I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Your #BSIWeekend Coverage

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"those weekend parties" [SOLI]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvIA3bU_OvEXuReKjLQ7kH8VSKTJpCxiXSSogi3B9_OgNJKPz97VRXjgk6-7vPVvsPXSGRAiKczC6cOxSSv9PEegTIVlp72CB2HykLRAiGoc5kufGkuxA_s89mUiRiTLwVUhIK8-ZB435/s1600/BSI+-+ASH+Weds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The unofficial kickoff of the #BSIWeekend is ASH Wednesday" border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvIA3bU_OvEXuReKjLQ7kH8VSKTJpCxiXSSogi3B9_OgNJKPz97VRXjgk6-7vPVvsPXSGRAiKczC6cOxSSv9PEegTIVlp72CB2HykLRAiGoc5kufGkuxA_s89mUiRiTLwVUhIK8-ZB435/s1600/BSI+-+ASH+Weds.jpg" title="#BSIWeekend - ASH Wednesday" width="640" /></a></div>
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As you've probably heard, the <a href="http://www.bsiweekend.com/" target="_blank">BSI Weekend</a> is upon us.</div>
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We've been chronicling the annual events here on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere since January 2006. As you can imagine, staying up late and chronicling what happened each day was a bit of a slog.</div>
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The good news is that with the advent of smartphones and social media in the hands of many, the array of photos and observations has been expanded greatly, and the technology to assemble stories has gotten better.</div>
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Therefore, consider this post (which will be updated throughout the weekend) to hold everything related to the BSI Weekend. And if you're out there taking part in the festivities, please don't forget to tag your content <b>#BSIWeekend</b> so we can find it and add it to our Storify below.</div>
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="no" height="750" src="//storify.com/IHearofSherlock/everything-bsiweekend/embed?border=false" width="100%"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/IHearofSherlock/everything-bsiweekend.js?border=false"></script><noscript>[<a href="//storify.com/IHearofSherlock/everything-bsiweekend" target="_blank">View the story "Everything #BSIWeekend" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div>
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<i>Photo credit: <a href="https://twitter.com/PrioryNYC/status/552988985770119169/photo/1" target="_blank">@PrioryNYC</a> </i></div>
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Your #BSIWeekend Coverage

"those weekend parties" [SOLI] As you've probably heard, the BSI Weekend is upon us. We've been chronicling th...

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by Scott Monty

Remembering Composer Patrick Gowers

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"a composer of no ordinary merit" [REDH]</h3>
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We're sad to report that composer Patrick Gowers has passed away at age 78.<br />
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An accomplished composer across a variety of genres, he wrote music for guitarist John Williams, choral and organ works - particularly his "Toccata" for organ - and film and television.<br />
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It is particularly <a href="https://amzn.to/3mf27nx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">his work for the Granada TV series</a> that we remember him, as he provided an additional facet to Jeremy Brett's interpretation of Sherlock Holmes. From the soulful solo violin for "Irene Adler" to the Christmas medley in "Mrs. Henry Baker's Christmas," to the stately "Holmes in Europe" and the tension-building "River Chase," Gowers managed to put a range of emotions into the production that dialogue and sets could not. Of course, his now iconic theme "221B Baker Street" set the tone for the entire series.<br />
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Stand with us here upon the terrace as we remember a man who helped bring Sherlock Holmes to life for many.<br />
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Remembering Composer Patrick Gowers

"a composer of no ordinary merit" [REDH] We're sad to report that composer Patrick Gowers has passed away at age 78. ...

