Early life, education.

Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn was born on September 17, 1974, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the youngest of three children. Her mother is a painter and massage therapist and together with her father ran a small natural foods bakery throughout Mirah's childhood and adolescence. Her father worked delivering "Rolling Stone" magazine for several years in the late 1970s. Her parents raised the family on macrobiotic foods. Her father was an avid music lover with a large record collection and Mirah developed an early interest in music. As a child, she listened heavily to Motown, 1960s R&B, soul music, and folk music.  Mirah's family moved a number of times between 1974 and 1979, including a stint on a hippie commune near Spencer, West Virginia and several years in a rural Pennsylvania farmhouse adjacent to the farm owned by her extended family. The family moved to Bala Cynwyd, a suburb of Philadelphia, in 1979. Her mother's family identifies as Protestant and her father is Jewish. Mirah was raised observing Shabbat and identifies as Jewish.  Mirah took part in a number of anti-nuclear walks during her middle school and high school years, including a 6-week stretch of the 9-month cross country Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament in 1986 when she was 12. In middle school she developed a love of 1980s pop music and female artists such as Sinéad O'Connor and Cyndi Lauper. By the time she got to college, her music collection had expanded to include a diverse range of artists (Huggy Bear, Cat Stevens, The Pretenders, Nina Simone, etc.).

Music career.

Start in Olympia (1990s).

After graduating high school early at 16, Mirah spent a year traveling before moving to Olympia, Washington in 1992 to attend the Evergreen State College. She taught herself guitar and wrote her first song as an assignment for class. While in college she worked at a collectively run vegetarian campus café with Kimya Dawson, who later became her label-mate at K Records.  She was a member of the short-lived all-female Olympia band The Drivers with Molly Burgdorf and Sarah Reed. For a short stint she sang with a swing band and occasionally contributed vocals to an early incarnation of Old Time Relijun. She was briefly the drummer for The Chosen, a Jewish heavy metal duo. In 1996 she began developing her own musical style, composing lo-fi indie pop with vocals and acoustic guitar. Her early style drew comparisons to Liz Phair, and she soon began performing around Olympia under the one-name moniker Mirah.  Mirah was involved with a number of "secret cafes" in Olympia, including The Red Horse Cafe which she and her roommate Ariana Jacob ran out of their one bedroom apartment. The Red Horse Cafe served a different menu every Sunday for a year and a half in 1998/1999. The Red Horse Cafe appears in the documentary short "9 Weeks". She was also involved with several large scale theatrical productions including "The Transfused", a 2000 rock opera written by Nomy Lamm and The Need.  Though surrounded by the local riot grrrl movement of the 1990s, Mirah didn't explicitly associate herself with the genre.  After graduating from the Evergreen State College in 1996, she began experimenting on her 4-track recorder with sounds that would be used on her debut album. Her first EP "Storageland" was released on Yoyo Recordings in 1997 and received a positive review in Allmusic. The 6 song one sided 12" featured an etching on the B side by artist Nikki McClure. According to Laura Leebove in "Venus Zine", listeners were "drawn to the unpolished sound...with its sometimes muffled vocals, raw guitars, and background-noise cracklings." In 1999 she self-released a second EP titled "Parts of Human Desire." The bulk of her first records were recorded at the Dub Narcotic studio space in Olympia Washington.  Olympia musician Phil Elvrum soon invited her to contribute guitar and vocals to his psychedelic pop group The Microphones, and she performs on many Microphones recordings including "Don't Wake Me Up" (1999) and "Window" (2000). She later toured extensively with The Microphones across the US and Canada. According to " The Rumpus", Mirah "was part of the K Records renaissance [of the late '90s] along with bands like The Microphones, The Blow and Old Time Relijun – all highly distinct, idiosyncratic groups with Calvin Johnson's influence perhaps manifesting in the form of a primitivist or intentionally naïve approach."  Mirah joined the Olympia-based label K Records in 1999. Her full-length debut and first album on the label, "You Think It's Like This but Really It's Like This", was released on June 6, 2000. Produced by Mirah and Phil Elvrum, it scored 4/5 stars from AllMusic, who called it "a masterpiece of lo-fi beauty" and praised "Mirah's wistful voice and intimately personal lyrics."

Early albums (2000–2005).

"Small Sale EP" is a 2001 album by Mirah released on Modern Radio Records. Songs were recorded from 1999 to 2001 at Mirah's house and the recording studio Dub Narcotic, all while Mirah was still touring for her previous album. It was positively received by Allmusic, who compared Mirah's vocals to Lucinda Williams and called her voice "intoxicatingly endearing, as are the electronic beats and textures she uses as deftly as she does a ukulele or acoustic guitar."  Mirah's second full-length album was recorded over a one-year period, starting on September 17, 2000 and ending on July 4, 2001, and was produced by both Mirah and Phil Elvrum. "Advisory Committee" was released on K Records on March 19, 2002, and was well-received, earning an Allmusic score of 4.5/5 and a Pitchfork Media score of 8.3/10, who praised the maturity of her voice and lyrics.  Mirah's "Cold Cold Water EP" was released on March 19, 2002 on K Records. It received a positive review in Pitchfork, who praised the title track, stating "the song is deadly serious, dark, and full of the kind of not-so vague sexual innuendos we've come to expect from Mirah. Then, Phil Elvrum's panoramic, Morricone-esque production technique explodes onto the soundstage." Pitchfork called the other three tracks "admirable bedroom folk."  "Songs from the Black Mountain Music Project" is a collaboration between Mirah and Ginger Brooks Takahashi. It was written by Mirah and Takahashi in a secluded house in the Blue Ridge Mountains in 2002, and recorded using a Tascam four-track and a mini-disc recorder. According to Allmusic, "the chirping birds, lonesome train whistles, and buzzing insects that pop up throughout [the album] make it feel like a collection of audio postcards from Takahashi and Mirah's vacation." K Records released the album on August 19, 2003.  After living in Washington state for about ten years, Mirah moved to Portland, Oregon around early 2004.  Performed by Mirah and the Black Cat Orchestra, "To All We Stretch the Open Arm" is a collection of political songs by a variety of songwriters. Songs include covers of artists such as Fausto Amodei, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Kurt Weill, Bertholt Brecht, Horacio Guarany, and Stephen Foster, and several original songs by Mirah as well. Recorded in Seattle in early 2003, it was released on Yoyo Records in 2004 to a positive review in Allmusic and a mixed review from Pitchfork. According to Allmusic, "While the album certainly addresses war and oppression with an appropriately somber tone, "To All We Stretch the Open Arm" doesn't lose sight of how important passion and wit are to any good protest."  "C'mon Miracle" is Mirah's third full-length solo album. Several of the songs on "C'mon Miracle" reflect her experience visiting South America, specifically Buenos Aires, Argentina. The two songs recorded in Buenos Aires were co-produced with Mirah's long-time collaborator Bryce Kasson, also known as Bryce Panic. The rest of the tracks were co-produced with Phil Elvrum. The album was released on K Records on May 4, 2004 to a positive reception, earning "Best New Music" and a 8.5/10 rating from Pitchfork.  She released a music video for the "C'mon Miracle" single "Don't Die in Me," which was created by Tara Jane O'Neil and Kristina Davies and features animated drawings and paintings by O'Neil.  "" is a double CD containing remixes of Mirah's material by K Records artists, such as Guy Sigsworth, Anna Oxygen, Tender Forever, Yacht, Mount Eerie, Khaela Maricich, Lucky Dragons and Electrosexual. Released by K Records on November 21, 2006, the album was positively received, scoring 3.5/5 from Allmusic and 3/5 from "Tiny Mix Tapes".

Collaborations (2006–2008).

Mirah's music is featured in the 2006 documentary, "Young, Jewish, and Left". Around 2006 she began working with Portland-based musician Tara Jane O'Neil, with O'Neil joining Mirah's live band and co-headlining a tour to Europe. Mirah played at the Sasquatch Festival in the summer of 2007. Released on K Records on August 7, 2007, "" is a collaborative album between Mirah and Spectratone International (Lori Goldston and Kyle Hanson, formerly of the Black Cat Orchestra). The subject matter revolves around the lives of insects, and the album was inspired by the writing of 19th century entomologist and poet J. Henri Fabre, as well as "The Insect Play" by Karel Čapek. Stop motion films by Britta Johnson were also a part of the project. According to Allmusic, "[the songs] are intricate and beautifully made, giving a larger scale to the big events in these tiny lives – birth, death, mating, eating, sacrifice, survival – while keeping the details that make them fascinating." As of September 2008 she was touring and performing with Spectratone International, playing a string of gigs on the west coast.  In 2008, she had an essay published in the book "Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls."  "The Old Days Feeling" is a collection of out-of-print, reissued, and unreleased songs by Mirah, featuring collaborative work by Phil Elvrum and Calvin Johnson of K Records. In the genre of indie rock and recorded in a lo-fi style, it was released on Modern Radio Records on July 15, 2008, to a positive reception. Pitchfork Media gave it a score of 7.5/10, while Tiny Mix Tapes gave it 3.5/5.  In July 2008 her song "The Garden" was featured in the TV show "So You Think You Can Dance". The song, which had been previously released on her 2002 album "Advisory Committee," also charted at #45 on the US Top Heatseekers song chart, reaching #31 on the same chart in Canada.

Live performances, touring.

