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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>OK well here goes my two bits (and possibly a bit
more)</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have read many good points in this thread,
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Finnicans reflections on competition, I find, ring
fairly true in many ways. especially when discusing the fact that we in most
cases are not comparing equal points and items. A well sung ballad is not the
same thing as a well told story for any judge. the technical points of what
makes each performance good are simply different. For that matter when judging
some one who is singing a song they wrote the compesition and performance are as
far as I can see very diferent artistic endeavors. on the end of our
comunity that is bardic competitions this is one thing that does now and likley
always will be a sticking point when one bard is chosen over another as the
"Champion Bard of Barony X" </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Which brings me to competitions. I honestly
don't think that there is a problem with focusing on competitons, what I find to
be a problem is a focus on winning competitions. Personally I like to compete.
doesn't have to be in bardic. I can be persuaded to compete for just about
any reason. I just tend to be of a competeitive nature. I think it's more
the addreneline junky in me than the bard that likes the competitions. However
the competition is not why I perfrom, I love to be before an audience and with
words ort song transport them to another place. my Rush is when I finish a piece
and there is just a heart beat or two of silence while the Audience lands back
on earth. If I ever get to the point that I am more concerened wth how I
place in a competiton than how my audience recieved my performance... well put
me out to pastur and toss me an occasional bottle of jammie's cause I am pretty
much done being a bard at that point. I tend to have a fondness for how Lord
Namron describes their competiton, in that it is not a competition to see who is
the best bard. It is an audition to see who will be cast in the part of their
excellencies bard. </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Next point Performance vs. static arts</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I emphaticaly agree that a performance peice tends
to loose out head to head with a static piece of the same calibre. I
believe the principal reason for this is the simple fact that when I as a judge
go back to the table with the really cool lost wax broach... It's still
there. A story, no matter how well told, is an ephemeral thing that fades
into the ether once the story teller is finnished with the telling of it.
Judging a memory of nuance and skill in telling a tale vs nuance and skill of
wax carving and casting I can hold in my hand and look over as many times as I
think I need to, amounts to an unequitable comparison of the two. Documentation
is a note that tends to fall in here as well. I can do docs, I don't like to.
but in the case of performance vs static the docs are all thats left of the
perfromance when it comes time to tally up points and well that sets an
appearance that the documentatin oof the piece is more impoertant than how it
was performed.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Third Major topic I have seen - Bardic
Circles</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Many good points have been brought forth about
these. one of the major points being we just don't have em much any more and
that people aren't doing the foot work for them any more. OK here as a fighter I
have to call the shot I have sat and whined I couldn't find a decent informal
circle ti kick back sing songs and tell stories. I have yet to do a darned thing
about it. there fore I will be opening my camp to who ever wants to join me a
Warlord on Saturdaynight, I plan to try and have things like some light snacks
and some water and tea on hand lets just get together and see if we can attract
an audience.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Oh Gulf war perfromance</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>um I rarely go to Wars so I really have no
intelegent feedback on this topic.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>any way that's all I have for now</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In Faith</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Darius, Bard of the Tor</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>PS don't forget Dragons Fire Tor has a great
competition and circle going on Saturday night the week before Steppes Warlord
the format is 2 pieces one should include Dragons <A
href="http://dragonsfire-tor.ansteorra.org/guardian.html">http://dragonsfire-tor.ansteorra.org/guardian.html</A></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Oh and Elfsea Bardic competition is next week and
there is party space where they want bardsaround the fires to (yah I'm the
autocrat pluging my event)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://home.earthlink.net/~dmriney/Elfsea_Springfaire.htm">http://home.earthlink.net/~dmriney/Elfsea_Springfaire.htm</A></FONT></DIV>
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