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The Blues

The Blues Genre is said to have begun in Southern America during the 1800s. Originating from West African spiritual songs and work songs sung by field workers. The Blues are not the sorrows of the enslaved but a form of expression of the working African American navigating life in the States. The Blues can be called the genre of the poor working man, with the focal point of most songs being societal talking points such as death, love and poverty. There are many variations of the Blues. Variations were partially spurred on by the great migration of African American folk from the South to the North of America to escape stricter Jim Crow Laws. One variation, the Chigaco Blues, boasts famous Blues singers Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry as early adopters of the style. All forms of Blues music follow either the 12-bar or 16-bar beat, the 12-bar used traditionally, with 16-bar Blues a newer experiment. Another identification of the Blues is the AAB lyric pattern in a stanza. AAB consists of a lyric repeated once and then a different lyric to finish the stanza. If each stanza consists of three lines and the song consists of five stanzas, the song can be divided into five ‘questions’ and five ‘answers’.

The Washerwoman’s Blues by Bessie Smith fits the classification of the Blues perfectly. Bessie Smith is known to sing in the Classic Blues genre, experimenting with Jazz. Falling into the 12-bar beat (three beats per bar), The Washerwoman’s Blues is a tale of toil in the classic Blues style. The music consists of an alto Saxophone played by Bob Fuller, a Piano played by Percy Grainger and a strong contralto voice in the form of Bessie Smith Herself. The two instruments appear in most if not all, songs in the blues genre. The song follows the AAB lyric format that is synonymous with the Blues, the first two lines in a stanza are a question she asks no one in particular, and the third line is an answer she gives herself before the cycle repeats. 

Bessie Smith sings the laments of a Washerwoman who spends her days scrubbing clothes. Her entire body aches from scrubbing the detergent-covered garments against the washboard continuously. Bessie sings that the washerwoman does the work of forty Gold Dust Twins, the mascots of the Gold Dust Twins Soap Powder. The marketing strategy alludes that the product does the bulk of the cleaning, not the person using the product. The soap mentioned in the song is the Gold Dust Twin’s Powdered Detergent by the N. K. Fairbank company, a brand notorious for the caricature of two black children on its packaging. The story being told cements itself in the gender division most blues songs fall into; the alternative career the washerwoman contemplates is being a scullion (scullery maid) for a white family at timestamp (2:11). 

It can also be said that The Washerwoman’s Blues is a callout to the racial injustice Black communities faced in America. This could be because the limited jobs were in service to others (typically white families). Angela Davies writes that “Bessie Smith sang powerfully about the drudgery of this work and how it was ‘slavery reincarnated’”.

Give Me One Good Reason by Singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman can be called a Blues song. Chapman does not sing in a classic Blues style, instead experimenting with many different genres, including pop, folk, folk-blues fusion and soul. The song itself is sung in the Folk-Blues / Blues-Rock variations, which does not stray away from aspects of Classic Blues as it uses the 12-bar beat and modified AAB lyric pattern in a stanza. The AAB lyric pattern is used with the addition of a third lyric, forming an AABC lyric format in all stanzas. The music itself consists of the drums played by Steve Ferrone, an acoustic guitar and an Alto voice, both provided by Chapman herself.

The song does not tell the story of societal issues but instead is a love song. Give Me One Good Reason tells the story of two lovers at a crossroads. Tracy asks her lover if she should stay in a relationship (that seems to be crumbling if not entirely beyond repair). The song starts with Tracy hopeful that the relationship can be salvaged, singing at the timestamp (01:23 - 01:26), “You can call me baby, you can call me anytime”. The end however is not as hopeful, with Tracy singing with melancholy evident in her voice when she realises that there is no point in chasing anymore. She sings that she wants someone who would hold, not squeeze her. A relationship where there is adoration, not an overbearing sense of passion that no longer feels like love. The lover seems to give Tracy extreme affection one moment and then withdraws all affection the next. 

Both songs have many similarities in the music, lyric pattern and the story being told. Both songs contain a powerful voice, paired with a 12-bar beat and AAB (or modified AAB) lyric structure. Both songs portray the singers' frustrations, Bessie’s frustration at the world and Tracy’s at her relationship. The Washerwoman’s Blues in its essence is a pessimistic song while Give Me One Reason has notes of optimism mixed with anguish. Bessie and Tracy are at the peak of their emotions, using their music as an outlet for themselves and listeners in similar situations. 

Both women and their music are pioneers of their time, impacting anyone their music reaches. History will remember Bessie and Tracy, their music and its impact for generations.

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The revival of the Gothic tradition

Gothic Architecture has multiple features that help identify whether a building is Gothic. A building in the Gothic Style focuses on incorporating height to a building as if it is reaching for the heavens. The exterior is adorned with flying buttresses and ornate pointed arches, giving the feeling of grandeur. Many Churches incorporate Gargoyles and Grotesques in the designs for ‘protection’. They were thought by many to ward off demons and evil spirits. Others saw Gargoyles and Grotesques as reminders that sin lurks nearby while purity can be found inside the church. However, Gargoyles did have an architectual use. Gargoyles typically, were decorated water spouts, carrying rainwater away from the building, the water exiting the gargoyle via the mouth, while Grotesques were just for decoration. The interior of a Gothic building is light and airy, with vaulted ceilings that, when used in a church, make the visitor feel vulnerable in the eyes of God. The Gothic Revival style draws on design choices from the Gothic style from the Middle Ages, bringing the past into the future using the medium of architecture as its lens.The revival of Gothic Architecture began in the late 18th Century, with the construction of places like Strawberry Hill House helping the popularisation of the style once again. 

In the 19th Century, Auguste Welby Northmore Pugin, an architect, artist and designer, helped fan the flames of the revival. His father, Auguste Pugin a French writer who, published two volumes of Gothic architectural illustrations that were used as a standard reference for the next century. Pugin himself began reintoducing the Gothic style at age 15 by designing and making working drawings of furniture that could be used. Pugin believed that ‘the classical style was derived from paganism and that the Gothic style represented an authentic British past and the Christian values found in Britain and northern Europe’.  He himself converted to Roman Catholicism in 1834, previously a member of a Scottish Presbyterian church, A Chapel on Cross Street, Camden that his mother attended with him every Sunday. Fellow Architect Benjiman Ferrey write that Pugin ‘always expressed unmitigated disgust at the cold and sterile forms of the Scottish church; and the moment he broke free from the trammels imposed on him by his mother, he rushed into the arms of a church which, pompous by its ceremonies, was attractive to his imaginative mind.’ (Ferrey, 1861, p45)

Pugin’s writings, like his fathers, transformed the attitude of many and his theories were used as standard references. His first of eight major books was titled, Contrasts: Or, a Parallel between the Noble Edifices of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries and Similar Buildings of the Present Day; Showing the decay of Taste. In this book, he wrote of how true architecture was Catholic and that Protestantism and the Reformation caused the decline of architecture. He believed that the middle ages was a time of great architecture under catholicism.In Contrasts, he writes ‘men must learn that the period hitherho called dark and ignorant far excelled our age in wisdom, that art ceased when it is said to have been revived, that superstition was piety and bigotry faith.’ (Contrasts, pp16-17)

It should be noted that in Contrasts, Pugin makes no reference to the term ‘Gothic’ describing it as ‘Christian’ or ‘Pointed’ architechture. He does this to assert his own Christian values above Pagan values he saw as immoral. He make it clear that in his belief, the Classical style is false and of no substance while the nations truest form of architecture, Gothic, is the choice of a pious nation and a style that the nation should return to. It could be said that bringing the nation back to the Gothic style was Pugin’s personal crusade, a devout nation his version of a crusader’s Jerusalem. Gothic architecture flourished when Britain was Roman Catholic, and to bring Britain back to it’s previous pious state, the architecture must return to Gothic. In his eyes, there was a direct relationship between society, its values and its buildings. If the buildings were following a style based in immoral, un-Christian designs, then the society and it’s values would fall into decay, Christianity no longer bringing the wicked to penance.