Between 1998 and 2009 she toured extensively, mostly in the US and Canada with smaller stints in Europe and Japan, all within a network of underground and DIY spaces and promoters. These shows would happen at house parties, all-ages spaces and small clubs. She performed at Ladyfest in Seattle, Philadelphia, London, and Amsterdam, as well as at several Yoyo A Go Go festivals. In 2009 she started working with the Billions booking agency.  "(a)spera", the title of Mirah's fourth full-length studio album, released on March 10, 2009, is a play on the Latin words for hope and difficulty. It was her first solo album after a four-year hiatus spent working on collaborations and. As with many of her previous releases it was co-produced by Phil Elverum and released on K Records. She also worked with Grammy-nominated producer Tucker Martine on 4 of the tracks.

Recent releases (2009–present).

The album peaked on the "Billboard" Top Heatseekers chart at #46, and received largely positive reviews. PopMatters praised Elverum's production, stating, "The musical marriage of Mirah and Elverum is one of those rare perfect meeting of the minds—Jay-Z and Kanye, Butch Vig and Kurt Cobain...through the intelligent production of Elvrum...she is able to set her thoughts upon soaring mountains of musical genius."  As of May 2009 she had toured both the US and Europe in support of the album, and she moved to San Francisco in November of that year. Her 2010 music video for "The Forest" (from "(a)spera") was directed by Lauryn Siegel and has choreography by Faye Driscoll and photographed by Ava Berkofsky.  In early 2010, after performing with singer-songwriter Thao Nguyen at the Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco, the two announced a 2010 North American tour, billed under the name Thao and Mirah with the Most of All. They performed a collaborative set and shared vocal duties on each artist's respective songs. They subsequently recorded a full-length album of original material called "Thao + Mirah". Produced by musician Merrill Garbus of the band Tune-Yards, the album was released by Kill Rock Stars on. It was well received by music critics; according to Pitchfork, "everything on "Thao & Mirah" feels of a cohesive collaborative piece, separate from either artist's solo work, a combination that synthesizes their individual strengths to outstanding effect."  The two toured in support of the album while working with Air Traffic Control, an organization that provides artists a platform for social activism.  She released a solo EP "Don't/The Tears That Fall EP" in 2010 as a vinyl single on K Records. Also in 2010 her track "Engine Heart" off "You Think It's Like This but Really It's Like This" was used in the soundtrack for the romantic comedy "Love & Other Drugs". In October 2011 her song "Special Death" was featured in the TV show "American Horror Story".  Her 2011 release of the digital single "Low Self Control" was produced by Christopher Doulgeris and the accompanying video was by Doulgeris and Aubree Bernier-Clarke.  She began living part-time in Brooklyn in October 2012, moving there full-time in the fall of 2013.  Mirah co-wrote a song called "The Nest" which appeared on Jherek Bischoff's 2012 album "Composed", and she has performed that song and others with various ensembles in Seattle and New York City, including. Mirah and Bischoff first performed "The Nest" (and several of Mirah's songs which Bischoff arranged for orchestra) live at the 2012 Ecstatic Music Festival in NYC with notable vocalists including David Byrne, and again at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn in 2014.  As part of the "Portland's Indies" series, she had a 2013 performance with the Oregon Symphony. She also wrote a piece collaboratively with percussionist and composer Susie Ibarra, which they debuted at the 2014 Ecstatic Music Festival (NYC). The opera piece is titled "We Float," and according to the Kaufman Music Center, is about "exploring the substance and ethereality of spacewalks, sound and the human experience."  "Changing Light", was released on May 13, 2014. "Changing Light" features guest appearances by Mary Timony, Deerhoof's Greg Saunier, Jherek Bischoff, Emily Wells and Heather McEntire. Bischoff wrote the string arrangements for many of the tracks. "Changing Light" was released on Mirah's imprint, Absolute Magnitude Records, in collaboration with K Records.  "Glide Magazine" gave it 9/10 stars, stating the album "covers a lot of earthly ground, from animals to nature and seasons..."Light" deals with being in transition on deep levels, confronting mortality in fascinating ways." The review described her vocals as "gauzy, but never thin, and this time around she sounds a bit world-wearier. But it works for her, adding a smoky sultriness, and subtle imperfections that make each song rawer because of it."  Sundial EP (2017)  Mirah's project, "Sundial EP," was released on October 6, 2017 on her imprint label Absolute Magnitude Recordings. In another beautiful collaboration with Jherek Bischoff, the "Sundial EP" reworks six songs from Mirah's back catalogue with the addition of the EP's title track "Sundial. "Both airy and thoughtful, "Sundial" stretches heavenward with rising strings and Mirah's voice at its most ethereal as it describes a cluster of ancient beings watching from everywhere in the universe at once—stars, urging the people on their orbiting planets to make their own happiness""  Understanding (2018)  On September 7, 2018 Mirah released her 2nd full length album on her imprint label Absolute Magnitude Recordings, "Understanding". The 10-track record stems from demos recorded during Mirah's time in residency at the Headlands Center for the Arts in Northern California. Mirah returned to New York and fleshed out the rest of the album with frequent collaborators Greg Saunier (of Deerhoof) and Eli Crews (Tune Yards, Julie Ruin). Mirah released four singles to accompany the album - "Hot Hot", "Information", "Lighthouse", and "Ordinary Day". She also released a music video for "Lake/Ocean", which follows Mirah on her journey through the Alaskan Inside Passage, confronting her fear of water and darkness. The album's first track, "Counting," is featured on the TV show "Veronica Mars".  You Think It's Like This But Really It's Like This: 20 Year Anniversary Reissue (2020)  On July 31, 2020 Mirah will release a deluxe reissue version of her seminal LP, "You Think It's Like This But Really It's Like This", via Double Double Whammy. The original record was remastered by Josh Bonati and the double LP includes a full tribute album featuring over twenty contributing artists. Many of the artists have been longtime collaborators of Mirah's, such as Mount Eerie and The Blow, and many newer artists inspired by Mirah's catalog, including Half Waif, Shamir, Palehound, Mal Blum and more.

Style, equipment.

As a vocalist, songwriter, and experimental pop recording artist, Mirah typically works independently while songwriting, though frequently collaborates as a recording artist. In 2007, she began writing collaboratively for the first time with Spectratone International.  According to "The Rumpus" in 2011, "Mirah's early records...are DIY mini-masterpieces that express a punk sensibility through broken drum machines, reverb-drenched guitars and ukulele, singing with frank sexuality in an occasionally child-like voice. Her more recent albums...are mature, complex and immaculately-produced."  She primarily plays guitar and also has guest musicians accompany her live and on records. According to Mirah in 2008, "I play the same guitar as I did when I first started out. I only own two guitars, my Gibson and a little acoustic...So for me, the simpler the better onstage. Just me and my guitar, and sometimes just me and my voice, my favorite instrument."  Mirah's ever-evolving live band has included friends and artists such as Bryce Kasson, Tara Jane O'Neil, Rachel Blumberg, Melanie Valera, Alex Guy, Andrew Maguire, Lisa Schonberg, Lori Goldston, Emily Kingan, Christopher Doulgeris, Maia MacDonald and many others.

Personal life.

As of 2014 Mirah is based in Brooklyn, New York. Her older sister is Emily Ana Zeitlyn of The Weeds and Divers. Her partner is film-maker Todd Chandler. On September 5, 2018, she announced that she and her partner were pregnant with their first child.

Mirah (born Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn) is an American musician and songwriter based in Brooklyn, New York. After getting her start in the music scene of Olympia, Washington in the late 1990s, she released a number of well-received solo albums on K Records, including "You Think It's Like This but Really It's Like This" (2000) and "Advisory Committee" (2002). Her 2009 album "(a)spera" peaked on the "Billboard" Top Heatseekers chart at #46, while her 2011 collaborative album "Thao + Mirah" peaked at #7.


Medieval and Renaissance literature.

The earliest appearances of Sagramore, as Sagremor, can be found in the stories by Chrétien de Troyes, where he is one of King Arthur's great warriors and champions. In the later Prose "Tristan", Sagramore is portrayed as a great friend to the Cornish knight Tristan, and even the one who alerts the rest of the Round Table to his death. In Thomas Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur", Sagramore's prowess varies from situation to situation; he usually serves to lose jousts to better knights, but at times he is a valiant fighter.  Sagramore is also the subject of a fragmentary German romance, "Segremors", the surviving portions of which describe his journey to an island ruled by a fay and his undesired combat with his friend Gawain. In Jorge Ferreira de Vasconcelos' 16th-century Portuguese "Triunfos de Sagramor" ("Triumphs of Sagramore") or "Memorial das Proezas da Segunda Távola Redonda" ("Memorial of the Deeds of the Second Round Table"), Sagramore and legendary British king Constantine III are fused into a single person, Sagramor Constantino, portrayed as the heir to Arthur who forms a new Round Table to fight the Saxons and keep the glory of Arthurian Britain.

Vulgate Cycle.

According to the Lancelot-Grail (Vulgate) Cycle, Sagramore was born as the son of the King of Hungary and the daughter of the Eastern Roman Emperor; he was even an heir to the throne of Constantinople. His father died while he was still young, and his mother accepted the proposal of King Brandegoris of Estangore in Britain. When he is fifteen, Sagramore travels to Britain to join them and to become one of King Arthur's knights. Upon arrival in Britain, Sagramore engages Arthur's enemies with aid from Arthur's nephew Gawain and his brothers: they are all subsequently knighted by Arthur.  The Lancelot-Grail describes him as a good knight, but quick to anger. When fighting, he would go into a frenzy not unlike the Irish hero Cúchulainn's warp spasm; when he came down, he would feel ill and hungry. As he was wont to do, Kay gave him a nickname, ""Morte Jeune"" (Dead Youth), because he would sometimes go into epilepsy-like fits. The Lancelot-Grail recounts a number of his adventures, often centered around rescuing damsels, and mentions that he had a daughter by one of his paramours who was raised at Arthur's court by Guinevere. His half-sister, Brandegoris' beautiful daughter Claire, falls in love with Bors and sleeps with him; their child is Elyan the White. He dies by Mordred's hand as one of Arthur's last remaining warriors in their final battle.

