Since this post is about fashion, let me start by answering the question that I am sure will be on your mind upon seeing my name. No, I am not related to The Beau. However, I love dandyism as a whole, and I took this name in tribute. I am also working to have his book, Male and Female Costume, published online freely, but that's for another post and time. At any rate, I am forty-one and am passionate about antique menswear, Regency as a scholarly pursuit, and Edwardian for daily wear. Naturally, I am constantly researching and trying to expand upon my knowledge. I am totally blind, so I must rely on descriptions rather than images.
I am the type who would like to wear a three-piece suit and accessories everywhere I go. I've decided that for my first one, I should get a lounge suit, since I can wear it almost anywhere during the day, provided it's not a formal occasion. I will eventually have morning wear, white tie, black tie, and informal evening wear, but that's for later. I have found some sites which create reproductions of men's Edwardian suits, but most use synthetic materials and/or zippers, which I refuse to wear, and none uses fabrics of the proper thickness. I found sites that make women's suits with men's specifications (no ridiculous enhancements of breasts, butt, shallow pockets, soft colours, buttons on the wrong sides of shirts, etc.) but they only make modern clothing. Ebay and Etsy occasionally have some authentic pieces, but most are too formal for daily use, even by Edwardian standards! I am also having difficulty with finding some accessories, such as proper ties and socks without elastic. My other option is to have a suit commissioned, but for that, I need to find a good tailor. The best in the world, in my opinion, is Zack Pinsent, but he's in England and I'm in America (New Jersey).
I am seeking those who share my interest in antique menswear, and perhaps some advice as to where I can find such clothing and/or accessories.
For those who are interested in my journey so far, here is my dreamwidth post containing all sorts of links related to Regency and Edwardian menswear.
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/210…
#accessories #antiquemenswear #bespoke #clothing #dandyism #daywear #dressing #Edwardian #eveningwear #fashion #formal #historicalclothing #informal #loungesuit #masculinewomen #mensfashion #menswear #morningwear #offtherack #Regency #suits #tailors
I am seeking assistance with singing and learning music theory. This could be in the form of teaching, giving advice, or just listening to me and sharing your opinion of my progress. This is not for a career, just for my own enrichment, though after the correct amount of time has passed, I may decide to take it further and sing publicly in some form or other, perhaps in a choir or a radio play. However, my requirements are quite specific, and I do realise this will be a long process.
Requirements
1. I have no interest in modern singers, musicians, or their techniques. I am using the book You Can Sing, by Clara Novello Davies, as a basis for everything, especially my physical and vocal exercises. I am interested in the techniques of her time and that of her son, Ivor Novello, with a focus on operetta, and perhaps, choral singing.
- The above also holds for music theory. I am aligning my knowledge and methodology with what was taught during Ivor's time. A list of all the books I am using, as well as an explanation of the knowledge I have attained so far can be found here. This includes the differences between modern and older singers.
friendica.world/display/84b6ef…
- Please be aware that I am totally blind. I cannot use images, graphical charts, tables, musical notation, etc. Braille music does exist, but I don't know how to read it, and would need to have appropriate texts transcribed, in any case. I do, however, have perfect pitch, an excellent sense of rhythm, and a very good musical memory, so perhaps, we can work on modifications that don't truly cross the boundaries into modernity but that are still accessible.
- If you do more than just give occasional advice, I'm sure you will want to be compensated for your work, as that's only right. Please be aware that I can only pay $25 per hour at the most, via Paypal. In that case, I can only work with you for about four hours per month, due to financial constraints, but of course, I will also study on my own. I may be able to do more, but not as a normal practice.
- If you are a descendant of anyone who knew Clara Novello Davies , her students, or Ivor Novello, even if you yourself know nothing about singing, I would still love to hear from you if you have stories to share!
#blind #choir #choralsinging #ClaraNovelloDavies #music #musictheory #singing #theatre #theater #teacher #tutor #vocalinstruction
This is something I wrote on Dreamwidth in September. I think some of you may find it interesting. I myself am beginning to study all of this, as I am fascinated by the singing methods and knowledge of the time. It is a bit difficult doing it being blind and unable to read music, but fortunately, there are ways around that. My perfect pitch and good memory for lyrics also helps.Below, you will find various links related to theory, harmony and counterpoint, and a comparison of older and modern methods of teaching and singing. While this relates to choirs and opera, it also relates to the theatre, particularly operettas and such.
