[Bards] bowing out of a championship

[Melody Soice]

Alden wrote:
>Personally, I don't like the idea of bowing out of a championship.  If I'm 
>going to enter a championship, I'm entering to do my best, for as far as my 
>best will take me.  If I don't think I can perform the duties of being the 
>champion, I'm not going to enter.  If my aim is to do honor to the 
>King/Queen/etc., or demonstrate my abilities, I'll find another way to do 
>that than by entering a championship.
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For once, I'm not sure I agree with you, Alden.  I think good performances 
encourage other good performances and, in general, raise the bar for 
everyone in the competition.  Especially with the current list of entrants 
so very short, I would love to hear a great performance, even if the bard, 
for whatever reason, isn't willing or able to fulfill the responsibilities 
of our Premier Bard.

I think we need to do whatever we can to grow the field of entrants and 
performances, even if it eventually necessitates a change to a double 
elimination format.  I find a great performance both inspirational and 
motivational and feel they have merit on their own, beyond being a stepping 
stone toward winning a competition.

Melody