Modern fiction.

Sagramore appears with some regularity in modern Arthurian literature and other fiction.

Sir Sagramore (also known as Sagremor and many other variations) is a Knight of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He appears in standalone and cyclical chivalric romances and other works, including some where he is the titular protagonist. Sagramore's characterisation varies from story to story, but generally he is characterised as a virtuous but hot-tempered knight who fights fiercely and ragefully. He gains a number of nicknames, including "the Hothead" ("li Desreez") and "the Desirous" ("le Désiré").


Name.

The origin of the term Kven is disputed. There is no evidence that modern Kvens are descendants of the Kvens mentioned in a few ancient Norwegian and Icelandic sources. As a result of Norway signing the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in 1999, the term Kven became for the first time an official name, the name of Finnish descendants with a long history in Norway who view themselves as a member of that particular ethnic minority group of Finnish descent.  There is a theory among some academic groups that due to the discrimination and suppression by the Norwegian authorities the term Kven became derogatory in the late 19th century. Therefore, many Kvens preferred to be called 'kainulaiset'. But with the revitalization of the Kven culture in the 1970s, Kvens themselves started using the term. However, even in the 1990s there was a debate whether the Norwegian terms 'finne', 'finsk', or 'finskætted' (respectively a Finnish person, Finnish, and of Finnish origin) should be used instead. However, today the term Kven is accepted and used, for example, in the name of the Kven organization in Norway (Norske Kveners Forbund).

Demographics.

The Kvens were registered as a separate group in the Norwegian censuses in the period 1845 to 1930. From the 18th century the Kvens started to comprise a significant part of the population in Northern Norway. In 1845 13.3% of the population in Finnmark, and 3.2% in Troms, considered themselves as Kvens. In 1854 the numbers increased to respectively, 19.9% and 7.0%. The peak was in 1875, with respectively 24.2% and 7.7%. The ratios were reduced to respectively 20.2% and 3.7%, in 1890, and 13.8% and 2.0% in 1900 (all numbers from). In the 1930 census there were 8,215 registered Kvens in Troms and Finnmark. In 1950, 1,439 people reported that they used the Finnish language in Troms (58 people) and Finnmark (1,381 people).  In 2001, the number of Kvens was estimated to be about 10,000 to 15,000 in a parliamentary inquiry on national minorities in Norway. However, estimating the number of Kvens is difficult since there is no official definition of a Kven. Therefore, other studies have estimated the number of Kvens to be about 50,000–60,000, based on the criteria that at least one grandparent spoke Finnish. But many of these may consider themselves to be Norwegian or Sami or a combination.

History.

Danish/Norwegian tax records from the 16th century already list some Kvens living in North Norway. Also, the famous map of Scandinavia by Olaus Magnus from 1539 shows a possible Kven settlement roughly in between today's Tromsø and Lofoten named "Berkara Qvenar". Kvens of this time are often connected to the birkarl organization in northern Sweden. In some early documents Kvens are also grouped together with the Sami people, who are the indigenous people of Central and Northern Norway.  The main immigration of Kvens to Norway can be divided into two periods. The first immigration was from about 1720 to 1820, when Finnish speaking people from the northern Finland and Torne River Valley moved to river basins and fjord-ends in Troms and the western parts of Finnmark, to places such as Polmak, Karasjok, Porsanger, Alta and Lyngen.  The second immigration was after 1820 until about 1890 to the coastal areas of eastern Finnmark, motivated by the booming fishing industry in Northern Norway. In addition, it was also easier to get to America from there than from Northern Finland and many moved to Finnmark before continuing over the Atlantic. Migration ended from problems in the fishing industry, population pressure, migration to America and increasing problems for Kven in buying land and getting Norwegian citizenship.

Language.

The Kven language is a Finnic language. From a linguistic point of view, Kven is a mutually intelligible dialect of Finnish, but for political and historical reasons, it received in 2005 status of a legal minority language in Norway, within the framework of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.  Kven differs from Finnish since the Kven population was in effect isolated from other Finnish-speaking people. The Kven language has come to incorporate many Norwegian loanwords, and Finnish words that are no longer used in Finland are still used. In a 2005 government report, the number of people speaking Kven in Norway is estimated to be between 2,000 and 8,000, depending on the criteria used.

Ethnic controversies.

In the 1990s there was a debate among Kvens whether they should be considered as an ethnic group of their own, or whether they were Finnish Norwegians. As well, during the process of legal recognition of the Kven language, there was a debate as to whether it should be considered an actual language or merely a dialect of Finnish, and whether the Kven language or Kven dialect of Finnish should be taught in schools.  Kven and Sami people share a common history of "Norwegianization". However, post-Norwegianization policies have treated them differently. Sami people have been recognized as the indigenous people in Northern Norway. They have their own schools and parliament, and they elect three of the six members for the board of "Finnmark Estate" (the organization owning about 95% of the land in the county of Finnmark). Some Kvens believe the distribution of rights and public funds has favored the Sami people too much, whereas on the Sami side there are people who think the Norwegian minority politics and public funding should focus mostly on the Sami people.  Lately, the Norwegian Kven Organization has attempted to get the Kvens recognized, similarly to the Sami people, as an indigenous people in Norway. This has made it important for some Kvens to show that their history stretches further back in time than commonly believed. There has been some recent unofficial adoption of the word "Kainu" as the new name for "Kven", in accordance with the hypotheses put forward by Finnish historians Jouko Vahtola and Kyösti Julku. Vahtola has hypothesized that words "Kven" and "Kainu(u)" are interchangeable.

Modern recognition.

The flag of Kvenland was hoisted at the Kiruna City Hall in Sweden on March 16, 2013, at 11:00, in celebration and honor of the first annual Day of the Kvens. Hereafter, that date - March 16 - is meant to be recognized wider in the Kven communities of the north, and by others as well.  The date for the occasion was chosen from the 14th century signing of a state treaty between Sweden and Kvenland, known as Tälje Charter ("Tälje stadga" in Swedish). In that treaty, the king of Sweden guaranteed the Kvens ("Birkarls") trading rights in the north (translation from Latin last printed in 1995, Wallerström, page 48).  The city of Kiruna is a part of the Kiruna Municipality. It is the northernmost municipality of Sweden, and geographically it is Sweden's largest, covering roughly 4.604% of the total area of Sweden.  In the past, the Kven language spoken in Norway was considered a dialect of Finnish language, much like the Finnic Meänkieli language spoken in northern Sweden. Today, both are officially recognized minority languages in the areas where the languages are spoken. The Finnish, Meänkieli and Sami all are officially recognized minority languages in the Kiruna Municipality in Sweden.

Culture and media.

Ruijan Kaiku.

Ruijan Kaiku is a bi-lingual newspaper (Kven/Finnish and Norwegian) that is published in Tromsø, Norway. Currently one issue is published each month. The newspaper writes mostly about Kven issues, and about the work of strengthening Finnish language and culture in Norway. In addition the paper has stories about other Finnish organizations in Norway, and about other Finnish minorities in the Nordic and surrounding countries. The newspaper's Chief editor is Liisa Koivulehto.

Baaski festival.

"Baaski" is a Kven culture festival held in Nordreisa. The first festival was in June 2007, but it is intended to be an annual event. The responsible organizers is Nordreisa municipality, and the first festival director was Johanne Gaup.

Kven costume.

In the late 1990s a Kven costume was designed. It is not a reconstruction of an old costume, but rather a new design based on pictures and other sources about the clothing and jewelry used by Kvens in the late 19th and early 20th century. The purpose of creating the costume was to unify and strengthen Kven identity.

Kadonu Loru.

"Kadonu Loru" is the only pop music single ever recorded in the Kven language. It is based on an old Kven nursery rhyme about making sausages. The artists are Karine Jacobsen and Kine Johansen respectively from Børselv and Lakselv. The single was published by Iđut.

Organisations and institutions.

The Norwegian Kven organization.

The Norwegian Kven Organization ("Ruijan Kveeniliitto" in Kven/Finnish and "Norske Kveners Forbund" in Norwegian) was established in 1987, and has currently about 700 members. The organization has local branches in: Skibotn, Børselv, Nord-Varanger, Tana, Lakselv, Alta, northern Troms, Tromsø, and Østlandet.  The tasks of the organisation include working for a government report about the history and rights of the Kven population, improving the media coverage of Kven issues, and for the Norwegian government to establish a secretary ("statssekretær") for Kven issues. In addition, reading and writing classes at the beginner to advanced level, establishing a Kven kindergarten, and to incorporate the Kven language in all education levels in Norway. Also, to establish a Kven culture fund, road and other signs in Kven, Kven names in official maps, and museums and centers for Kven language and culture.

The Kven institute.

The Kven institute ("Kainun institutti" in Kven/Finnish and "Kvensk institutt" in Norwegian) is a center for Kven culture and language located in Børselv in Porsangi (Porsanger) municipality in Norway.

Kven Language Board.

The Kven Language Board that was established in April 2007. It consists of the leader Irene Andreassen, Terje Aronsen, Prof. Anna Riitta Lindgren, Assoc. Prof. Eira Söderholm, and Pia Lane. The first task is to create a standard for written Kven language.

Halti kvenkultursenter.

Halti kvenkultursenter is located in Nordreisa municipality.

Ruija Kven museum.

The Ruija Kven Museum is located in Vadsø.

Kvens (,,,, ) are a Balto-Finnic ethnic minority in Norway. They descended from Finnish peasants and fishermen who emigrated from the northern parts of Finland and Sweden to Northern Norway in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1996, the Kvens were granted minority status in Norway, and in 2005 the Kven language was recognized as a minority language in Norway.


