[Bards] Standards

[Cynthia Rogers]

Certainly the medieval Bretons and Irish would agree that someone  
must mast a certain repertoire to be honored as a bard. My thought  
though is-- do we have enough repertoire in common to use that as a  
standard? And who would judge whether a performer had mastered a set  
or not?

However, I think many people would feel more comfortable if there  
were a better idea of what a bard is expected to know. Newcomers are  
often a little baffled because you often can't tell where bardic  
starts and ends.-- Is a person who tells a football story told during  
a bardic competition a bard? Is a person who tells fabulous "no-sh*t"  
I was there stories around camp a bard? What if both please their  
audiences? What about someone who runs off everyone at a fire because  
they sing all 40 verses to the Shephard's Daughter?

Your questions are making me ponder-- What makes a good bard? My own  
secret criteria for a bard are:
Ability to judge the mood of the audience.
A large enough repertoire to be able to perform something that fits  
in with what has been performed previously, and what will keep the  
circle alive and entertaining.
Knowledge of what the other people (particularly the beginners) know,  
so you can request songs or stories that they know in order to keep a  
circle from being monopolized by the more confident performers.
Ability to teach and lead sing-alongs to a crowd.
Commitment to learning new pieces that will aid "The Dream."
Talent.
Courtesy.

Just off the cuff thoughts. :-)
Rhiannon Redwulf

On Jan 6, 2008, at 11:42 AM, John Hirling wrote:

> Greetings all
>
> I would like to have your feedback on two issues:
>
> 1.  Would you like to see 'standards' for bards?  For example,  
> would it be helpful if anyone who desired to call him or herself a  
> bard would immediately be considered a beginning bard; a bard who  
> could show a certain repertoire would be considered an intermediate  
> bard; and a bard who exhibited an  exceptional repertoire would be  
> considered an advanced bard.  if so,
>
> a) what criteria would you recommend for an intermediate bard; for  
> an advanced bard;
>
> b) should any criterion be qualitative or should they all be  
> quantitative;
>
> c) what procedure would you suggest for determining a change in  
> standard for a bard?
>
> If you do not believe standards would be helpful, why not?
>
> 2) If you support the idea of standards, should a certain standard  
> be required to enter Eisteddfod?
>
> For purposes of this initial discussion, I'd appreciate it if you  
> respond to this email and not to another's opinion.  Also, while  
> the past can be informative, the present and the future are ours to  
> shape.  Let us look to that.
>
> Having said all that, of course, you will respond as you see fit :)
>
> Warmest regards,
>
> Ihon Vinson macFergus, OL
> Premier Bard of Ansteorra
> Deputy MoAS for Bardic & Performance
>
>  --
> " When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will  
> fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle."  
> Edmund Burke
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