[Bards] Bardic college Events

[Gerald Norris]

Brian, here's a question; will you fight in Queen's Champion, even if you
don't feel that you're up to it for whatever reason?  Why not compete in
Eistedfodd?  The experience of being up against the best in the kingdom is
knowledge gained.
 
This goes for many who might say, "Well, I just don't think I'd do the job
justice." or "I'm not at my personal best."  I can promise you that, at the
end of their term, each Kingdom Bard has come away from the position with
the phrase "I wish I could have done ...." on their lips.  All do the best
they can in that position.
 
Haven't done anything new?  Still the same old stuff?  Doesn't matter.  I've
used those same excuses in the past, but my good lady drove them all away
with this argument, "How can someone with as many songs in their head, as
many tunes as you can play, and as many stories to tell, think that they
wouldn't make a good Kingdom Bard?"
 
So.  If you've got a repertoire that has more than a dozen pieces to it (I
entered my 1st Eistedfodd with four), why not consider pushing outside of a
comfort zone and enter Eistedfodd?
 
Just my two pence worth.
 
i 

In service to the dream with a song in my heart, I am,
HL Gerald of Leesville
A bard of Stargate 


  _____  

From: bards-bounces at lists.ansteorra.org
[mailto:bards-bounces at lists.ansteorra.org] On Behalf Of Brian O'hUilliam
Sent: Friday, October 27, 2006 2:39 PM
To: Ansteorran Bardic list
Subject: Re: [Bards] Bardic college Events


My friends,  
  To this I must add my words.  I am a bard.  The Loch/Stargate area knows
me fairly well and knows that I'm always up for a performance at a circle or
at feast.  I do compete in local competitions every chance I get, but I do
not have near the catalog or experience that I feel I need to compete in
Eisteddfod.  Like Robert, being Kingdom bard is a goal of mine, just like
being Queen's Champion is a goal of mine as a rapier fighter, but I will not
compete in Eistedfodd until I feel I am ready and that means lots of
practice and expansion of repertoire on my part.  I suppose (as I speak for
no one other than myself) that many people feel the same way, or perhaps
they just don't want to compete, they only wish to perform.  
   
   I am reminded of some conversations I've heard about Steppes Artisan
versus Kingdom Artisan and Steppes Artisan always having more entrants and
more prestige.  Same issue.  Now I am not suggesting that we make Steppes
limit entrants or stop having Artisan, that's ridiculous.  What needs to
happen is Kingdom A&S needs to be promoted more.  Same thing with
Eisteddfod.  We must promote Eisteddfod.  
  
   I also feel that the competition needs to travel.  Why couldn't we piggy
back Eisteddfod onto another highly successful Kingdom event, like Queen's
or even Coronation?  There is always some dead time (provided the circles do
not take hours.)  It seems to me that this would THRUST our art onto the
Kingdom with out being "attack bards" and would allow all to view the bardic
arts in out Kingdom.  Or even tack onto a big Baronial or Shire event.  
   
   Why couldn't we have a Bardic Event?  Have a Bardic Collegium with
Eisteddfod.  We could encourage fighters to come out and have fields for
practice (not a tourney) and an A&S display (not a competition).  This would
be a primarily Bardic event with classes on music & bardic and some
activities for the non-bards.  Also, if we could arrange a Laurel's Circle
there like Crown always has a Chiv Circle and Queen's always has a WS
Circle, I think that would greatly benefit the bardic community and make
some money for the Kingdom.  
 
  I apologize for the length, but I feel very strongly about this, as I know
all of you do too.
 
 
Brian O' hUilliam,
Cadet to Don Brian MacCael
Bard of Graywood
 
 
 
On 10/27/06, Robert Fitzmorgan <fitzmorgan at gmail.com> wrote: 



On 10/27/06, Simone Ui'Dunlaingh 


<SNIP>

When participation at Canton shire and Barnial bardics are greater and 
more prestigious than the Kindom Estinfodd. we might want to look ast
ourselves and not outside our selves. I have seen Local Bardic 
competions sport 30+ participants regularly when we cant get that many
to show for kingdom..WHY? What is the diffrence? Why would a bard be 
willing to compete at a local level and not kingdom? these I think are
the questions we  should ask.


Simone

<SNIP>


     I think it's a valid point.  I certainly can think of several local
competitions that have more participation than Kingdom Eisteddfod.  So what
do we do to make  Kingdom Bard something that  more people want to strive
for?  
    For myself, I haven't entered in several years.  At this time in my life
I couldn't be the Bard that I think Ansteorra deserves, and I don't believe
that I should enter if I can't do justice to the position.  Being Kingdom
Bard is still one of my unfulfilled goals, but I won't go for it until I
feel I can do the job well.  I'm not entering local competitions either.  

Robert
 

 


-- 
"If you haven't found something strange during the day, it hasn't been much
of a day."     John A. Wheeler

Fitzmorgan at gmail.com
Yahoo IM: robert_fitzmorgan 

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