Early life.

McClaren was born on 3 May 1961 in Fulford, York, the son of Margaret (née Bogg) and Brian McClaren who had married the previous year. Described as "Yorkshire born and bred", McClaren's ancestors worked variously as miners, brewers, cotton mill workers, labourers, and farmworkers, and in domestic service.  As a child, McClaren attended Nunthorpe Grammar School after passing his eleven-plus, preferring it over a closer school because of the emphasis which was placed on sports. In order to attend he had to cycle a daily four-mile round trip across York. This is cited as an example of his determination to succeed in sport. At school he played rugby, tennis, squash and was captain of the school's football team. He also played for York Boys under-15 team and represented the county of Yorkshire. Playing as midfielder, McClaren is remembered as being a "tiny" player but also "skilful on the ball" and "head and shoulders above the rest."

Playing career.

As a player, McClaren was a midfielder who spent most of his career in the lower leagues of English football. The bulk of his playing career was with Hull City, who he joined in 1979 at the age of 18 after leaving school, He went on to play 178 games scoring 16 goals before leaving in 1985. He then played for Derby County between 1985 and 1988, making 25 appearances.  During 1987, he joined Lincoln City (on loan) making only eight appearances. In 1988, he moved to Bristol City and played 61 times, scoring two goals. He joined his final club, Oxford United, in 1989. He played 33 times for Oxford before an injury forced him to retire in 1992.

Managerial career.

Early coaching.

After retiring from playing, McClaren began his coaching career as a youth and reserve team coach at Oxford United, where Denis Smith was manager. He moved back to Derby County in 1995, where he was assistant manager to Jim Smith. The pair won promotion to the Premier League in their first season in charge, establishing themselves in this division and later enjoyed further consolidation in the top flight.  In early 1999, McClaren moved to Manchester United as assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson, replacing Brian Kidd. At the time, he was so little known that he was introduced by United chairman Martin Edwards as "Steve McClaridge", perhaps confusing him with the former Leicester City striker Steve Claridge. His first half-season was distinguished by United winning the treble, consisting of the Premier League title, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League. He developed the reputation as one of the most tactically astute coaches in the country, using modern methods such as video analysis and sports psychologists. United later won the League titles in 2000 and 2001, thus ensuring they won every title contested while McClaren was at the club.  In October 2000, McClaren was made a coach in the England national team by caretaker-manager Peter Taylor. He retained the position under permanent manager Sven-Göran Eriksson until November 2002, combining the job with his roles at club level. However, he returned to assist Eriksson as assistant manager shortly before UEFA Euro 2004 as Brian Kidd had undergone surgery for prostate cancer. He remained in the role up to and including the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals.

Middlesbrough.

At the end of the 2000–01 season, McClaren began looking for a managerial job, having decided his chances of succeeding Ferguson at Old Trafford were slim; at the time, Ferguson was planning to retire the following summer, but would ultimately remain in charge of United for a further 11 seasons. With a positive reputation and closely linked with three Premier League vacancies, Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson won the race to appoint him after McClaren turned down Southampton and West Ham United. His appointment came after the resignation of former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson, who had been in charge of the Teesside club for seven years and established them as a Premier League club. In his first season, Middlesbrough reached the FA Cup semi-final, knocking out his previous employers Manchester United in the fourth round, but lost 0–1 to Arsenal. They finished 12th in the league, a small improvement on the previous season's 14th-place finish. The following season brought another modest improvement, this time finishing 11th, although they had been in higher positions – and the race for a UEFA Cup place – for most of the season.  In the 2003–04 season, McClaren guided Boro to victory in the League Cup with a 2–1 win over Bolton Wanderers in the final. This was the club's first ever major honour and also guaranteed them qualification for a European competition for the first time in their 128-year history. In the following close season, McClaren was able to attract proven players Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Michael Reiziger and Mark Viduka to the Riverside Stadium. The signings paid dividends as the club reached the round of 16 in the UEFA Cup, having beaten more experienced sides such as Lazio, before being eliminated by Sporting Clube de Portugal. The club finished in seventh position in the Premier League – their best finish since 1975 – ensuring qualification for the UEFA Cup for a second successive season.  The 2005–06 season proved to be the most eventful of McClaren's tenure at Middlesbrough. The club endured mediocre league form, losing at home to local rivals Sunderland (who finished the season relegated with just three wins from 38 games) and suffering a 7–0 thrashing at Arsenal, putting the club in relegation form. During a 4–0 defeat at home to Aston Villa, a Middlesbrough fan ran onto the pitch and threw his season ticket at McClaren signifying his disgust at the club's performances. Boro eventually finished in a secure 14th place but enjoyed greater success in the cup competitions, reaching the latter stages of both the FA and UEFA Cups. They lost 0–1 to West Ham United in the FA Cup semi-finals. In the UEFA Cup, Middlesbrough were losing on aggregate in the second legs of both the quarter and semi-final ties against Basel and Steaua București respectively. After McClaren substituted defenders with attackers, Boro produced two spectacular four-goal comebacks in both ties to reach the final. In the final, however, Middlesbrough were outclassed by Sevilla and lost 4–0.  McClaren's five-year tenure on Teesside saw him establish himself as Middlesbrough's most successful manager as he made the often difficult transition from coach to manager. He was the first manager to guide them to a major trophy and the first to guide them to qualification for a European competition. He was also the most successful English manager of the early 21st century; he was the first Englishman to win a major honour since 1996 and first to reach a European final with an English club since 1985. Many Boro fans, however, were indifferent about his departure, believing Steve Gibson, the club chairman, to be more important to their success.  McClaren was accused by rival managers of having a "pot of gold" provided by Gibson to buy players, giving him an advantage over other teams (except perhaps the biggest few clubs in the league) when signing players. Despite this, towards the latter end of his tenure McClaren was criticised by some supporters for using negative tactics and earning Middlesbrough the tag of a "dull" side. Some observers attributed Middlesbrough's success to the senior, experienced players in the side rather than McClaren's managerial ability.

England national team.

After Eriksson announced in January 2006 that he would leave as England manager after the 2006 World Cup finals, McClaren was placed on The FA's shortlist to succeed him, alongside Sam Allardyce, Alan Curbishley, Martin O'Neill and Luiz Felipe Scolari. The FA first offered the position to Scolari, but he rejected the offer, claiming that the role would mean excessive media intrusion in his life. McClaren, however, was subsequently announced as Eriksson's successor on 4 May 2006 after signing a four-year contract. The nature of his appointment earned him the nickname "Second Choice Steve". The appointment was praised by the likes of Alan Hansen, Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Trevor Brooking. McClaren assumed control of the national team on 1 August 2006. McClaren chose popular former England coach Terry Venables as his assistant, a move seen by some as an attempt to counter the lack of enthusiasm for McClaren. He also hired public relations guru Max Clifford to manage his relationship with the media.  McClaren's first decision was to choose the new England captain. He decided to give the arm band to John Terry, the Chelsea defender and captain who at the time had 24 England caps, saying, "I'm convinced he will prove to be one of the best captains England has ever had." In his first squad, McClaren dropped many of the national team's older players including Sol Campbell, David James and former captain David Beckham, saying he was planning for "a different direction". McClaren, however, stated that there was still a chance that Beckham could be recalled in the future.  After starting qualification for UEFA Euro 2008 well with two wins, England hit a poor run of form between October 2006 and March 2007 with only one goal scored in five matches, by which time they had fallen to fourth in their qualification group. During a match against Andorra in March 2007, McClaren and the England team received abuse from supporters during a poor performance in a 3–0 win. McClaren walked out of the post-match press conference after only two minutes of questions, saying, "Gentlemen, if you want to write whatever you want to write, you can write it because that is all I am going to say. Thank you."  In May 2007, McClaren made a U-turn by recalling David Beckham into the England squad. England subsequently had a run of four wins from six matches, which boosted the country's hopes of qualification for Euro 2008 before a defeat against Russia in October 2007, causing England's qualification fate to fall out of their hands. The FA's chief executive, Brian Barwick, gave his backing to McClaren, despite the defeat. McClaren was also backed by players Phil Neville and Steven Gerrard, his predecessor Eriksson, and the chief executive of the League Managers Association, John Barnwell.  The results of other matches in England's qualification group meant that England would qualify as the second place team by avoiding a loss in their final group match against Croatia, who had already clinched first place in the group. The match was played at Wembley on 21 November 2007 and England lost 3–2; coupled with Russia's victory over Andorra, this meant that England failed to qualify for Euro 2008. It was the first time in 14 years that England had not qualified for a major tournament, and the first time in 24 years that they had not qualified for the European Championships.  The following day, The FA held an emergency meeting at which McClaren was removed from the post of England coach along with his assistant manager, Terry Venables. McClaren's tenure is the second shortest of any England manager, spanning just 18 games in 16 months, only superseded by Sam Allardyce's one game in 67 days. On 14 December 2007, it was announced McClaren's post had been taken up by Fabio Capello commencing from 7 January 2008.

Twente.

