Hello, everyone! On a completely different note, I have released a novella: The First Tale of the Tinners' Rabbits

It's an ebook, a paperback edition will follow suit!


Three hares sharing three ears,
yet every one of them has two.

Meadowsweet is a Dartmoor pony, and Jack is her boy. They journey from Dartmoor to the mythical land of Harewood, to help the legendary Tinners’ Rabbits. But what is their mission, how can they help? And who is it, who is truly in need of their help?

This is the first of three tales that is truly one tale in three, and a short Christmas story to follow.


This story, in its first, unpolished form, came into being through last years Inklings Challenge, a truly amazing writing challenge to be found on tumblr (you can still sign up for this year). I decided to turn it into something larger – this story (with the little Christmas tale) is to be the first part of three, and I will write a novelisation of the whole idea in German, as well as the other two novellas (and two more short stories) in English.

The idea was to write a portal fantasy story within a Christian worldview. I came to love the setting and the characters more than I ever expected. (Well, not entirely – I always grow very attached to my characters, but in this case, I knew I shouldn't keep it at this single story.) I was wondering for nearly a year just how tackle the whole business – keep up the style I went for, what language to work in, etc.

So I finally decided I ought to stay true to myself and to the story: I will continue it, all three parts, (and an Easter story and a Pentecost story to follow the Christmas one), and publish them first as they come out, then in one, and also write a German version in the shape of one whole novel, with some adjustments to both the different language, and the format.

As it is, I am awfully fond of this little tale, and I hope that other people will enjoy it as well. Perhaps it will interest some of you.

Hi, everyone! As I am currently in financial need, I would like to push this topic afain. Perhaps some superfans are in search for some new merchandise?

Yes, but... I think it's been that way for quite a while now. She's always a fantastic singer, but I think she doesn't really have that CW sound for years anymore; if anything, she works more in that direction again.

With new arrangements, if they are from Downes albums, naturally.

Here's some of mine:

The Last Rose of Summer is one of my all-time favourites, and though they have not done it in a very long time, still very much a classic. The Downes arrangement is perfect in every way, but as it would not suit the current line up, I do think a re-arrangement would work well, but preferably not as a duet. A solo would be nice, a group number (with harmonies!) even more interesting.

We Three Kings is a lovely Christmas carol, and I love the HfC version, but there I don't like that it is not complete. One of the stand-outs of the earliest CW albums was that they didn't shorten or censor songs, but later they sometimes did (the MoC version of O Holy Night, which was fixed in the 2020 recording, or How Can I Keep From Singing?, which might also make a nice re-recording, for instance) and I want a version with all lines and all three Kings and Gifts.

My Lagan Love is a lovely, quiet song, with much potential for interesting and unusal arrangements. They did it so shortly, and it's such a classic.

I Know My Love was only done on tour with a nice, but odd arrangement, and I do think it could and should be done again, and differently.

Mo Ghile Mear has two different, lovely arrangements. The first is my absolute favourite out of all CW songs, but I also like the second, and as it is such a staple for CW, I do think they might also do a third. In a similar fashion, You Raise Me Up has also been recorded very often, and I know many are tired of it. But it is also a signature song, and might be adjusted for a new CW era.

Isle of Hope is another staple, and one I hope they'll do on the Postcards tour. The first version is perfect, the others still good, but I do think it could do with a new group arrangement.

Scarborough Fair would also need a distinctly different arrangement, perhaps as a group number, perhaps a different style. But I do think they should sing it again.

My Land would be an interesting choice, but only if O'Toole would come up with an arrangement that is, on one hand very different from the Destiny version, but still a suitable CW style. Otherwise it would still be lovely, but... well, not interesting enough, I think.

With the new line up, obviously. I mean, Home for Christmas also got a recording much later, and with Susan instead of Chloe, and it worked really well. And as we now know that they can still use Gavin Murphy's arrangements (and that they also mix well with O'Toole's) there should also be no problem in that sense.

There would have to be more songs, of course, and a few changes in the solo. Megan and Tara would, obviously, keep their solos from the album. I would, however, turn Dia Do Bheatha into a group number, make O Come, O Come Emmanuel Megan's second solo, and give Chloe and Muirgen two other solos each.

For additional songs, there's still the VoA versions of Once in Royal David's City and Joy to the World. They could do a new version of In the Bleak Midwinter, perhaps for Muirgen, or as a group number, and I also miss CW doing Adeste Fideles in one way or another. Another good solo for Muirgen would be the version of We Three Kings that Mairéad sang. For Chloe, It Came Upon A Midnight Clear and White Christmas would make good solos. That would be pretty close to the MoC tour, and still made to suit the current line up.

How about Ross Castle, for something rather mystical? Or maybe Blarney Castle, as a classic.

Those are also very good choices! Polish music is underrated anyway, and yet very suitable for Irish musicians – a seemingly complicated but gorgeous language from a very Catholic country.

I realized that most of these songs are also Advent songs, so it would be very much appropriate to listen before Christmas. Only Hodie Christus Natus Est is very plainly a carol for Christmas Day itself. Obviously.