5 million people.[3]

The Festival has a history of presenting Australian premieres and many of Australia's most memorable productions such as Cloudstreet have resulted from Sydney Festival's commitment to nurture local artists. It has brought many of the world's great artists to Sydney for the first time including: Ariane Mnouchkine and Thèâtre du Soleil (Flood Drummers), Robert Wilson (The Black Rider), Robert Lepage (Far Side of the Moon, The Andersen Project, Lipsynch), George Piper Dances, Netherlands Dance Theatre, James Thiérrée (Junebug Symphony, Au Revoir Parapluie), Philip Glass, Ian McKellen (Dance of Death), Batsheva Dance Company, National Theatre of Scotland (Black Watch, Aalst), Christopher Wheeldon Company, All Tomorrow's Parties, Al Green, Katona Jozsef Theatre, Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear, The National, Sufjan Stevens and Joanna Newsom.

A survey of 1,500 attendees conducted during the 2011 festival revealed that patrons mainly live in Greater Sydney (83%), with approximately 11,500 visitors from interstate and overseas attending festival events.[1]

Not without controversy, the festival has faced challenges with profitability in its early years and was subject to a riot at a New Year's Eve concert at Sydney Opera House in 1980, when 68 people were arrested and 150 were taken to hospital; and criticism about the festival's artistic credibility.[3]

Sydney Festival Program[edit]

The Festival's inclusive programming, broad range of free events and accessible pricing policies for the ticketed shows means that Sydney Festival is open to all. Within the program there is always a group of shows - all about an hour long - with $35 tickets. Tickets to all performances are available on the day for only $25 at the Tix for Next to Nix booth in Martin Place in the heart of Sydney's CBD.

From 2008-2012, the Festival's free opening event was Festival First Night, attracting approximately 200,000 people into the city centre.[1]

Sydney Festival program highlights include Schaubuhne Berlin's Hamlet, Headlong's Six Characters in Search of an Author, Peter Sellars' Oedipus Rex & Symphony of Psalms, 43 Rajastani musicians in The Manganiyar Seduction, Al Green, Fabulous Beast's Giselle and Rian, John Cale, Grizzly Bear, Grace Jones, Laura Marling, James Thiérrée, Björk, Patrick Watson, Manu Chao, David Byrne, Herrenhausen's fashion opera Semele Walk with costumes by Vivienne Westwood, Sasha Waltz' Dido and Aeneas, Antony; and many more.[4]

Sydney Festival has a strong tradition of creating opportunities for Australian artists, with 23 world premières of new Australian work across the 2013 and 2014 Festivals.

The free program for Sydney Festival includes concerts in The Domain or Parramatta, such as the outdoor concert by Indian superstar AR Rahman (with an audience of 50,000 people) in 2010, and the much-loved annual Ferrython with four Sydney ferries racing around Sydney Harbour.

The Festival's late night venues, both presenting contemporary music, are the Festival Paradiso Bar and Festival Village in Hide Park with the latter hosting The Famous Spiegeltent, a traditional European wooden dance hall.

Festival Directors[edit]

Director Years active Country of origin Notes
Stephen Hall 1977 – 1994 Australian Appointed in November 1975, initially as Executive Director and later as General Manager.[2]
Hall's contract was terminated three days short of his 18th festival after the 1994 festival suffered a loss of about $500,000, the biggest in its history.[3]
Anthony Steel 1995 – 1997 Australian
Leo Schofield 1998 – 2001 Australian Schofield's tenure included overlap as artistic director of the arts festival associated with the 2000 Summer Olympics and 2000 Summer Paralympics
Brett Sheehy 2002 – 2005 Australian Sheehy went on to be appointed artistic director of the Adelaide Festival from 2006 to 2008, followed by the Melbourne Festival from 2009 to 2012.
Fergus Linehan[5] 2006 – 2009 Irish
Lindy Hume[6] 2010 – 2012 Australian
Lieven Bertels[7] 2013 – 2016 Belgian After his successful first Sydney Festival in 2013, Bertels' contract got extended to include the 2016 festival, the 40th anniversary edition.