McClaren announced in February 2008 he would consider managing in either the Championship or abroad in his next job. In May 2008, McClaren had a brief spell coaching then League Two side Darlington, assisting his former Derby County and Oxford United teammate Dave Penney.  In April 2008, the BBC announced McClaren would join them as a pundit for Euro 2008, working as analyst and co-commentator for BBC Radio 5 Live, alongside Alan Green, one of his harshest critics as England manager. McClaren's first commentary game was Austria–Croatia on 8 June 2008, Croatia having been the team chiefly responsible for England's non-qualification for the tournament, having beaten England twice in qualifying.  In May 2008, McClaren was linked with a return to football as manager of the Dutch Eredivisie side Twente. He was in the crowd for a match against Ajax on 18 May 2008, seeing Twente qualify for the Champions League. In response to speculation, a Twente spokesman initially stated that the club had no intention of hiring McClaren. Later that month, however, it was reported McClaren had held talks with Twente chairman Joop Munsterman and had toured the club, despite question marks from some Twente fans to his possible appointment. When he was initially offered the Twente managerial job, McClaren turned it down due to private issues and on 7 June 2008 he expressed an interest in the vacant managerial role at Blackburn Rovers. On 20 June 2008, however, he was confirmed as the new manager of Twente.  McClaren made a good start to the 2008–09 season. The club went on to secure second place in the Eredivisie behind winners AZ, reached the final of the Dutch Cup (losing on penalties to Heerenveen) and on the European front, the club survived group stages in the UEFA Cup, having beaten amongst others Racing de Santander and Schalke 04, managed by McClaren's predecessor at Twente, Fred Rutten. It was the first time in 30 years that the club had remained in European competition beyond winter. Twente were eventually knocked out on penalties in the Round of 32 by Marseille.  At the start of the 2009–10 campaign, McClaren's second season at Twente, there were question-marks over how well newcomers Bryan Ruiz and Miroslav Stoch would be able to replace the departed Eljero Elia and Marko Arnautović, who had been at the core of Twente's second-place finish in the league the preceding year. McClaren, however, led the team to some impressive results, with Twente reaching the top of the Eredivisie in October and remaining top throughout the next few months. Twente, which had never won an Eredivisie title in its history, continued to top the league in the latter part of the season, holding off the likes of renowned competitors PSV and Ajax, and seriously emerged as title favourites. They also reached the first knockout round of the inaugural Europa League, where they were defeated by Werder Bremen. McClaren signed a one-year extension to his contract in October 2009.  On 2 May 2010, Twente were crowned champions for the first time in their history after a 2–0 win away to NAC Breda. On winning the Eredivisie, McClaren became the first Englishman to manage a team to a top-level domestic league title since Bobby Robson with Porto in 1996 (Robson also won the Dutch title with PSV in 1991 and 1992). Robson had in fact been a major influence in McClaren's decision to go to the Netherlands. According to McClaren, "The relationship I had with Bobby was very special. He was a good friend and was of big influence on my decision to join FC Twente. I'd like to think that he'll be watching from a cloud up above and wishes us the best as we play the last game in the league against NAC."  Twente won 16 of 17 home matches in the Eredivisie league that season and lost just two away. Twente withstood immense pressure from Martin Jol's Ajax (who won their last 14 games in a row and had a goal difference of +86, more than double Twente's +40) during the second half of the season and trumped the Amsterdam side by one point difference on the last day of the league to claim the title. Upon winning the championship, McClaren stated, "Winning the Carling Cup with Middlesbrough was special but this is pretty much right up at the top of anything I've ever done. To win a championship in a foreign country with foreign coaches, I think it's made me stronger."  At the end of the season, McClaren was awarded the Rinus Michels Award for Dutch manager of the season.

Wolfsburg.

Despite winning the Dutch league with Twente, McClaren left the Dutch champions on 11 May 2010 to take over as manager of Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg, making him the first Englishman to manage a German top flight football club. Wolfsburg lost their first three league matches under McClaren – including a 2–1 injury time away loss to Bayern Munich on the opening day of the season, followed by a 4–3 home loss to Mainz having led 3–0 after 30 minutes – but got off the mark with a 2–0 home win against Hannover 96. Wolfsburg then won their next two matches convincingly to rise to sixth in the table.  Despite struggling in the league, on 23 December 2010 the club publicly showed a vote of confidence in McClaren. Due to further poor results, however, on 7 February 2011 the board decided to sack McClaren with immediate effect.

Nottingham Forest.

McClaren succeeded Billy Davies as manager of Nottingham Forest on 13 June 2011. McClaren made five signings by getting Andy Reid to return to his former club from Blackpool on a free transfer, Ishmael Miller from West Bromwich Albion for a fee of £1.2 million, Matt Derbyshire for an undisclosed fee from Olympiacos. George Boateng on a free transfer from Skoda Xanthi and Jonathan Greening from Fulham for a fee of £600,000. After Forest only won eight points from his first ten league games in charge, McClaren resigned as manager.

Return to Twente.

On 5 January 2012, Twente confirmed that McClaren has been appointed as the club's manager for the second time. In the press conference after being unveiled as manager, McClaren said his return to Twente was "an easy decision" to make and wanted to set his sights on winning the Eredivisie title.  McClaren made his first match back as manager for the second time when Twente hammered RKC Waalwijk 5–0. His return was welcomed by the club's supporters, who wore "Welcome Back Steve" T-shirts during Saturday's game. In the January transfer window, McClaren caused controversy when he sold one of their best strikers, Marc Janko, to Porto for approximately £5 million. Despite this, McClaren invested money to sign Wesley Verhoek from ADO Den Haag for £1.5 million (a player McClaren had previously tried to sign while in charge at Nottingham Forest but the proposed deal fell through) and Glynor Plet from Heracles Almelo for £1.5 million. McClaren also signed Joshua John and Daniel Fernandes on a free transfer.  After a disappointing sixth place, Twente invested in new players including Dušan Tadić and Luc Castaignos. Twente made it through the group stages of the Europa League, while winning the first six league matches. McClaren became the second foreign trainer in the Eredivisie who has coached more than 100 matches.  After growing criticism from supporters, McClaren resigned his position on 26 February, stating, "We agree the Club is bigger than any one individual and Twente is too big in my heart to stand in the way of its progress."

Derby County.

On 2 July 2013, McClaren became part of Harry Redknapp's coaching staff at Queens Park Rangers in the Championship after agreeing a short-term, three-month deal.  In September 2013, less than three months after being appointed at QPR, McClaren returned to Derby County when he was appointed head coach to replace the sacked Nigel Clough, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal. He appointed former Derby winger Paul Simpson and former Manchester United goalkeeping coach Eric Steele to his backroom staff. Derby's first match following McClaren's appointment was at home to Ipswich Town, though academy manager Darren Wassall took charge of the team. With Derby trailing 4–1 at half time, McClaren entered the home dressing room to give a "rousing" speech to inspire a Derby fight back for a 4–4 draw. McClaren's first two games in charge brought successive victories, as he earned Derby their first league home win of the season with a tenth successive victory over Leeds United (3–1) and inflicted Watford's first home defeat of the season with a 3–2 away win. The Watford victory earned McClaren the LMA Performance of the Week award.  After Derby picked up 19 points from a possible 21 in December 2013, McClaren was awarded the Championship Manager of the Month award. Derby went on to finish third in the Championship in the 2013–14 season, amassing 85 points and qualifying for the championship play-offs. After beating Brighton & Hove Albion over two legs in the semi-finals, Derby faced McClaren's former employers QPR in the final at Wembley Stadium, where they lost 1–0 to a last minute Bobby Zamora goal. This left Derby's quest for a return to the Premier League extending into its seventh season.  Derby enjoyed a strong opening two-thirds of the 2014–15 season, topping the table on three separate occasions and reaching the League Cup quarter-finals. However, after a 2–0 victory over Charlton Athletic on 24 February took Derby to the top of the division, their form nose-dived and they managed just two wins, against eventually relegated Wigan Athletic and Blackpool, in their remaining 13 fixtures. They missed out on the play-offs altogether after a 3–0 defeat at home to Reading on the last day of the season, when a point would have sufficed. The drastic loss in form was attributed by McClaren to injuries to key players, especially striker Chris Martin, although local press also believed that constant speculation linking McClaren to the Newcastle United job had been a contributing factor. On 25 May 2015, McClaren was sacked by Derby.

Newcastle United.

On 10 June 2015, McClaren was appointed as the replacement for caretaker manager John Carver as head coach of Premier League side Newcastle United. He signed a three-year deal with the club, with an option to extend the contract to eight years. He was also appointed to the Newcastle United board of directors, along with chief scout Graham Carr and club ambassador Bobby Moncur.  On 18 October 2015, after eight matches without a win, McClaren won his first Premier League game as manager of Newcastle with a 6–2 home victory against Norwich City. This was McClaren's first win in the Premier League since his Middlesbrough side beat West Ham 2–0 on 17 April 2006.  Six days after a 3–1 home defeat to AFC Bournemouth, McClaren was sacked by Newcastle on 11 March 2016.

Return to Derby County.

McClaren returned to Derby on 12 October 2016 for a second spell as manager after the departure of Nigel Pearson. His first game in charge during his second spell was a 1–0 home win against Leeds United. He was dismissed on 12 March 2017 after a 3–0 loss to Brighton.  In August 2017, McClaren joined Maccabi Tel Aviv as a coaching consultant. He vacated the post on 28 December 2017.

Queens Park Rangers.

On 18 May 2018, McClaren was appointed as the new manager of Championship club Queens Park Rangers on a two-year contract, replacing Ian Holloway, who was sacked by the club a week previously after a poor run of results in their previous league campaign.  McClaren was sacked as QPR manager on 1 April 2019 following a 2–1 home defeat to Bolton Wanderers on the 30 March 2019 and a run of one win in 15 games.

Personal life.

McClaren is married to Kathryn, with whom he has three sons: Joe, Sam and Josh. As of 2006, McClaren lived in the town of Yarm in Stockton-on-Tees. On becoming manager of VfL Wolfsburg, McClaren moved with his wife and youngest son to Germany.

Honours.

Player.

Derby County

Manager.