Studying Music: Part I
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/205…My one criterion was that the methods and books used had to be from the time of Ivor Novello, preferably from his youth (born 1893). If I were to start in the early nineteenth century, which is where most of my preferred non-musical educational material is from, I would miss extremely important developments in classical music. Starting at the birth of his mother, Clara Novello Davies, in 1861, would be fine. However, since her own book, which I am using as my main text and guide, was written in 1928, I went with that of her son. In the following sections, you will find the books I am using. One thing I have not included, though it was a huge influence in Ivor's own writing style, was theatrical music, such as that found in operettas and Edwardian musical comedies. That is such a large topic for discussion that I feel it deserves its own separate post, as does Ivor's music, since it's an interesting blend of all of the above. But this is well outside the scope of traditional musical study.
In the next entry, we will delve into vocal training and why the singers of Novello's time sound so wonderful.
Studying Music: Part II
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/205…Finally, since I mentioned the exercises, here they are, for anyone who wants to try them. Note that these are the Preliminaries and Breathlock Physicals, not the vocal exercises. But I have provided the link to her book as well, for those who may wish to go further.
Clara's Exercises
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/205…
#books #choir #ClaraNovelloDavies #counterpoint #exercises #harmony #history #IvorNovello #music #musictheory #opera #operetta #singing #studying #vocaltraining #voicetraining #theater #theatre
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Hello. I joined Friendica in October of 2024, after Facebook closed their Basic Mobile site (not app). I live in New Jersey and am forty years old. Some of my interests include studying dandyism, nineteenth-century grammar, Received Pronunciation, and the Regency. I like coffees, teas, and nasal snuffs, and enjoy cooking, reading, nature and historical documentaries, and gardening. I like Baroque through Classical and a bit of early Romantic music. I love theatre (mostly English and Viennese operettas, and some Regency/Georgian plays). I prefer antique menswear and accessories. It's my dream to either buy a genuine Edwardian suit or have one commissioned. I love wit, wordplay, and dry humour without vulgarity. My parents are lesbians, and I am a huge gay rights supporter. I have been totally blind since I was two months old, due to Retinopathy of Prematurity.
I am happily childfree and am not religious. I respect those who are, as long as they don't try to convert me, or base their lives around it. The same is true of vegans. I also have no time for mind games, drama, or political correctness/sugar coating, and I hardly ever write about politics. I tend to get along better with people older than I, but I will accept friends twenty-one and over. I don't have any understanding of chronic illness, anxiety, depression, loneliness, etc. so if you need someone who could help you through those on a personal level, I'm not the one for that. I enjoy hearing about cats, cooking or gardening adventures, antiques, and interesting life stories.
For those who would like to know more about me, this is my journal. Anyone can read or comment, whether or not he is a member. Almost all entries are clean. Anything adult-oriented is always marked as such and is put behind a cut. If you're a straight or bisexual, childfree man, preferably over sixty (forty at the absolute youngest) and are single, you may be interested in my dating post, (link in the About Me post near top of page).
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org
#antiquemensware #antiques #blind #books #British #Britishliterature #BeauBrummell #cards #cats #childfree #coffee #cooking #classicalmusic #crafts #dandies #dandyism #ClaraNovelloDavies #dice #dinnerparties #documentaries #Dreamwidth #Edwardian #England #English #Eton #Facebook #Friendica #friends #friendship #gayrights #gardening #grammar #highculture #humor #humour #introduction #Latinlanguage #LordAlvanley #men #MS-DOS #nasalsnuff #nature #NewJersey #IvorNovello #oldermen #operettas #reading #ReceivedPronunciation #Regency #relationships #seniors #silverfork #singing #singles #tea #theater #theatre #Wales #Windows #writing
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I can't believe I didn't post this earlier! Anyway, here is a Dreamwidth entry of mine containing all sorts of links related to dandyism, including an entire section on Beau Brummell. As you can tell, this is another one of my great passions.
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/181…
In case you missed it, this one is devoted to fashion itself.
