[Bards] List

[John Hirling]

Marlin Stout wrote:

>My greatest problem with this would be that it could easily end up
>becoming a test of who's the best 'research bard', not who's the best
>BARD. I get visions of the contest becoming more about the piece
>performed and less about the performance. I've already seen some of this
>at competitions, where (IMO) the best performances got passed over in
>favor of someone who did a period piece, or an original piece in a
>period style.
>
Please read my post "For the Record."  To the best of my knowledge,
there is *no* talk/plan/plot to change the method of selecting the
Kingdom Bard.  Let's nip this rumor in the bud.

> I don't have a problem with doing period or original pieces. I DO have
>a problem with that being more important than how good a performer
>someone is. One can enter an original work, or research on period works,
>in static A&S competitions. You can't do that with a performance.
>
Are you saying that one can't do research on period performance for
competition?  If so, you are mistaken.  The research, of course, would
be judged as research, not as performance, just as research on static
arts is judged as research and not on artistic content.  If you are
saying that one should be judged only on how good a performer they are
without regard to period style or content, I disagree (I have visions of
a 'hip-hop' version of Beowulf -- fun for a circle, perhaps -- but no
place in a competition for Kingdom Bard of a medieval/renaissance
reenactment group).    I'm sure both of us wants the selection of
Kingdom Bard to be something more than 'Star Search'.

> When I've been in a position of running a bardic contest, I have tried
>to hold to a rule - Get experienced bards to do the judging.
> I think a bardic event could be a great thing. I think the contest to
>select our kingdom bard should be judged by those who've held that
>honor, or at least who are widely respected as bards in this Kingdom.
>
>My 2 pence,
>Ld Charles MacKinnon,
>Bryn Gwlad
>
You'll get no argument from me.
--ihon