#56 A Woman Who Decided To Live In The Open & A Tudor Rock Star (Natalie Clifford Barney & Thomas Weelkes)

Welcome back to Mostly Unsung the weekly comedy history podcast hosted by two women, where Annie and Andrea each bring you a bite-sized biography of the forgotten people, overlooked icons, and gloriously chaotic characters history didn’t quite know what to do with.If you love funny history podcasts, women in history, LGBTQ+ history, and musical drama from the past, you’re in exactly the right place.This week, we’re travelling from the glittering salons of Paris to the slightly less glamorous but equally dramatic world of Tudor England.First, Annie introduces the fabulous and fearless Natalie Clifford Barney, an American writer and host of one of the most influential literary salons in early 20th-century Paris. A proud and unapologetic figure in queer history, Barney created a space where artists, writers, and thinkers could gather, share ideas, and occasionally cause a bit of scandal. It’s a story of literary history, LGBTQ+ history, and living life entirely on your own terms.Then Andrea brings us the wonderfully messy life of Thomas Weelkes, a talented Tudor composer known for his beautiful church music… and his slightly less saintly behaviour.  Drunken antics, run-ins with authority, and a career that proves genius and chaos often go hand in hand. It’s a brilliant glimpse into music history, Tudor England, and the realities behind the choir stalls.Expect Parisian glamour, Tudor mischief, queer history, and plenty of laughs as we uncover two lives that were anything but ordinary.If you enjoy history podcasts, forgotten women in history, LGBTQ+ stories, British history, and dramatic true stories, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen.For this episode Andrea used these sources:https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Weelkeshttps://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2025/the-unruly-genius-of-an-english-renaissance-composer-8855/https://classiccat.net/weelkes_t/biography.phphttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_WeelkesFor this episode Annie used these sources:https://guides.loc.gov/feminism-french-women-history/famous/natalie-clifford-barneyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_Clifford_BarneyWhere you can find us:https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/https://www.tiktok.com/@[email protected] you next Wednesday!