See also[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Annual Review". Sydney Festival Limited. 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Sydney Festival Correspondence Files". City of Sydney Archives. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d Verghis, Sharon (8 January 2005). "Arts and soul". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  4. ^ "Sydney Festival". The Daily Telegraph (Australia). 28 December 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2009.  |chapter= ignored (help)[dead link]
  5. ^ Meacham, Steve (6 January 2007). "Fergus Linehan - the face of Sydney Festival". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  6. ^ Fortescue, Elizabeth; Downie, Stephen (13 June 2008). "Lindy Hume takes Fergus Linehan's job at Sydney Festival". Daily Telegraph (Australia). Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  7. ^ "New Director for Sydney Festival 2013 - 15". Sydney Festival. Retrieved 15 February 2012.

External links[edit]

  • Sydney Festival – Official Website (News, updates, features, and "Interact" online community Blog).


text:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Tekzilla logo.png
Tekzilla Logo
Hosted by Patrick Norton
Robert Heron
Shannon Morse

Veronica Belmont
Jessica Corbin
Genre Technology Show
Language English
Updates Tuesdays &
Thursdays 6PM EST
Length 30 - 50 Minutes
Camera 3 Cam Shoot
Direction Camilla Stenmark
Production Michael Hand
Preceded by inDigital (2006-2007)
Theme music composed by Lawrence Scaduto
Motion graphics Eden Soto
Picture format HDTV 720p
Video format QuickTime, Flash, WMV, Xvid
Debut September 28, 2007
End date November 25, 2014
Provider Revision3
Related shows Systm
The Screen Savers
Call For Help
Website tekzilla.com

Tekzilla was an American video podcast on the Revision3 network (Tekzilla was released every Tuesday). It was hosted by Patrick Norton and Shannon Morse, with Roger Chang (who also acts as the show's producer) as a frequent guest host. For the first 14 episodes of Tekzilla, Patrick's co-host was Jessica Corbin, who made a guest appearance on episode 16 confirming she has left the show. In November 2013, Veronica Belmont left the show. She had been a host on Tekzilla since 2008.[1] Shannon Morse became the new host. On November 25, 2014, Tekzilla aired for the final time. Starting in January 2015, Patrick Norton and Shannon Morse went on to create and host TekThing, funded by Patreon and recorded in the Hak5 studio.

Tekzilla was a viewer question, review, and technology news show, a mix between The Screen Savers and Call for Help (and featuring some of the same on-air talent as those shows). Each show began with a brief rundown of that episode's segments followed by an overview of the sponsors. After a short title sequence the hosts introduced themselves and talked about events that happened to them and events that were coming up, before moving onto questions. It became a common trait of the show to have special guests answer specialist questions for which the hosts were unable to provide answers.

For a few weeks in 2008, Revision3 broadcast Tekzilla live; this was stopped for unknown reasons. However, PA Serafina was quoted on the forums for saying, "There's details and red tape we still need to figure out. I'll keep you updated".[2] In more recent episodes viewers were urged to upload video questions on YouTube; building on this Roger Chang mentioned during one of the 2008 live shows that he thought having live Skype calls would be a good addition to the show. However, now that live shows have ceased this never happened.[citation needed]

Veronica Belmont on the new Spring 2009 onwards set

Since Spring 2009, Tekzilla has had a change of set, as pictured to the left. This includes a new area with a cityscape with red sunrays (similar to the Tekzilla logo) behind it. In addition, the old faux brick wall has been painted white and has had various other cosmetic changes from the 2007-2009 set.[3] The set has two Vizio televisions – on Tekzilla Daily they are used to show screenshots, on the main show they are mostly used to show the Tekzilla logo and occasionally the output of a monitor. Since January 2009, the Tekzilla set has occupied the space previously used by Internet Superstar, a previous Revision3 show.[4]

Tekzilla Daily Tip[edit]

Tekzilla Daily Tip, formerly Tekzilla Daily, was a daily videocast made by the cast and crew of Tekzilla, originally starring Patrick Norton and later starring Veronica Belmont with Norton occasionally filling in for Belmont. Episodes were generally 1 minute to 3 minutes long. Tips are usually broken down and include various categories; Windows, Mac OS, Firefox, iTunes, and occasionally other topics.[citation needed] The videocast ended on September 12, 2013, with an announcement by Belmont. [5]

Merger with Systm and HD Nation[edit]

On episode 109 of Systm, an announcement stated that Systm and Tekzilla would be merging, and Systm would become a mini-series inside of the regular Tekzilla episodes.

On November 16, 2010, Tekzilla 's producers announced that the show would be expanded to two full episodes per week, with HD Nation becoming part of Tekzilla and its host Robert Heron joining as a third presenter.[6]

External links[edit]