Kingdom Dancer's and Musician's Workshop

[Vicki Marsh]

Greetings unto all!!

If you were not fortunate enough to have attended the event held this last
weekend in the Barony of Loch Sollier, then you should know what a fabulous
time you missed!!!

The event, put together by Mistress Edwina Dirk Sterne and HL Avatar of
Catspey, was one of the best gatherings of musicians and dancers that I have
ever attended.  Yes, you read correctly.  Avatar was inducted into the Order
of the Iris of Merit. Yeah!!!!! Great thanks to TRM Mikael and Mikaela for
recognizing the incredible talent and leadership in the field of music and
dance that Avatar has graced us with in this Kingdom.

Speaking as a musician, I have never had so much fun playing for the Dance
as I did this weekend.  The rendition of "Hole in the Wall" (*27 or so) was
the most beautiful, most raucous, most hilarious rendition I have played in
my life.  We laughed so hard, we cried.  Avatar directed the different
orchestrations, from oboe and harp (which elicited appreciative sounds of
oohs and aahs), to buzzis (crumhorns and rackets), to strings and flute
(aahh), Baron Michael's lovely trombone playing and turns(cool - I didn't
know he could do that!!), to operatic singing (LA-LA-LA), to recorders, and
finally, to the nasal drip singing (holding our noses and la-la-ing the
tune) on the final course.  Someone (I was laughing too hard to see who),
started to sneak up behind Avatar and do some fowl deed with his kilt, when
HL Stella Silvana (whose prowess with Chivalric Combat is known throughout
the Kingdom), lept up with her "Swift Sword of Death" (a black
construction-paper sword made for the pop quiz) and bravely chased the
evil-doer away.

Dancers and Musicians alike collapsed in fits of unrestrained hysterical
laughter.

By the way, the orchestra there was composed of about 30 musicians, from
harp to piccolo and everything in between.  I was in awe of the incredible
crumhorn and recorder collections that were there.  

My special Thanks go to the Barony of Loch Sollier, especially to Baron
Leofric and Baroness Cadi.  Our hopes and prayers are with you through this
time of the great battle with Cadi's illness. That she was able to attend
this event and sit Court shows her indomitable spirit and love for our
Society.  She is a Great Lady.

In Service,

HL Zahra Zena Theanos