[Bards] Bardic circle formats

[Colin MacNachtan]

--On Sunday, April 16, 2006 16:01:39 -0500 Gerald Norris
<jerryn at houston.rr.com> wrote:

> I've noticed , during a triple-p bardic, that there are far too many
> people who pass.  I'm not sure whether it's that they're uncomfortable
> with actually requesting someone to perform, or they just don't want to
> have to make a decision.  Either way, the next circle I host I'm going to
> try the pick/play format out.  Unless someone beats me to it, in which
> case, please let me know how it turns out.

As a newcomer to the bardic arts I'm still very much in learning mode, but
I also see an issue with not allowing people to pass.  I hosted my first
circle at Bryn Gwlad Baronial last fall as a triple-p.  More than half of
the circle did not consider themselves bards and passed as the token came
to them.  As the evening progressed, however, several of them felt enough
part of the circle to find a song or story to share.  If there had been
more pressure to perform I suspect a number of them would have left instead.

Colin MacNachtan