[Bards] A Question of Timing in Elfsea

[Jay Rudin]

Tiggy wrote:

> "Title Bard Competition -- No theme.  Story, song, or poem.
> Single round.  Performance must be five minutes or less in duration."
>
> **FIVE** minutes?
>
> Are we SURE about this?
>
> I'm really just asking, but a PERIOD piece COMPLETE with
> introduction in under five minutes?  Even WITHOUT the
> introduction, that's pushing it.

Depends.  Michael Drayton's *Agincourt* is about three minutes.  The section
I have memorized of Sir Orfeo is about five, and I can shave a bit off of
it.

> Now, granted, I have won the Elfsea bardic competition in under 5
> minutes -- but it was in the final round of a 3-round competition, there
> was little if any introduction, and it was an original piece.
>
> That, and five minutes in a single round seems an awfully short time to
> judge a bard that will be representing your barony for the following year.

Yeah, well, that's the judges' problem, not the performers'.  I agree that,
as a judge, I prefer to hear more pieces, but I've also judged a Steppes
Titled Bard competition at Warlord in which the final round started after
two in the morning.  That's not good for the bards or the judges.

> What do you think?

Yup -- it's a challenge.  But it's the same challenge for all of us, so it's
fair to all.

If I had been asked my opinion by the decision-makers, before the decision
was made, I might have some advice to offer.  But the current situation is
that we've been given this challenge.  OK -- we either rise to the challenge
or choose not to enter.

Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin