[Bards] List

[Marlin Stout]

John Hirling wrote:
>
> 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'.
>

 I don't mean to say that there is no place for research. What I am
saying is that an excellently researched, perfectly period piece
performed badly shouldn't win a competition. I have pieces I would NEVER
use in competition, simply because they don't sound medieval. However, I
have seen competitions where a performer got a nudge in the judging
because he performed a piece he wrote.

Ld Charles MacKinnon
Bryn Gwlad