St Thomas of Canterbry Church, located in Fulham is a Roman Catholic Church designed by Pugin in 1847. St Thomas is considered by multiple sources to be Pugin’s only complete church in Central London, however it underwent extensive restoration in 2006. The church is in Gothic revival style, English Gothic to be exact. The church follows most characteristics of a Gothic Church, a few changes made throughout the years, but still Gothic in identity. Tall steeple and ornate arches lacing the windows on the churches exterior, gargolyes missing, instead replaced by sleep slopes and a-frame roofs to push rainwater way. The interior, light and airy, pillars connecting to arches, pastel colours and designs adorning every surface in sight. Pews made of a light colour wood, pine or oak, line the church in four rows. The interior of the church itself has been subjected to changes, the exterior however very similar to how Pugin viewed it, the only change being the addition of black gutter pipes and electrical wires. The choice of using the Gothic style for more and more buildings instead of the classical style can be seen as using architectural style to create a british identity, tradition and a legislative authority in both buildings of faith and of political importance.

The public received buildings like St Thomas’ with enthusiasm, cementing the Gothic style as a popular choice for many if not most of the architectural projects of the remainder of the nineteenth century. Over 100 churches bare Pugin’s signature style, mainly due to legislation allowing the possibility of new Roman Catholic churches being erected for the first time since the Reformation. Anglicans also benefited, the Church Building Act of 1818 allowing new churches to be built in the suburbs of London. There were few architects at the time with Pugin’s level of scholarship and many new churches decided to follow the ‘Gothick’ approach, choosing to apply traditionally Gothic decorations without following the ‘total approach’ of Gothic Contruction. Pugin loathed this approach, seeing these designs to be of poor quality, one of the reasons being the competeing styles of architechture that developers and architechts offered clients.

Pugin in 1841 wrote ‘Some have the porticoes of Greek temples, surmounted by steeples of misrible outline and worse detail. Others are a mixture of distorted Greek and Roman buildings; and a host have been built in perfectly nondescript styles, forming the most offensive masses of buildings’ (Pugin, 1841, p50)

In his belief, Britain was falling into ruin, non-Christian design choices taking over and infecting the society and bringing ungodly values into it. He writes that “churches of his time have ‘become but show-places for the people’.” (Pugin, p41) Pugin in his battle to bring the nation back to Gothic wasn’t just trying to bring the masses back to the Christinanity he preached, but was attempting to preserve medieval traditions for the uture generations from being devalued and eventually lost due to the lack of understanding among the common folk. Pugin’s radical themes in Contrasts revealed himself as a radical tradionist. 

Pugin was a traditionist in the sense that he looked to a revival of medieval religion and society to create a basis for a revitalised present and future for Britain. But he also was a radical architect, his techniques and ideas bringing light to the idea that both society and the conditions it produces are interlinked, one affecting the other. This idea has had a lasting impact on schools of thought and design, the influence of his ideas rippling through future generations.

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The Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation challenged many different aspects of life that were already comfortably established. The Reformation challenged the heart of society, the Church. This was a turning point in sixteenth-century Europe where pre-established notions surrounding economic, political and cultural ideas that affected society were questioned instead of blindly followed. Once again in the life-cycle of society, the norms that society had become accustomed to were challenged. Art, culture and day-to-day life changed, the new ideals of society readily accepted by those who questioned the old.

But before we understand the impact the Reformation had we must understand what the Reformation was, a revolution. Revolutions are said to be the beginnings of the nations, of ideas born for the betterment of man. Not all revolutions have political roots, many are just landmarks in the culture and history of a nation. No matter how small a revolution is, its effects can be seen in the art, religious activity and changes in society following it. The word ‘Protestant’ comes from the ‘protestation’ that princes and town delegates signed to suspend the Edict of Worms. The Edict of Worms was a proclamation condemning Luther and his followers. It was first introduced in 1521, suspended in 1526 and then reinstated years later in 1529. 

The Protestant Reformation changed many things when it came to how the people viewed the Church. Papal Infallibility was questioned. No longer was the Church this untouchable institution, it was not the ‘Only international agency to possess any significant credibility or influence.’ (McGrath, 2007, p.161). Martin Luther (and others later on) questioned the idea of Indulgences and why they could affect a person’s salvation. In Luther’s beliefs, salvation was earned solely from a person’s penitence and faith in Christ. 

