[Bards] Kingdom A&S

barrett1 at cox.net barrett1 at cox.net
Tue Feb 13 07:26:58 PST 2007


I'll gladly speak to this.
I apologize for not speaking earlier, but as an invited judge at a Laurel-managed competition, I wasn't sure of the decorum and didn't want to step on any toes until the green light. 

Do not ever in your travels as a performer think for one second that you do not put as much heart and effort and research and polish into a piece as a craftsman or costumer. The performers this weekend were as dedicated as any I have ever encountered, and they each presented masterpieces with skill and spirit.
The most honest compliment I can give is this, that each performer made me want to a.) hear them again and again and b.) made me want to be a better performer. The standard they lifted roused the heart and made the mind hope.
One Lady Lucia gave us an Elizabethan ballad dealing with the fall of Icarus, though not in a tragic greek way. Rather it was a humorous song of odd insinuation, and exactly what one would expect in the more casual moments of Elizabeth's court.

Maggie presented a piece she presented at Eisteddfod, a Chinese poem from the period that crawls under your skin and makes you feel like another person entirely. Some pieces are very good at transporting us, but Maggies poem, which she translated and interpreted for our language, gives a sense of empathy for the speaker and not just a taste of the culture. Maggie can own whatever viewpoint she wishes.

Mea was one of the songbirds that decorate our thoughts of Late Period Italy. Her command of the language was equal to her command of the notes. Listening to Mea, you get the distinct impression she has studied each note in relation to her voice, so that once the piece is sung, one wonders if the composer is the also the singer.

The Instrument ensemble made the room disappear, and it was my honor to tell them so in court. While one harp and a flute carried the melodies, percussion was provided on the second harp, until the percussionist sang a verse of their hymn to the Virgin. Both harps and the flute finished the piece together, comfortable enough to allow nuance among each while maintaining a consistant devotion to the music.

Ansteorra has a long tradition of strong performers, but the four that honored us with their work at this competition proved that the future of performance is in capable, talented hands for a long time to come.
Each proved themselves extraordinary artists, amazing entertainers, intelligent scholars and professional researchers.
It was a joy to hear them, a torment to score them and a delight to speak for them.
I thank the Laurels for the oppurtunity to judge and see the performance sheet from the other side, as it were, and I thank you performers for your trust.

~Finnacan

---- gail young <gwynethb63 at yahoo.com> wrote: 
> I'd love for someone who was at the event and saw the bardic to post about the performances.  Finnican?  I'm not sure if Modius is on this list.  Mea, I know you don't want to toot your own horn<G>but can you tell everyone about the other performances?
>   gwyneth
> 
>  	 
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> Looking for earth-friendly autos? 
>  Browse Top Cars by "Green Rating" at Yahoo! Autos' Green Center.  




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