Arts and Sciences Competition

[I. Marc Carlson]

<Samuel<Steve Hendricks <SteveH at wayne.com>>>
>...A couple of people mentioned that music *should* be judged by popular 
>opinion.  I submit to you that this is blatantly unfair...

Other things besides music are judged this way, and while I agree it's
not fair to judge something that is absolutely period (and hence may be
unfamiliar to the judges) and compare it to something that is popular
(and therefore may have nothing to do with research or authenticity), at
this time this is what we have.  And, as a rule, Cute beats Research,
poorly done Elizabethan beats well done Saxon, and a Chocolate Cheesecake
will beat a leak and barley porridge every time.

There may be ways to deal with this at some future point, but probably not.

>Now, a certain person also responded to my mentioning that we would be doing 
>some carols at the next Bryn Gwlad Music Guild in preparation for our Yule 
>Revel.    He objected to Christian music in rather strong terms.

I'll have to go back and look for this, I missed it the first time.

I think you are correct, since the vast majority of "Period" songs we
have are "Christian", if you are going to do you will have to use some
of them.  I know of no "Period" versions of "Circles" or other music
written for 20th Century Pagans.  I may be missing something, but my
understanding is (take your pick):  a) Few, if Any, Pagans survived into
the European Middle Ages (and none west of Denmark after 1000 AD), and 
those who did survive (east of Denmark) may have left materials that might
have survived the Conversion Process, but that's not my area of study.
b) The Pagans who were driven Underground by the relentless persecution
of The Church would have been stupid to write stuff like music down, 
particularly since they ostensibly were coming from an Oral Tradition).

Therefore, no Period Pagan music, and no matter how much I may tease my
wife that her Christians stole all the good hymns, I know it's more likely
that they aren't there because they were *never* there.

"Mihi Satis Apparet Propter     Diarmuit Ui Dhuinn
  Se Ipsum Appetenda Sapientia"	University of Northkeep/Company of St. Jude
 -- St. Dunstan			Northkeepshire, Ansteorra
				(I. Marc Carlson/IMC at vax2.utulsa.edu)