In the 16th century, Indulgences had become profit-orientated, Pope Leo X selling Indulgences to support the rebuilding of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Johann Tetzel, a controversial Friar that sold Indulgences, even had a slogan. Historian Peter Marshall refers to the saying ‘as soon as the coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory to heaven sings’ as an ‘advertising jingle’ (2009, p15). In protest to the commercialisation of religion, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the Church Door in Wittenberg and sent them to the Archbishop of Mainz on the 15th of October 1517. Luther debated with other ‘reformers’ Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt and theologian Johann Eck. This debate, known as the Leipzig Disputation, substantially raised Luther’s presence.

In 1520, Luther’s reformation evolved beyond the abolishment of Indulgences to include the ideas that;

The bible has the utmost authority on salvation for both the church and individual christian. 

Salvation was a universal gift, obtained by faith in God alone.

The clergy didn’t have superiority above the average churchgoer, all were equal in God’s eyes. This later became known as the ‘priesthood of all believers’.

With the emphasis on the Bible being the ultimate authority and salvation coming only from faith and penitence, the need for Indulgences faded away. This also meant that the Bible needed to be translated from Latin into German and in extension other Languages. For there to be equality among all believers, then all must be able to read the Bible themselves and gain the gift of salvation. Equality in worship also meant that the hierarchy of the clergy was questioned. Instead of the exclusivity previously enjoyed by the church, reformers advocated for a more democratic internal structure.

The Reformation also brought change in religious practices that were pillars of the culture. Iconography was rejected, the Zurich-led reformation steadfast in the destruction of images. Leo Jud, a friend of Zurich-based reformer Huldrych Zwingli argued that in the 10 commandments of the Old Testament, God forbade the creation of his likeness. Churches in Zurich removed icons of Christ and Mother Mary and images of the pair were removed from public places as well. This matter was one that both Zwingli and Luther disagreed upon greatly. Another change brought in by the reformation is the reduction of sacraments. The Catholic Church has several sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance and Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony). The Lutheran Church however settled on two (baptism and the Lord's Supper, Eucharist). (Boersma & Levering, 2015, 269). This is not a constant in all Protestant denominations. Some denominations that have branched off Protestantism such as the Mennonites have multiple sacraments. 

In conclusion, the Protestant reformation took the norm created by the Church and the culture surrounding it and turned it on its head. The Reformation led to questions being asked that wouldn’t have been if change didn’t happen. Society changed as well, no longer were the art and daily routines that came with the Catholic church the norm. Art moved away from being heavily religious, to more secular historical pieces. Not that all art in churches was entirely shunned, ‘the Reformation renewed rather than removed the religious image.’ (Dixon, 2012, p.146)

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Four wheels and a helmet - Racing events that aren't all karting.

With the thrill of watching races like the 24hr of Le Mans or the British Grand Prix come statements like, ‘what does racing feel like.’ and ‘I bet I can do that’. But unfortunately not everyone has a multi-million pound hypercar, years of training and a specialist team at hand. So how can a motorsports fanatic experience the rush of racing?

This is where Track Days and races like the 24hr of LeMons come in. 

Created from comments passed over picnic blankets and coffee tables, these races give the average motorsports enthusiast the chance to experience racing as a driver. America offers amateur endurance races, Europe focusing on short distance racing with many different ‘cars’. Track days are as exhilarating as races with the added bonus of being able to drive around your favourite track as fast as you want.

Fans of endurance & Rally races will enjoy the 24hr of LeMons; a series of races taking place on street circuits in America. The 24hr of Lemons (styled a LeMons, a clever tribute to Le Mans) focuses on budget racing, with negative points awarded to cars above the $500 limit. The do-it-yourself attitude to the race is part of its charm. The less likely for your car to cross the line, the more likely you are to win an additional cash prize. Grab a friend (or include the whole family), a car that can cross the line and jump into 24hrs of pure driving. The organisers of LeMons also host a rally, with a separate trophy for Rental Cars. Earn points in the Lemon Rally with the age of your car, where it was manufactured and by meeting certain criteria laid out in the Route book.