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/210…
#antiquemensware #BeauBrummell #books #British #clothing #dandies #dandyism #dandyism.net #Dreamwidth #Edwardian #fashion #history #mensware #Regency #suits #Victorian
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(This is a companion piece to my dating post, but here, I am strictly seeking friends. Therefore, the beginning will look similar.)
Hello. I live in New Jersey and am forty years old. Some of my interests include studying dandyism, nineteenth-century grammar, Received Pronunciation, and the Regency. I like coffees, teas, and nasal snuffs, and enjoy cooking, reading British literature, watching nature and historical documentaries, gardening, crafts, and playing cards and dice. I like Baroque through Classical and a bit of early Romantic music. I love theatre (especially Regency plays, English and Viennese operettas, and Edwardian musical comedies). I prefer antique menswear and accessories (no feminine clothing). I love wit, wordplay, and dry humour without vulgarity. I am happily childfree and am not religious. I respect those who are, as long as they don't try to convert me or base their lives around it. I also have no time for mind games, drama, or political correctness/sugar coating. I have been totally blind since I was two months old, due to Retinopathy of Prematurity.
I am seeking friends, either online or off, though offline would be ideal, so we can meet and do things together. I don't care about your sex or sexual orientation, but I would prefer friends no younger than twenty-one. I tend to get along with those who are older than I, since we usually have more in common, but it's not a requirement. I am blind, but it's not the focal point of my life. Still, it does mean that I can't drive. I really don't have any understanding of chronic illness, anxiety, depression, loneliness, etc. so if you need someone who could help you through that on a personal level, I'm not the one you're seeking. I also have no children and tend to avoid them, though I am polite when meeting them. I love cats, so if you have any, I would love to meet them or hear about them. I also enjoy hearing about cooking or gardening adventures, antiques, etc. and I love learning about interesting lives. If we do meet, I need to get to know you a bit first.
For those who would like to know more about me, this is my journal. Anyone can read or comment, whether or not he is a member.
Please note. There is nothing explicit in this post. I am putting a content warning here simply because it's a dating post, and it's not meant for minors, married people, etc.
Hello. I live in New Jersey and am forty years old, seeking a senior. Some of my interests include studying dandyism, nineteenth-century grammar, Received Pronunciation, and the Regency. I like coffees, teas, and nasal snuffs, and enjoy cooking, reading British literature, watching nature and historical documentaries, and playing cards and dice. I like Baroque through Classical and a bit of early Romantic music. I love theatre (especially Regency plays, English and Viennese operettas, and Edwardian musical comedies). I prefer antique menswear and accessories (no feminine clothing). I love wit, wordplay, and dry humour without vulgarity. I am happily childfree and am not religious. I also have no time for mind games, drama, or political correctness/sugar coating. I have been totally blind since I was two months old, due to Retinopathy of Prematurity.
I am seeking a man, preferably over sixty, who is well-dressed (or at least knows about good clothing), well-spoken, confident, and witty. He can be either straight or bisexual. He should enjoy the finer things in life. That said, he need not be rich, as long as he appreciates high culture. I would prefer him to either live in or near New Jersey, or to be able to travel here frequently. (If you truly meet my criteria, you can ignore the location part.) No one-night stands, parents or men who want children, caregivers for family members/friends, workaholics, or recreational drug users. I am open to both friendship and fun with no strings attached, and a committed relationship, depending on how things go. But I must get to know you first.
For more of what I am seeking, try this link. Note that there is nothing explicit over there either. However, there are links on that page to more adult-oriented things, which are clearly marked as such.
My Ideal Man
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/226…
#dating #friendship #men #seniors
Those who love antique fashions will enjoy this. It is a compilation of links related to Regency and Edwardian mensware. If you have any to add or wish to make any suggestions, please do so.
How Fashionable!
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/210…
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/210…
#antiquemensware #clothing #dapper #Edwardian #fashion #history #Regency #suits
(Everything I have, except Glamorous Night, and The Dancing Years, can be found on Youtube.)
Tomorrow is my birthday, so I've decided to treat myself to an Ivor Novello film. I must be very careful with these, as he only made a few. I'm not counting the silent ones, since I'm blind and obviously can't watch them. I've already seen, and loved, I Lived with You. I'm missing Symphony in Two Flats, But the Flesh is Weak (wrote but not in), and The Truth Game (wrote but not in). But I still have Once A Lady, The Lodger, Sleeping Car, and Autumn Crocus. Which one should I watch?
