ANST - FW: Post Gulf Wars Report

[Vicki Marsh]

With permission from Master Avatar, I am cross-posting this missive:

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Greetings Good Gentles all:
Below is my report on Music at Gulf Wars 8.
This year Gulf Wars was extended by an extra day (Tuesday through
Sunday). However, Mother Nature had other plans...but I get ahead of
myself.

This year Gulf Wars classes boasted numerous opportunities to learn
about dances from the Caroso, Negri, Gresely, Arbeau, Inns of Court and
Playford manuscripts from many instructors.

We also had Music Consorts every afternoon from 2-5pm where upon
instrumental musicians would lay aside dance music and play real music
(that is not a cut towards dance music, its just what it is actually
called).  This was always challenging since the stuff that was passed
out consisted of some very complex polyphony.  It challenged everyone's
sight reading skills.  We ended up with a nice assortment of recorders
and flutes including a great bass, vielles and plucked instruments such
as renaissance cittern and ouds.  We also had cornettos, shawms, sa Gulf
warsckbut and krumhorns.

Every evening from 9 to midnight was set aside for dance revels inside
an air-conditioned hall with musicians on the stage. We averaged about
10 to 15 musicians per night.  It was a fine pit and musicians were well
watered and very appreciated by the dancers. In my opinion, we were
smoking!

Overall there was more than enough music and dancing at Gulf wars that
it was hard to choose what to do.  My fingers were worn, my jaw was
sagging.  I had a great time.

Friday morning came the rain...and it rained.....and it rained.  All
competitions and battles were cancelled do to the fact that predictions
called for a massive storm on Saturday.  So many people packed up and
headed for higher ground or home (I packed up also and secured a hotel
room).  However the grand ball was still on and so we all gathered in
the hall that night and danced our hearts away.   We did a fair number
of Italian and French dances.  More of this please. For musicians and
dancers it was very much the highlight of the War prior to the great
deluge.

And so Saturday came and many tents floated away it rained very hard.
But up to that point Gulf Wars was a blast and was very much a musicians
paradise of playing opportunity for everything from Medieval to
Renaissance to Middle Eastern.  It was all there.  Please come next
year.  Bring your shawms.

--
Al Cofrin
AKA Avatar of Catsprey
http://www.flash.net/~avatar1/


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