For fans of the unusual, races like British Tractor Pulling and Piaggio Ape Racing are two main points of interest. Tractor pulling is not a race in the conventional sense, instead of racing tractors, the aim is to pull a weight transfer sledge over a distance of 100m, the fastest tractor is the winner. With twelve classes, Tractor Pulling is a great sport for those who have access to a tractor or have the drive to build one themselves. Piaggio Ape Racing is an Italian affair, the three-wheeled trucks hailing from Pisa. The roots of Piaggio Racing are firmly in Italy, with the sport reaching the UK in 2013. Piaggio Racing is straight-forward, drive the truck as fast as you can and reach the finish line first. The British Ape GP was held on the Rye House Raceway and now you and a friend can race the Piaggio around the track.

For those who don’t want to race but want the experience of driving, Track Days are the best fit. Iconic circuits such as Brands Hatch and the Nürburgring offer Track Days, just bring yourself, your car and push yourself to the limit!

There are so many options to experience and suitable for many different budgets. From grassroot sports just starting out to historic circuits, take you pick and jump into Motorsports from a whole new angle.

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Friendship bracelets & fan-cams - The 'fangirlification' of Motorsports

It’s no secret that motorsports and sports in general are seeing a surge in popularity. Formula One enjoyed a crowd of 1.3 million watching the Las Vegas Grand Prix, a brand new track with no history. But is this due to organic interest in the sport? Out of these 1.3 million, how many turned the race on for the first time with no expectations except to see fast cars zip through a street circuit? Or did they watch with an expectation, with the basic knowledge that can only come from consuming content on social media? 

Shows like Drive to Survive (Formula One) and There Can Only Be One (MotoGP) have a reputation to be dramatized, fans of the shows labeled as ‘DTS fans’ and not true fans of the sport. This, unfortunately, is a common occurrence in many fan circles, affecting mainly women and younger fans, pushing them away from the sport. Mention your interest in Formula one or MotoGP around a certain group and expect to be quizzed on what DRS stands for or on what happened in Sepang between Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez. Name a popular driver and brace yourself to be accused of liking them for their looks.

But there has been a change, not a sudden one, but a change that has been long coming.

The online fan-spaces of sports have slowly filled by more women, sharing their opinions, ‘live-tweeting’ and ‘live-blogging’ their reactions. It’s become a trend to make races an event with bracelet trading and painted shirts. This isn’t anything new, Japanese fans are known to flood Suzuka with intricate hats, each bigger than the last. The Tifosi (fans of historic team Ferrari) are known to come dressed in elaborate costumes. Popes, Priests and many more religious figures flock to Imola and Monza to bless the Ferrari Drivers. You can joke that Charles Leclerc enjoys a fan-base of mostly younger women, but the dedication Italian men show to him cannot be topped.

Even the teams and the sport itself are embracing the new attention from their fan circles. Duracell, battery manufacturers and sponsors of the Williams F1 team, have jumped in head first, posting ‘fan-cam Fridays’ of drivers Alex Albon and Logan Sargent. Ferrari has even joined in, fans joking that the team posts ‘thirst traps’ of the drivers when they don't live up to standards. MotoGP takes a more subtle route, their latest campaign ‘under the skin’ an intimate look into the scars and tattoos of the riders. But the upturned eyes and soft lighting feels less than educational.

But is this a healthy path for the sport to go down? Should the sport rely on their drivers' looks and marketability to gain fans instead of pushing innovation and talent? It's a gray area at best. The days of proclaimed playboy Jenson Button prove that looks and talent can be balanced. But BrawnGP wasn't posting Jenson in an ice bath after a tough race. 

If we are exploring the marketability of teams and its pitfalls we have to discuss Haas and Guenther Steiner. Moneygram Haas Formula One was once a pool of potential, the only American team on the grid. Haas could have been the envy of the grid, pride of the American fans. But Haas sits comfortably towards the back of the grid, known for Lego brick cars, the phoenix called Romain Grosjean and their Ex-team principal Guenther Steiner. Driver to Survive captured Guenther as a character in the paddock, with his colourful language and quotable sentences. Newer fans were swayed by his portrayal and then ultimately disappointed when their underdog lost to the dominant Max. 

In the end, none of it matters. The sport is ever evolving and will always be evolving. The beloved Halo, saviour of many, was once seen as a curse. Only time will tell if the ‘fangirlification’ will bring the sport down or uplift it. It's not about the race to create the perfect sport, but more about the history and community built from it.

Yes Max Verstappen may be dominating the grid, but off-grid the real winners are the fans, watching history be made, and even be part of it.