[Bards] Differing Styles

Catrin ferch Maelgwn ladycatrin at gmail.com
Thu Oct 4 15:18:31 PDT 2007


Gosh.

Personally, I don't mind requirements for differing styles all that
much--but I do agree that it can result in some fairly mediocre
entertainment for the crowd when people are straining to do things out
of their chosen "element" just because it's required of them.

I am not the best storyteller.  That's something I need to work on,
but I don't necessarily know that working on one story for a few
weeks, strictly for a competition, and then never trotting the thing
out again, is going to help.  What it *might* do is help me feel a bit
more comfortable telling stories, period, so that I'll be more likely
to do one of my own volition next time.  Certainly that's a positive
outcome.

But I wonder if perhaps such exercises in diversity have better uses
than in, say, a Kingdom bardic competition.  I've always looked at
Eisteddfod as a time for a performer to shine to the *best* of his or
her ability, to share the best of what they have honed and practiced,
researched and poured all the best of their dedication into.  Is there
any reason we should consider a gifted storyteller, who captivates
audiences and knows the history of both Ansteorra and their chosen
persona culture inside and out, any less worthy of being Kingdom Bard
because they can't quite get the knack of writing a melody, or
carrying a tune?  Are they not "challenging themselves" if they never
feel the urge to branch out into music at all?  I guess that gets into
a debate about what is "expected" of a bard at that level, something
I'm not even qualified to address.

I do agree that a titled bard at any level should be able to entertain
in any variety of settings and situations, but I'm not sure I agree
that this should always translate to "being able to excel at any form
put before them."  I have known storytellers who can keep an audience
in stitches, tears, or rapture for long periods of time by employing
their chosen craft, never once singing a note or penning a verse.
Perhaps if they were encouraged, they might discover that they are
amazing singers or gifted poets, but I certainly won't ever think less
of them as performers if they don't.

To address your other perception, well--I'm primarily a singer.  It
seems every time I'm at a circle, at a loss for what to do, and ask
"would you like a poem or a song?" the inevitable response is "a
song!"  People seem disappointed when I set aside the guitar to
perform an englyn I've written, or a story I've learned.  Perhaps that
is my own shortcoming as a bard, and perhaps people would be just as
excited to hear my poetry if I would hone my abilities to the level of
some of the other bards I've heard.  But it's always a tossup between
that desire to branch out and grow, and the desire to please a crowd
and give them what I know they want to hear.

But in any case, no, I have no problem with being asked to perform
differing styles in a competition.  I might suck at some of them, and
you as an audience member might wish I'd stuck to what I know best.
But it is fun to try, and sometimes the results can be surprising.  To
sum up, I have no idea where I was going with all of this.

Cordially,
Lady Catrin ferch Maelgwn

[shamelessplug]Kragenworth Keep bardic this Friday night in
Elfsea![/shamelessplug]

On 10/4/07, Pat Mullins <paedrics at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Wow! I was expecting some flame for this:
>
> Pat Mullins <paedrics at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Maybe its not just MY perception...
> It's interesting that the ones complaining about differing styles are the
> SINGERS!
> Leave some competitions for the rest of us, will ya!
> Paedric
> Just trying to agitate, now.
> I've got my asbestos skivvies on!
>



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