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by Scott Monty

Happy 161st Birthday, Sherlock Holmes

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"Age doth not wither nor custom stale my infinite variety." [EMPT]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYpr__wpIsSyq_1EaLLaTbMUyjrX_m6QEITsm64islcWa3rxGpJ37PsPVnRt9sWmrwai_cYLGv-5ldr1d8_wh9vzMVuajfqICF_PlVtJ7-a418rE63XfoW-gEd7IY2fwhQPSsvJyMInsC/s1600/Sherlock+Holmes+birthday+cake.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYpr__wpIsSyq_1EaLLaTbMUyjrX_m6QEITsm64islcWa3rxGpJ37PsPVnRt9sWmrwai_cYLGv-5ldr1d8_wh9vzMVuajfqICF_PlVtJ7-a418rE63XfoW-gEd7IY2fwhQPSsvJyMInsC/s1600/Sherlock+Holmes+birthday+cake.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's January 6th - which can mean only one thing in our world: it's the birthday of Sherlock Holmes. By all accounts, he's 161 today - and still as sprightly as ever.<br />
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First popularized by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Morley">Christopher Morley</a>, the date of January 6th has become the <span style="font-style: italic;">de facto</span> accepted date for Holmes' birthday. Why? Well, there are a couple of reasons.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Canonical evidence</span><br />
Of all of the quotes in the Canon, I William Shakespeare was the most often quoted author. And there is only one Shakespearean play that Holmes quotes twice - <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743482778?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0743482778" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twelfth Night</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0743482778" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></span>. In <span style="font-style: italic;">The Sign of the Four</span>, Holmes concludes, "All is well that ends well." This is from from Act IV, Scene 4. And in 'The Empty House,' Holmes states "'Journeys end in lovers meetings,' as the old play says," from Act II, Scene 3.<br />
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The reason the date was chosen is that in Christianity, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_6">January 6th</a> is the Feast of the Epiphany, or officially the twelfth day of Christmas. I suppose if we were being truly technical about it, the twelfth night of Christmas would fall on January 5th...<br />
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In addition, William S. Baring-Gould in his <i><a href="http://amzn.to/14hLF8i" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Annotated Sherlock Holmes</a></i>, posited that because Holmes was a little cranky on the morning of January 7th - the date on which The Valley of Fear began - he had a hangover, induced by birthday celebrations the evening prior.<br />
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Of course the quote I chose for today's post is another Shakespearean quote, but Holmes paraphrased it for his own purposes. It's from <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743482859?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0743482859" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Antony and Cleopatra</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0743482859" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></span> and properly written, it should be:<br />
"Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale / Her infinite variety."<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Personality</span><br />
The second basis for Holmes' birthday being accepted as January 6 is that his personality fits into the sign of <a href="http://www.astrology-online.com/capricrn.htm">Capricorn</a> on the Zodiac. Here's an excerpt from <a href="http://www.diogenes-club.com/zodiac.htm">"The Sign of Sherlock Holmes"</a> by Tessa Roberts:<br />
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Capricorn is ruled by Saturn the plant of discipline, structure, and isolation. We all know about Sherlock’s discipline and the practical structure he forms as he works on a problem.</blockquote>
If you'd like a further explanation of all of the details, please click on the link to the paper above.<br />
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And just for fun, there's nothing like trying to throw a surprise party for Sherlock Holmes (courtesy of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1813226448560" target="_blank">Jeremy Irons.com on Facebook</a>):<br />
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Of course, later this week Sherlockians from around the world will be gathering to celebrate his birthday in style during the <a href="http://www.bsiweekend.com/" target="_blank">BSI Weekend</a>. Check the official site for details and feel free to follow the activities of various attendees online via the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BSIWeekend&src=typd" target="_blank">#BSIWeekend</a> hashtag.<br />
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We hope you'll take a moment and wish Sherlock Holmes a happy birthday in your own way. If you'd like to join in here, please feel free to leave a birthday comment below.<br />
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<i>Image credit: <a href="http://kitchenoverlord.com/2014/01/17/geek-cake-friday-14-non-bbc-sherlock-cakes/" target="_blank">Kitchen Overlord</a></i><br />
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Happy 161st Birthday, Sherlock Holmes

"Age doth not wither nor custom stale my infinite variety." [EMPT] It's January 6th - which can mean only one thing in ou...

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by Scott Monty

Fight Card: Blood to the Bone - A Review

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"I've offered to fight him if he thinks I have wronged him" [VALL] </h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYemWDHISO2_bq-QBcxEnsRuO1kvzbUhocHJjjZOHSeJ1NBYfXKGk8aMIyY23p1hMHSSgAkXmqQ-MZNgnofh_Be7p31CRcJKi0141GoTzhv464bCyQKMuVTF9y-kkseGsyyN35wNeZc7Wx/s1600/Fight+Card+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Andrew Salmon's second Fight Card book about Sherlock Holmes" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYemWDHISO2_bq-QBcxEnsRuO1kvzbUhocHJjjZOHSeJ1NBYfXKGk8aMIyY23p1hMHSSgAkXmqQ-MZNgnofh_Be7p31CRcJKi0141GoTzhv464bCyQKMuVTF9y-kkseGsyyN35wNeZc7Wx/s1600/Fight+Card+2.jpg" title="Fight Card: Blood to the Bone" width="426" /></a></div>
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In his previous  <a href="http://www.fightcardbooks.com/"><b>Fight Card</b></a> entry <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/03/fight-card-sherlock-holmes-review.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><i>Work Capitol</i></b></a>, Andrew Salmon (writing under the name <i>Jack Tunney) </i>described Sherlock Holmes' investigations in the shadowy world of  Victorian bare-knuckle boxing.  In his latest entry, <b><a href="http://amzn.to/1HBbZJ9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Blood to the Bone</i></a></b>, Salmon tells a tale that not only would fit within the accepted canon of Holmes, but transcends pastiche and becomes a full-blooded rival to Conan Doyle's work.<br />
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Taking inspiration in part from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's own  novel <i>Rodney Stone</i>, Salmon's <i>Blood to the Bone</i> focuses on the world of <i>female</i> bare-knuckle fighters. When a female puglist's husband disappears, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson<b> </b>find themselves involved for differing reasons and motivations (Holmes belives it to be open-and-shut, and Watson gets involved in his own unique way via a circus).  However, as Holmes and Watson progress, they find that a simple matter of disappearance can have the most dire consequences...<br />
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Salmon writes an exceptional Holmes tale, achieving a tone that transcends pastiche and feels very much like classic Holmes. In focusing on an unknown aspect of Victorian history, Salmon creates a series of lively characters including female boxer Eby Stokes, who is one of the more unforgettable creations in recent Holmes lore. (Read the appendices after the story, and you'll learn more about <i>why</i> she is so unforgettable). The plot moves at a good pace, there are plenty of revelations, and in short - this is a <i>really</i> good Holmes story.<br />
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You might think that with a header called <i>Fight Card</i>, Andrew Salmon's story might be more about conflict than deduction...but this is one tale which is a delight to read for <i>all</i> Sherlockians.<br />
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