[Ansteorra] Format for the upcoming Kingdom Eisteddfod at Twelfth Night

[Jay Rudin via Ansteorra]

The format for Eisteddfod at Twelfth Night is a double elimination competition without pairings. Each performer will perform one piece each round, and the judges will pick the top half. You will continue to perform until you have not been in the top half twice. This format allows everyone to perform at least twice, with more performances from the bards who are most impressing the judges that day, while eliminating the stresses of direct head-to-head competition.

We cannot know how many rounds there will be, since that will be based on the competitors. To win will probably take 5-7 pieces. (Of course, entering only takes your best pieces, plus two that aren’t great enough to win a round.)

In the first three rounds, you will also be expected to show your ability to perform in different ways or styles. But YOU will decide how that is done

In the past, many Eisteddfods required performers to demonstrate their breadth by performing one each of a story, song or poem. That led to non-singers being forced to sing off-key. I have no desire to force good bards to perform poorly. So if you can’t sing, or don’t perform poetry, you may show your breadth in a way that best showcases your talents. Possibilities include:
Story, song, poem
Classical medieval, Renaissance.
Comedy, tragedy, history.
Court piece, tavern piece, battle piece.

You can show your breadth in any way that seems best, given your talents and tastes. But you cannot earn the title of Premier Bard with just a series of 14th century French sappy love poems, or just Ansteorran battle tales in heroic couplets. This format is designed to let you have fun your way, while showing Ansteorra what it needs to see in its next Premier Bard.

Because of the requirement for breadth, and the desire to evaluate all the skills of the bard, there will be some cumulative effect. Let the introductions of your pieces tell us what Ansteorra’s Premier Bard means to you, and how your skills will aid Ansteorra.

We expect the Premier Bard to take an interest in all Ansteorran bards, so you are expected to listen to most of the other competitors (with reasonable allowances for preparing your own pieces, etc.). To this end, I encourage all entrants to bring a prize or two for competitors who impress them. The Ansteorran bards are colleagues, not rivals.

If you must arrive late, we understand. Entrants can sign up through the end of the second round, but if you arrive during the second round, you obviously have one loss already, for not being in the top half of the first round.

The individual judges will be announced as soon as possible. I will *not* tell them how to judge. Each will determine for himself or herself what makes a superior performance, and a superior Premier Bard.

I will be one of the judges, so here is my judging philosophy.

The Premier Bard must serve as Ansteorra’s bard on special occasions. The first requirement is the ability to affect the audience, to bring them into your vision and hold their hearts. Since we are a re-creation society, that requires the ability to pull them into a period mood. Not all pieces have to be pre-17th century, but the abilities to perform period works, to perform in period styles, and to pull people into the early culture, away from a modern frame of mind, are what impress me the most.

An occasional mood-breaker is fine, if entertaining enough, but the Premier Bard’s primary job is to open the door into the past. Build the period ambience, don’t break it. By the end of a piece, the audience should feel some of what it is to live in an earlier world – and want to go back.

If you have any other questions, please contact me at rudin at ev1.net, or “Robin of Gilwell” on Facebook.