Middlesbrough  Twente

Stephen McClaren (born 3 May 1961) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently manager of Queens Park Rangers. McClaren served as manager of the England national team from August 2006 to November 2007. He was sacked when England failed to qualify for UEFA Euro 2008.


Syndicalist.

Before becoming a politician, Alevras was employed at the Bank of Greece. He was a prominent syndicalist and a key figure in the foundation of OTOE (Federation of Bank Employee Organizations of Greece) in 1955. OTOE united all relevant trade unions along the lines of craft unionism with Alevras at its head for several years.

Center Union MP.

Alevras was first elected to Parliament as a candidate of the Center Union in the 1963 Greek legislative election. His party won the elections in a narrow victory (138 seats out of 300, with the National Radical Union having 132) and party leader George Papandreou became Prime Minister of Greece on 8 November 1963.  Because no party had the absolute majority in the Parliament, Papandreou carried out the 1964 Greek legislative election. Alevras successfully sought re-election while his party won the elections with a landslide majority (171 seats out of 300, with the alliance of the National Radical Union and the Progressive Party only having 107 seats).  Alevras defended fellow Center Union MP Andreas Papandreou, son of George, during his trial for the Aspida scandal. The Aspida Group allegedly comprised officers of the Hellenic Army, who belonged to the centre or the left and wanted to assume control of an army dominated at the time by right-wing officers who had fought in the Greek Civil War against the left. The alleged scandal had come to public notice in 1965 and Andreas Papandreou was accused of being a member of this conspiracy.  The Aspida scandal led to the so-called Apostasia of 1965 and the fall of the Papandreou government. However the 1964 Parliament remained in place until the coup d'état of 21 April 1967. During the resulting Greek military junta of 1967-1974, Alevras was imprisoned for resisting the new regime.

PASOK founding member.

With the Metapolitefsi, the transitional period from the fall of the dictatorship, Alevras resumed his political career. He joined the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), a new Party under Andreas Papandreou, and achieved re-election in 1974 Greek legislative election. He was one of only 12 MPs elected from his Party. PASOK came third in the elections with New Democracy electing 220 MPs and the Center Union - New Forces electing 60.  He was re-elected in the 1977 Greek legislative election. This time PASOK came second with 93 MPs while New Democracy remained in government with 171 seats in Parliament. Continuing the rise of its popularity, PASOK came first in the 1981 Greek legislative election with 171 MPs while New Democracy only elected 115. Andreas Papandreou became Prime Minister while Alevras was elected Speaker of the Greek Parliament.

Acting President of Greece.

In 1985 after President Constantine Karamanlis resigned, Alevras served as acting President, per the relevant provisions of the Constitution of Greece, causing a controversy over the matter whether his duties as Speaker should be suspended during his tenure as acting President (10–30 March 1985) and if he was eligible to vote in the election of the new President. The issue became all the more controversial, as Christos Sartzetakis was elected with the minimum number of votes required (180 out of 300) and would have failed to be elected, were it not for Alevras' vote.

Later political career.

Later that year, PASOK won the 1985 Greek legislative election with 161 MPS while New Democracy elected 126. Papandreou remained Prime Minister and Alevras was elected Speaker for a second time. In the same year, Papandreou was indicted by Parliament in connection with the US$200 million Bank of Crete embezzlement scandal. He was accused of helping the embezzlement by ordering state corporations to transfer their holdings to the Bank of Crete where the interest was allegedly skimmed off to benefit PASOK.  The June 1989 Greek legislative election which followed the scandal was inconclusive. New Democracy came first with 145 MPs and PASOK second with only 125, Alevras among them. Neither was enough to form a government by itself. New Democracy formed an alliance with third Party Coalition of the Left and Progress. Their alliance formed a government under Tzannis Tzannetakis.  Synaspismos withdrew its support of the new government only months later. The resulting November 1989 Greek legislative election was again inconclusive. New Democracy came first with 148 MPs and PASOK second with 128, Alevras among them. While each had won 3 more MPs that in the previous election, again none of the two could form a government alone.  The caretaker government under Yiannis Grivas resigned on 23 November 1989. Replaced by a coalition government under Xenophon Zolotas. The new government included representatives of New Democracy, PASOK and Synaspismos and organized the 1990 Greek legislative election. New Democracy came first with 150 MPs and PASOK second with 123, Alevras among them. New Democracy had enough Parliamentary support to form its own government under Party leader Constantine Mitsotakis.  The Mitsotakis government remained in office for about three years. The heightened public irritation over the Macedonia issue with the neighbouring Republic of Macedonia caused several ND parliament members, led by Antonis Samaras, to withdraw their support from Mitsotakis' government and form a new political party, Political Spring ("Politiki Anoiksi"). With not enough MPs to remain in office, the New Democracy government organized the 1993 Greek legislative election.  PASOK won the elections with 170 MPs and New Democracy came second with only 111. Andreas Papandreou became Prime Minister again. Alevras was elected MP for the tenth and last time.

Ioannis Alevras (, 1912 – 6 April 1995) was a Greek Panhellenic Socialist Movement politician and Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament, who served as acting President of Greece in March 1985.


History.

The progressive rock band Apocalypse was born in 1983, in Caxias do Sul, Southern Brazil, founded by Eloy Fritsch and some school friends at the Colégio Nossa Senhora do Carmo who got together for a student music contest. After this first concert, guitar player Ruy Fritsch and drummer Chico Fasoli joined their ranks, playing with the band at the Festival 1o Ópera Rock. From the beginning, they presented a very different style, compared to the other local groups. They made use of organ, synthesizers, classical vocals and created songs influenced by Uriah Heep, Yes, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Rush, Genesis and Queen. From 1984 to 1988, the line-up changed several times.  In 1992, the line-up stabilized with Eloy Fritsch (keyboards), Ruy Fritsch (guitar), Chico Fasoli (drums) and Chico Casara (bass, vocals). Apocalypse was now signed to rock label Musea. The album "Perto do Amanhecer" was released in France in 1995. The good reviews from abroad soon started to arrive, which led to a rise in the band's popularity and another invitation from Musea, this time for the compilation "Le Melleur du Progressif Instrumental". This CD was edited in the end of 1995 with several European bands and Apocalypse representing Brazil. With its baroque influences and interplay of minimoog and guitar solos, the chosen song was “Notre Dame”.  In their following album, “Aurora dos Sonhos”, Apocalypse created several complex and long progressive rock tracks, such as "Do Outro Lado da Vida" and "Vindo das Estrelas". “Aurora dos Sonhos” was again released in France by Musea and was well received. In 1998, the band was invited to play at the Planeta Atlântida music festival in Southern Brazil.  After this show, they signed with Atração, a Brazilian label and released a CD entitled "The Best of Apocalypse", with tracks from their French CDs. To promote this CD, they decided they should tour other parts of Brazil. In April, they are invited by the Rock Symphony label and travel to Rio de Janeiro to take part in the Rio ArtRock Festival third edition, playing together with English band Pendragon at the Teatro João Caetano. One year later, in 1999, they are invited to play in the USA, at the long running progressive rock festival, Progday. This show would make history, because it was the first time a Brazilian band recorded a show in the USA for a CD release  The album “Live in USA" was released as a double CD with a CD-ROM track containing a videoclip and a booklet with many photographs from the US trip. The CD saw the light of day in 2000 and Rock Symphony took over the distribution.  The CD “Refúgio” was released in 2003 by the Rock Symphony and Musea labels with new tracks such as “Viagem no Tempo”, “Amazônia”, “Lembranças Eternas”, “Refúgio”, “Liberdade”, “Terceiro Milênio” and the epic “Cachoeira das Águas Douradas”. As a bonus, it also includes two songs from the “Live in USA” double CD. Coming 2004, Chico Casara (vocal and bass) leaves Apocalypse, and the other musicians decide to go on with a new line-up.  Singer Gustavo Demarchi and bass player Magoo Wise are invited to join the band. Apocalypse took on a new project: to record some of their old hits in English and also to start writing in the new language. In September 2005, Apocalypse was invited to another festival, this time the Rock Symphony For The Record festival at the Teatro Municipal de Niterói, Rio de Janeiro.  The band's concert, on September 8, was released in DVD through Rock Symphony label together with Musea Record Company. After this show, the band made yet another appearance in Rio, in 2006, playing together with English band Uriah Heep at the Canecão as part of the Rock in Concert Brazil  Released in Brazil in 2008 by Free Mind Records and in Europe and Asia by Musea Records, The Bridge Of Light won several indications as Best of 2008: "Best Album", "Best Cover", "Best Show" and "Best Keyboardist" to Eloy Fritsch. In early 2009, the band also received the trophy Vasco Prado in honor of its 25-year career and Eloy Fritsch received the "Azorean Music Award - Honorable Mention" for his contribution to the south Brazilian music scene.  In 2009, the band undertook two tours in promotion of "The Bridge Of Light" including shows in the states of São Paulo and Parana. In addition to touring, the band performs with frequency in Rio Grande do Sul, the band ́s home state. For the second consecutive year, the keyboardist and composer Eloy Fritsch was also indicated as "Brazilian Best Rock Keyboardist" in 2009 by the Brazilian rock site Whiplash.  The National Grape Party in Caxias do Sul, south of Brazil was the first show of the new drummer of the band, Fábio Schneider. He joined the band in substitution of the old drummer, Chico Fasoli.  In 2011 the group released the 25th Anniversary Box Set. Unpublished work in the national progressive rock, the box brought a DVD of the concert recorded in September 2009 at the Hall of Acts of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, the live CD Magic Spells bringing classic tunes of the band's career, a book written by the journalist and producer Eliton Tomasi telling the whole story of the band and, finally, the new APOCALYPSE studio album. In the same year APOCALYPSE promoted one important project in its career, the quintet release the concert "Rock Sinfônico" with Orchestra and Choral, September 11, at the UCS Theatre in the city of Caxias do Sul, south of Brazil.  In 2012 Apocalypse received the Açorianos Music Awards, honoring the contribution of Apocalypse to the music in South of Brazil. The awards ceremony happened on May 9, 2012, at the São Pedro Theater, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Musicians Eloy Fritsch, Ruy Fritsch, Gustavo Demarchi, Fabio Schneider, Rafael Schmitt and the former members Chico Fasoli and Chico Casara received an honorable mention. The singer Gustavo Demarchi also received a trophy for creating the best artwork for the Apocalypse 25th Anniversary Box Set. In 2013, Apocalypse was the opening act for Yes in Porto Alegre, Brazil, during Yes World Tour playing the 3 albums ‘The Yes Album’, ‘Close To The Edge’ and ‘Going For The One’.

