Renée Landell, who I first met through her work on the John Blanke Project, invited me to take part in an educational video. She’s the Project Manager for  Mapping Black London ( MBL) and leads its educational strand Multiracial Pasts, Equitable Futures. Her team is turning MBL research into curriculum materials for schools. The project itself is a digital initiative that recentres and recovers the presence of people of colour across London’s long history, pre-Windrush (Sancho, Mary Prince, and many others).

As part of a new six-week scheme of work for KS3 students, they’re producing a short introductory video to be shown in classrooms during the first week. The plan was for Paterson Joseph to play Ignatius Sancho and for me to play John Blanke.

The launch of the Book of the Project: Who is John Blanke? Artist and Historians Reimagine the Black Tudor Trumpeter  at the College of the Arms the home of The Westminster Tournament Roll and John Blanke's images was five days ago and I’m still buzzing. It was, for me a remarkable experience. I first had a sense of how great the whole event was for me personally the next day on the train to Manchester to speak at Didsbury U3A. 

I was looking at some of the pictures of the launch from the previous night, I had to stop as my head and heart were bursting simultaneously with awe, pride, love, joy , happiness, it was all too much, I had to stop looking. Close the pictures. Calm down. Get a grip! As the day went on the overwhelming feeling kept coming on as I received messages of thanks from so many I had to stop checking my phone, it was all just too much.

So pleased to have the very first signatures in my personal copy of the book! I met the wonderful Andrea Montgomery and her husband, the guitarist and singer, song writer Anthony Toner, at the National Portrait Gallery—along with the NPG's 16thC curator Dr. Charlotte Bolland, a great supporter of the Project (see John Blanke in NPG permeant collection) . They will I hope be the first of all the artists, historians and supporters who will sign my copy of the Book..

I've retired this graphic, now want to set it here as reminder of how #WeMadeHistory

Thrilled to  announce that after a long journey, the Book is officially on its way! It’s been quite the experience since the Crowdfunding closed —sorting out the legal details, finalizing written agreements with contributors, arranging photography, designing the book, and painstakingly proofreading and re-reading to ensure everything is just right. But now, it’s all done, and couldn't be more excited to share the news.

About the Book 
The book is absolutely stunning--a true work of art in itself. It’s impressively large, measuring 26 by 34 cm*, with **276 pages** of beautifully curated artist and historian contributions. James Alexander the designer has been carefully considered to do justice to the incredible stories and images within its pages.

New Publication Date: April 24, 2025
If you saw my earlier email, you might have noticed I initially mentioned a September release. Well, I got a little ahead of myself! The actual publication date is April 24, 2025 Thanks to those who caught the mix-up after pre-ordering—I appreciate your keen eyes!

Pre-Order Now 
For those eager to get their hands on a copy, pre-orders are available now through Canbury’s website. Secure your copy in advance and be among the first to experience this incredible Book.
 
Join Us for the Launch
We’ll be celebrating with a launch party, and I’d love for you to be there! Details will follow soon, so stay tuned.
 
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported this project—you’ve made it possible. I can’t wait to see the Book in print and hopefully see you at the launch!
​
Michael
18th February 2025
 

John Blanke: The Black Musician at the Tudor Court, took place 4th June in British Library's Piazza Pavilion. It was part of the library’s Beyond the Bassline : 500 years of Black British history exhibition (26 April–26 August 2024) . 

Lawrence on trumpet improvised on a jazz tune, seamlessly blending it with military band marches and the traditional slow and quick marches of the Household Division tunes that he will be playing as one of 400 musicians who will be taking part on 15th  June  in  The King’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour) . John Blanke would have played in similar events for Henry VII and Henry VIII making 500 years of Black British music manifest.

Last Thursday – 24th April 2024 -  I was delighted to attend the opening on the British Library’s latest Exhibition Beyond the Bassline: 500 years of Black British Music (26 April–26 August 2024) . For the past few months I’d been a member of the Exhibition’s  advisory board as well as contributing a work from the John Blanke  collection                  (Stephen B. Whatley’s Tribute to John Blanke) and written a chapter on John Blanke for  the exhibition’s catalogue.  

It was a chance to see the exhibition and John Blanke’s part in it but also to meet several old friends as well as the curators Dr Aleema Gray and  Dr Mykaell Riley in person , having only met them via Zoom for the past months. And also to wear my back in the day double breasted, wide shoulder pink silk suit straight out of 1970s Hawaii Five-0 as the double breasted suit is now back in fashion after 50 years as seen in H&M  April 2024!