[Bards] Accompaniment (was Query)

[barrett1 at cox.net]

Jeffrey Clark wrote;

"Solo, unaccompanied music is rare in Western literature; and much of the 
unaccompanied literature makes use of compound melodic technique to supply 
the harmonic foundation for the melody. The performance of the "melody" of a 
piece of music can be considered complete unless its proper harmonic support 
is also supplied. A performance of a period work that did not use the 
accompaniment would not only be going against period performance practice, 
but would also be going against proper musical form. The harmonic structure 
of a work is every bit as integral as its melodic content." 

Yes, this is an excellent standard for serious academia.
 It is also a standard that would have to be applied evenly; no Beowulf without a saxon lyre being played, no carols without a full choir, no quotes from plays without costumes and a stage.
It is a fine goal for each performer to personally strive for.
I also believe it would, if formally enforced, kill a lot of performance in the SCA, which is not a hard academic organization. This is merely my opinion, though.

Do you think that this would encourage performers to improve? 
Would it make performance too exclusionary for regular players to try their hand (or voice) at?
Which do you think would happen?

I like where you wanna go, Jeffrey, I would just rather walk into that room at a comfortable speed, not be catapulted into it head first.

~Finnacan