Apocalypse is a progressive rock band from Brazil that plays symphonic rock with strong electronic keyboard orientation. The lineup of Apocalypse consisted of Eloy Fritsch (electronic keyboards), Carlos D'Elia (bass), Ruy Fritsch (guitars), Rainer Steiner (drums) and Gustavo Demarchi (lead vocal and flute).


Biography.

An insect enthusiast from a very early age, Brossard held a career as a notary until the age of 38. He then started to travel, and on his travels studied the insects he came across with deep interest. In 1989, after having collected over 250,000 specimens, he solicited the then mayor of Montreal, Jean Doré, to open an insectarium. He and Pierre Bourque, then director of the Montreal Botanical Gardens, began a partnership to govern and operate the Montreal Insectarium. Brossard has founded four other insectariums across the globe, some of which are located as far as Shanghai and South Africa. Since the opening of the Montreal Insectarium, his collection, which he continued to amass through his travels, has grown to over 500,000 specimens.  Brossard wrote and directed 20 episodes of "Mémoires d'insectes" ("Insect Diaries"), and was the creator and host of the televised series "Insectia". He was the cofounder and copresident of Montreal's Cinéma IMAX les Ailes.  In 2004, he was the subject of the fiction film "Le Papillon Bleu" ("The Blue Butterfly") directed by Léa Pool, based on an event in Brossard's life which occurred in 1987. Working for the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada, Brossard traveled to South America with a boy in the terminal phase of cancer. It was the boy's dream to catch a mythical blue morpho butterfly, which Georges went to great lengths to find in the vast jungles, even putting his and the boy's lives in danger. They finally catch the butterfly, and upon returning to Québec, the cancer which had been slowly killing the child miraculously receded.  Georges Brossard died in June 26, 2019, at the Victor-Gadbois de Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil palliative care centre. He was 79 years of age. He had been admitted to the facility on June 18th, suffering from lung cancer.

Georges Brossard, (February 11, 1940 – June 26, 2019) was a Canadian entomologist and founder of the Montreal Insectarium. He died on June 26 2019 at the age of 79.


Biography.

Georges Grente was born in Percy, Coutances, and studied at the University of Paris School of Law, Major Seminary of Coutances, and Catholic Institute of Paris. He was ordained to the priesthood on 29 June 1895, and then taught at the minor seminary in Mortain until 1903.  Grente was director of the diocesan College of Saint Louis from 1903 to 1916, whence he became superior of St. Paul Institute in Cherbourg. He was made an honorary canon of the cathedral chapter of Coutances in 1917.  On 30 January 1918, Grente was appointed Bishop of Le Mans by Pope Benedict XV. He received his episcopal consecration on the following 17 April from Cardinal Louis-Ernest Dubois, with Bishops Claude Bardel and Joseph Guérard serving as co-consecrators. He was given the title of Assistant at the Pontifical Throne on 18 January 1933, and personal title of "Archbishop" in March 1943. During World War II, Grente worked in the French resistance movement.  Pope Pius XII created him Cardinal Priest of "S. Bernardo alle Terme" in the consistory of 12 January 1953. Despite speculation that his poor health would prevent him from participating, Grente was one of the cardinal electors in the 1958 papal conclave, which selected Pope John XXIII. A member of the "Académie française", he was in close correspondence with Charles de Gaulle as well. It was in a letter to Grente that de Gaulle made his famous distinction between "la France chrétienne" and "la république läique".  The Cardinal died in Le Mans, on his 87th birthday, and was buried in the Cathedral of Le Mans (his heart however was interred in the church at Percy). He had served as the ordinary of that city for over forty years. Academically eminent but pretentious in manner, Grente was satirized by his clergy. He was subject to an attack by the Canard Enchaîné on his ownership of brothels near the cathedral purchased unsuccessfully (given opposition by civil and military authorities) in view of their closure, renewed by Jean Egen in 1973. In 1998, Grente was the posthumous object of an attempt at character assassination by Christian Gury.

Georges-François-Xavier-Marie Grente (5 May 1872 – 5 May 1959) was a French Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Le Mans from 1918 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1953 by Pope Pius XII.


Career.

Vega did reasonably well in Operacion Triunfo, but was not one of the finalists. At the end of the series, each contestant not in the final was asked to release their own original'single'. This was a smart move by the programme makers, as it introduced a further element of competition: contestants who sold more than 200,000 copies of their single won a recording contract for a debut album. Vega's single was "Quiero Ser Tú" (I want to be you) - a bewitching, unusual and sophisticated track which she wrote herself - and it sold well enough to allow her to win her recording contract. The result, India, featured 11 self-written tracks, including covers of Frank Sinatra (That's life) and K's Choice's (Believe). "Grita!" ('Shout!') was the first single and was followed by "La verdad" ('The Truth'), which was a duet with Elena Gadel, also a contestant from Operacion Triunfo. Grita! reached number 1 in Spain, receiving airplay also in Belgium, Russia, and the United Kingdom. The last single was "Directo al Sol" ('Straight to the Sun'). The album contained a hidden track, "Mi Habitacion" (My room). India was one of the best-selling albums of 2004, and went Gold, largely due to its daring and original approach to songwriting and production: for instance, the title track is a 6 and a half minute piano and voice only; and the album's final track ends with Vega stringing lines from all the earlier tracks on the album into one exhilarating, extended riff.  In 2006, after various wrangles with unsympathetic A&R in her new record company Universal Spain, Vega released her second album : Circular, with the first single being 'Una Vida Contigo' (A Life With You). All but one of the tracks ("Solo Quiero Amanecer" written by Dani from El Canto Del Loco) were written by Vega. The album stalled at #40 in the Spanish charts, although the single received huge radio play. After a period of little activity, things began to pick up. 'Una Vida Contigo' earned Vega an "Autora Revelación a Los Premios de la Musica" nomination. Her recording company then decided to re-release Circular with the subtitle "Como Girar Sin Dar La Vuelta" (How to go round without going back). The release included two new songs, including the second single "Y Llueve.." (And it's raining) and the song "Clave De Sol" (Key of G). The album also featured different artwork/graphics. Songs from the album are featured regularly on the Spanish TV version of Ugly Betty (Yo Soy Bea). Vega spent the first months of 2007 on a nationwide tour to support the new album.  Her album, "Metamorfosis", was released in 2009.

Mercedes Mígel Carpio (born 18 February 1979, in Córdoba, Spain), better known as Vega, is a Spanish singer-songwriter. Her interest in music started when she was a child. She studied Advertising and Public Relations in Segovia, where she also worked as a waitress. She left her university career to be a contestant in Operación Triunfo 2002, her springboard to fame. Her musical style can be defined as the classical Spanish canción de autor or singer-songwriter, but it shows influences of Frank Sinatra, K's Choice and Los Planetas.


History.

Origin.

"Countdown" is based on the French game show "Des chiffres et des lettres" ("Numbers and Letters"), created by Armand Jammot. The format was brought to Britain by Marcel Stellman, a Belgian record executive, who had watched the French show and believed it could be popular overseas. Yorkshire Television purchased the format and commissioned a series of eight shows under the title "Calendar Countdown", which was to be

"Junior Countdown".

Channel 4 originally planned a parallel "Junior Countdown" in which the contestants were children. The pilot episode was filmed on 26 November 1982, less than a month after the first adult version was

Presenters.

"Calendar Countdown" was presented by Richard Whiteley, with Cathy Hytner and Denise McFarland-Cruickshanks managing the numbers and letters rounds respectively. When "Countdown" was commissioned for Channel 4, the number of hostesses expanded further: Cathy Hytner and Beverley Isherwood selected the letters and numbers tiles respectively, and calculations in the numbers rounds were checked by Linda Barrett or Carol Vorderman. Vorderman, a Cambridge graduate and member of Mensa, was appointed as one of the numbers experts after responding to an advertisement in a national newspaper which asked for a young woman who would like to become a game show hostess. Unlike almost any other game show hostess of the time, however, the advertisement also made it clear that an applicant's appearance would be less important than their talent as

Character.

"Countdown" quickly established cult status within British television – an image which it maintains today, despite numerous changes of rules and personnel. The programme's audience comprises mainly students, homemakers and pensioners, owing to the "teatime" broadcast slot and inclusive appeal of its format and presentation. "Countdown" has been one of Channel 4's most-watched programs for over twenty years, but has never won a major television award. When Des Lynam became the new presenter after Whiteley's death in 2005, the show regularly drew an average 1.7 million viewers every day—which was around half a million more than in the last few years of Richard Whiteley presenting—and the Series 54 final, on 26 May 2006, attracted 2.5 million viewers. From 3–4 million viewers had watched the show daily in its previous 16:15 slot. The drop in viewers following the scheduling change, coupled with the show's perceived educational benefits, even caused Labour MP Jonathan Shaw to table a motion in the UK Parliament, requesting that the show be returned to its later time. Minor scheduling changes have subsequently seen the show move

Celebrations.