As for his plays, they are ridiculously difficult to find with full dialogue. If you know of any, please let me know! I managed to locate Perchance to Dream, and King's Rhapsody, both amateur but wonderful. King's Rhapsody was actually performed by the Knowle Operatic Society in 1981. How they managed to capture that in sound I have no idea, since I can't imagine it was a professional recording. Maybe, they used Super8mm. I believe some of those cameras had sound. Anyway, I also watched the film version of Glamorous Night, whose only saving graces were Mary Ellis and Trefor Jones, and I'm waiting on the 1950 version of The Dancing Years, with none other than Olive Gilbert! Finding anything with her speaking in it is almost a miracle. If anyone knows where I can find a film called Ivor Novello, from 1956 or so, please let me know. Many of his people are in it, and I would absolutely love to see it, particularly for that reason! I also have a delightful version of Valley of Song, recorded in 1955! This is a special and poignant, as the play was left unfinished at Novello's death and was completed by his librettist, Christopher Hassall, the one man I think should have done it, since he, more than anyone, knew Novello's style and thought process in such matters. A museum actually uploaded it from an audiocassette, but this is not a radio performance. It appears to be the film, which made me laugh, since now, the sighted get to experience how I see films without audio description! But it's really not fair to laugh when the ones suffering are my peers who fight like hell to get anything from/by Novello! It would be amazing, though, to have what does exist audio-described. I think, though, that I will listen to Valley of Song tonight. I am very curious about it. I'll save tomorrow for the film.
#audiodescription #blind #ChristopherHassall #cinema #films #IvorNovello #MaryEllis #OliveGilbert #operettas #plays #talkies #theatre
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This week has been one Novellian discovery after another, and each better than the last!
First, I was able to add to my film list, with Once a Lady (1931. This is not the clips I found earlier, but the full film! I also have The Lodger (1932), I Lived with You (1933), Sleeping Car (1933), and Autumn Crocus (1934). Now, I'm just missing Symphony in Two Flats )1930/wrote), But The Flesh is Weak (1932/wrote but not in it). If anyone wants the links to the others,, let me know, as they're all on Youtube. I also have Glamorous Night, but he's not in it. Mary Ellis is, though. That one I bought.
Then, I found two very unusual pieces. They are both instrumental and are actually narrated by Novello himself! They come from King's Rhapsody, which I was lucky enough to have seen (also on Youtube and well worth watching), but other than a few notes at the beginning, taken from Mountain Dove, and some snattches of familiar songs, I don't recall them being there. Maybe, this was an audio special.
Muranian Rhapsody Part 1
youtube.com/watch?v=JIbrYatXPd…
Muranian Rhapsody Part 2
youtube.com/watch?v=ciVi8L-KPe…
Today, while looking for other works written/translated by Christopher Hassall, I found something that almost brought me to tears, for several reasons. It is a tribute to Ivor Novello, made by those who knew him, a mere two days after his death! Whether reporters tracked down these poor people and bothered them or whether they got together to honour their friend, boss, etc. I don't know. But it is a golden treasure, as some of these actors I'll probably never get to hear anywhere else. Others I have, either singing or in interviews, including a huge concert narrated by Vanessa Lee.
youtube.com/watch?v=etB7t_ETqS…
The other day, I found something else by Novello, though not Ivor! I had completely forgotten that his adopted sister Marie was a classical pianist! Sadly, she died quite young, and all but two of her recordings were acoustic, as they were made in the 1920's. I found thirteen of them on Youtube, all under six minutes.
I chose this one because it's one of her two electrics, and is therefore very clear.
Arensky: Etude Op36 No13
youtube.com/watch?v=5O9J5LVA6P…
This one is not only clear for being acoustic, but there is a bit of history attached. She was actually the last living student of the composer, Theodor Leschetizky. I have never heard of him, but I'm sure some of you have.
Leschetizky: Toccata
youtube.com/watch?v=SK5qHsOf_p…
#IvorNovello #MarieNovello #theatre #films #MaryEllis #OliveGilbert#ChristopherHassall
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