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The curious case of The Holy City and Jack the Ripper

A new book may have you thinking twice about playing the famous cornet solo The Holy City ever again...

Maybrick
 

Here's a question you won't hear posed every day of the week?

What's the link between the bloke who directed the cult film 'Withnail & I', the famous Victorian ballad song 'The Holy City', so beloved of cornet soloists at slow melody contests for generations... and 'Jack the Ripper'?

They All Love Jack

Well according to a new book called 'They All Love Jack', written by award winning screenplay writer Bruce Robinson (who directed 'Withnail & I') — a singer/composer called Michael Maybrick (above), who worked under the musical pseudonym of Stephen Adams — the man behind of 'The Holy City', written in 1892 — also happened to be the most infamous serial killer in history...

Colourful

The book has just been published by Harper Collins and has created a bit of a stir — and you can read why in a cracking (and very colourful) interview the author gives to journalist Robert Chalmers for this month's GQ magazine.

Top G finish

So the next time any budding cornet player struggles to hit the top G finish to the end of 'Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Lift up your gates and sing, Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna to your King!' their minds may be a little distracted if they read Bruce's book first...

the next time any budding cornet player struggles to hit the top G finish to the end of 'Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Lift up your gates and sing... their minds may be a little distracted4BR

Go to:

http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/comment/articles/2015-10/05/jack-the-ripper-revealed-they-all-love-jack-bruce-robinson?utm_source=Outbrain&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=GQSeptemberOctober2015

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Rob Nesbitt

BSc, PG Cert. Ed.
Cartoonist , illustrator, writer


               

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