The first episode of "Countdown" was repeated on 1 October 2007, on More4, and also on 2 November 2007, on Channel 4, as part of "Channel 4 at 25", a season of celebratory Channel 4 programmes, as it celebrated its 25th birthday.  On 2 November 2007 "Countdown" celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary and aired a special 'birthday episode'. The two players were 2006 winner Conor Travers

Departures of Vorderman and O'Connor.

On 23 July 2008 it was announced that O'Connor would be leaving the show at the end of the 59th series, in December 2008, to concentrate on other projects.  ITV Studios announced, on 25 July 2008, that Carol Vorderman would also be leaving at the end of the same series.  Vorderman had been willing to accept a 33% salary decrease, in line with a 33% budget cut being imposed on the show, but felt she was 'forced' to leave after being asked to accept a 90%

Format.

"Countdown" has occupied a tea-time broadcast slot since its inception, originally in a 30-minute format. Since 2001, an episode lasts around 45 minutes including advertising breaks. During the normal series, the winner of each game returns for the next day's show. A player who wins eight games is declared an "octochamp" and retires until the series finals. At the end of the series, the eight players with most wins (or the highest total score in the event of a tie) are invited back to compete in the series finals. They are seeded in a knockout tournament, with the first seed playing the eighth seed, the second playing the seventh, and so on. The winner of this knockout, which culminates in the Grand Final, becomes the series champion. Each series lasts around six months, with about 125 episodes.  Approximately every four series, a Champion of Champions tournament takes place. For this, sixteen of the best players to have appeared since the previous Championship are invited back for another knockout tournament. The producer, former contestant Damian Eadie, decides which players to include, but typically the tournament includes the series winners and other noteworthy contestants. Series 33 was designated a "Supreme Championship", in which 56 of the best contestants from all the previous series returned for another knockout tournament. Series 10 champion Harvey Freeman was declared Supreme Champion after beating Allan Saldanha in the final. There are also occasional special episodes, in which past contestants return for themed matches. For example, David Acton and Kenneth Michie returned for a rematch of their Series 31 final, while brothers and former contestants Sanjay and Sandeep Mazumder played off against each other on 20 December 2004.  Since the change to 45 minute episodes, the game has been split into three sections, separated by advertising breaks. The first section contains two letters rounds and a numbers round, the second has two letters rounds and a numbers round followed by the anecdote from the Dictionary Corner guest and then a further two letters rounds and a numbers round, while the last section has two letters rounds, Susie Dent's "Origins of Words" item, two further letters rounds, a numbers round and a final "Conundrum" puzzle. With the exception of the Conundrum, the contestants swap control after every round so that each of them has control for five letters rounds and two numbers rounds.  At the end of the first two sections, Hewer poses a "Teatime Teaser" for the viewers, giving a set of short words and a cryptic clue to a single word that can be anagrammed from them. The solution is revealed at the start of the next section. (Example: Given the words SAD MOODY and the clue "We'll all be sad and moody when this arrives," the solution would be DOOMSDAY.) When the Teatime Teaser was first introduced, the anagrams were seven letters long; they were later extended to eight, and then to nine in late 2016.

Notable contestants.

Since "Countdown"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s debut in 1982, there have been over 7,000 televised games and 79 complete series. There have also been fifteen "Champion of Champions" tournaments, with the most recent held in January 2019.  Several of "Countdown"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s most successful contestants have received national media coverage. Teenager Julian Fell set a record score of 146 in December 2002. In 2006, 14-year-old Conor Travers became the youngest series champion in the show's history, and 11-year-old Kai Laddiman became the youngest octochamp for 20 years. Conor Travers went on to win the 30th Anniversary Champion of Champions series in March 2013 with a record equalling top score of 146. On 17 January 2019, in the quarter-final of the 15th "Champion of Champions" tournament Zarte Siempre, who eventually won that tournament, set a new record score of 150. This record was beaten in May 2019 by Elliott Mellor's score of 152.  At eight years old, Tanmay Dixit was the youngest player ever to appear on the show, where he achieved two wins in March 2005. He also received press attention for his offerings in the letters round, which included "fannies" and "farted".  On Christmas Day, 1987, Nic Brown set the highest score difference ever achieved in a standard 14-round game, beating Joel Salkin 108–36, a margin of 72 points. Brown also went on to become one of the only two contestants to ever achieve an undefeated 'grand slam' – becoming

In popular culture.

"Countdown" is often referenced and parodied in British culture.

Assorted allusions.

The "Doctor Who" episode "Bad Wolf" (2005) mentions a futuristic version of "Countdown", in which the goal is to stop a bomb from exploding in 30 seconds. "Countdown" was referenced again in a later series in "Last of the Time Lords"

Outtakes.

"Countdown" has also generated a number of widely viewed outtakes, with the letters occasionally producing a word that was deemed unsuitable for the original broadcast. A round in which Dictionary Corner offered the word "gobshite" featured in "TV's Finest Failures" in 2001 (the actual episode aired on 10 January 2000), and in one episode from 1991, contestants Gino Corr and Lawrence Pearse both declared the word "wankers". This was edited out of the programme but has since appeared on many outtakes shows. When contestant Charlie Reams declared "wankers" on 21 October 2008 edition, the declaration was kept in but the word itself was bleeped.

Humour.

The programme is mentioned in an episode of Irish sitcom "Father Ted" entitled "The Old Grey Whistle Theft", "Still Game" (in the episode "Wireless") and is also referenced in the very first episode of "Little Britain" from 2003. BBC impression sketch show, "Dead Ringers", parodies "Countdown" numerous times, and another television programme, "The Big Breakfast", parodied "Countdown" in a feature called "Countdown Under". In a sketch "Countdown to Hell" from the comedy show "A Bit of Fry and Laurie", Stephen Fry lampooned Richard Whiteley's punning style and Hugh Laurie played one of the contestants, while Gyles Brandreth (played by Steve Steen), presented with the letters "", got the (non-)word

Non-canon games.

The game has also been played on a number of different programs, notably as the first challenge in "What's Next" on "Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway", featuring the pair versus one of

Merchandise.

Several boardgames, books and video games have been released under the franchise. Many boardgames have been developed to replicate the rules and game play of the television show. The boardgame will often consist of a board to place letters and number on, several scorecards, a selection of numbers and letters, a number generator and a timing device (older models use an hourglass whilst newer models contain a battery powered timer).  In the late 80s/early 90s, LexiBook released digital handheld version of Countdown. These contained LCD black and white displays and a variety of physical controls. Many of

World record.

In 2014, "Countdown" entered the "Guinness World Records" for the most series of a TV game show broadcast.

Countdown is a British game show involving word and number tasks. It is broadcast on Channel 4 and presented by Nick Hewer, assisted by Rachel Riley, with regular lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme to be aired on Channel 4, and 81 series have been broadcast since its debut on 2 November 1982. With over 7,000 episodes, "Countdown" is one of the longest-running game shows in the world, along with the original French version, "Des chiffres et des lettres" (Numbers & Letters), which has been running on French television continuously since 1965. "Countdown" was initially recorded at The Leeds Studios for 27 years, before moving to Manchester-based Granada Studios in 2009. Following the development of MediaCityUK, "Countdown" moved again in 2013 to the new purpose-built studios at Dock10, Greater Manchester.


Criticism vs review.

There is a distinctive dissimilarity between theatre criticism and a theatre review. Both of them deal with the dramatic arts as they are performed. But they are done in different ways and for different purposes. Both have strong rationalities to support the observations expressed, both are analytical, and both deal with the commendable as well as the blemishes of the production. A theatre review is a short essay for the ordinary uninitiated readers who get to know about the play being performed, about the group staging the play, and its director and other actors. Basically a review is a subjective discourse hinting on the cultural and artistic significance of the production. The storyline is discussed as it is believed to be the mainstay of the production. The discussion reflects an instant reaction of viewing the performance. An overall clinical analysis of each department of the production, like that of acting, stage craft, lighting designs and its implementation, background scoring, dress and costume designing, make-up etc., and even the script that had been prepared for the staging, is made by the reviewer. A review is published during the period when the play is "on", that is, when the play is being regularly staged. This requires a speedy writing of the piece. Thus, a review lacks any deep analytical discourse or investigative studies of the different aspects. It never gives any conclusive verdict about the production, as such.  Theatre criticism, on the other hand, is a deep analytical discourse of the production against the backdrop of the theatre-arts as a whole. The social and political bearings that have relevance to the play are highlighted, so also the cultural import. Hence, the discussion becomes a highly theoretical objective discourse on the historical significance of the production. Criticism thus is an academic dissertation that is usually lengthy and may take a considerable time to write. The piece may be published even after the regular staging of the play has been suspended or stopped, or a subsequent production of a different play has been started by the group. Technicalities of the different aspects of the production are discussed in details together with exhaustive analysis of the rationalities of their execution. Criticism thus is an anatomical scrutiny of the production. The play is not discussed in detail as such, as it is job of the literary critic. Philosophical, political or moral criticism may be considered anti-theatrical.  Some major newspapers cover the arts in some form and theatre criticism may be included as a part of this arts coverage. In the 21st century theatre criticism has grown in online venues, such as e-magazines and blogs, while criticism in newspapers has shrunk. Recent research shows that despite the different medium, online critics may be as trusted as theatre critics who write for newspapers.  Specialist media exists to cover most artistic disciplines, in this field one such publication is "The Stage" (see our for more).

Theatre criticism is a genre of arts criticism, and the act of writing or speaking about the performing arts such as a play or opera.