[Bards] What is a bard?

[Jay Rudin]

Alden wrote:


> I'll let Master Garraed answer for himsef, but if you look at what he says 
> after "Bardic Arts is Song, Story or Poetics that is relevant to the 
> culture of the society" (note the small 's' in society;)", he adds "The 
> intention of this was to define it separately from the other performing 
> arts like theatre, dance, etc."  Music (instrumental) can be categorized 
> as an "other performing art".
>
> However, take a look at how our own kingdom splits performance arts.  We 
> have Deputy A&S Ministers for Bardic & Performance (Master Ihon), and 
> Dance and Music (HL Rhiannon).  I take this to mean that vocal music would 
> fall under Master Ihon and instrumental music would fall under HL 
> Rhiannon.  However, if you look at our championships, you have bardic 
> champions and dance champions.  Which one is more suited to an 
> instrumental music piece?  Probably bardic.  As such if I'm coordinating a 
> bardic championship, I would not disallow an instrumental piece from being 
> performed because they have no other appropriate venue - particularly 
> since A&S competitions are generally taken to be static arts.

Ultimately, I don't care how the kingdom's bureaucracy is formed.  We should 
establish the college to serve ourselves and the kingdom.  This isn't part 
of the reporting structure of the corporation; it's a group of people 
joining together for mutual support.

My vague notions are that the tightest focus is a single performer whose 
intent is to entertain the crowd.  I don't think we should limit membership 
to the tightest focus, but I do think that focus should be real.  By 
comparison, the SCA's tightest focus is medieval and Renaissance in Western 
Europe.  We have no problems including people who are Romans, Japanese, 
etc., but the focus is still medieval and Renaissance western Europe.

I like group performances.  I like background musicians.  I like dancers 
whose main focus is dancing as opposed to entertaining.  I think we should 
support both.  But I think the tightest focus remains a single performer 
whose intent is to entertain the crowd

Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin