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<DIV><SPAN class=554571319-29102006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I'll
reply to your question, then talk about the comparison between Eistedfodd
competition vs., say, King's Champion.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=554571319-29102006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=554571319-29102006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>There
is no requirement for a letter of intent, as far as I can tell for this
competition, but there should be. What you are seeing here are a
combination of intent and attempt to stir others to join. Alas, so far of
those who read, I've only seen a handfull or so who have responded (including
myself, who didn't give near as grand an announcement/letter as the others
did).</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=554571319-29102006>as for
the length of the competition. Ah. There's a
problem.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=554571319-29102006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=554571319-29102006>Your
comparison of competitions between Kingdom Bard and King's Champion.
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=554571319-29102006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=554571319-29102006>King's
Champion:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=554571319-29102006>For
each of these that I've been to, there are usually multiple fields working; at
least two on most occasion. Each field judges two fighters
simultaneously. Little judging is involved, the participants judge
themselves, so there's little lag time between bouts. So. Let's take
a low turnout, say, 50 fighters. Let's average the first and second round
bouts to be five minutes. We can easily get through the first round in
about one hour. Second round, one hour. If it's double elimination,
you've now cut the third round to half, so 30 minutes. Final round, 13
fighters and a By, another 30 minutes. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=554571319-29102006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=554571319-29102006>Eistedfodd:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=554571319-29102006>Let's
say we have a fair showing of bards for Eistedfodd and we get 10. It's
according to how we run, but let's use this year's rules, two pieces, picking of
finalists of 3 - 5 to perform an additional piece. Average run of
performance with any intros, etc., 8 minutes. Because we are using judges
instead of judging ourselves (I've seen one example of a self-judged bardic
competition and I wasn't satisfied with the result; not that I didn't like who
won, but unlike fighting, our venue is harder to self-judge) and the judges wish
to write some notes about each performance (and good for them!), add another 5
minutes. 1st round (1st performance) 2 hours. 2nd
round, 2 hours. With this year's rules, the final round is between 3
to 5 participants. As it's final round, add another minute to each
performance and another minute for judges. You're talking another
hour-plus if we do all five, and only 15 minutes difference if we get
three. Tie? Another 15 - 30 minutes. Total time? 6
hours. And that's for ten.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=554571319-29102006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=554571319-29102006>How do
we solve this dillema of marathon bardic championship? Couple of
ways. We can limit the time of performance, which will be unfair to
some. We can limit the time judges have for notes, etc., which will be
unfair to others, or we can split the judges into individuals in seperate
"arenas", each judging the first round. You have to trust your judges, and
your judges have to trust each other. You significantly knock down the
time it takes to decide a champion AND the contestants can do something beside
be in a room all day.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=554571319-29102006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=554571319-29102006>Will
it happen this year? I don't know, I don't get to make that
decision. But I, like you, have wondered why it takes so long for us to
choose a champion at Eistedfodd when we have 1/6th the number of participants in
King's/Queen's Champion, and my solution is to seperate the
judges.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=554571319-29102006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=554571319-29102006>Annes,
I am fully with you on the concept that the Kingdom bard should be able to
capture their audience in a crowd. I know that the judges find the crowd
distracting, but there might be ways of handling this and keep it within the
venue. If we were to split the judges to one to an "arena" (group of
chairs for those who wish to watch, roped off area to try to signify a "quiet
zone" (Yah, I know how successful this would probably be, but other than having
heralds announcing the next contestant and for the audience to please try to
hold the noise down, it's the only method I have of keeping it within the public
view)), and have the final round as something that the royalty take enough issue
with to request the attention of the populace (final rounds of championships and
crowns are tension-laden affairs where you can almost hear a pin drop on the
grass), you could possibly pull it off.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=554571319-29102006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=554571319-29102006>Again. Will this happen? Is this the best
answer? I know some of the logistics are flaky (at best), but if we're
going to ask for more performers to join in Eistedfodd, how do we handle
them? If we want to compare this to other championship selection methods,
how do we get there? Or can we?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=554571319-29102006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=554571319-29102006>There,
I've gone on too long again. I'm beginning to fear that people read the
first paragraph or two of mine and then find paperclips that need
counting.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=554571319-29102006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=554571319-29102006>I hope
this answers your questions, Annes.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=554571319-29102006><FONT
size=2></FONT></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=554571319-29102006><FONT
size=2>In service to the dream with a song in my heart, I am,<BR>HL Gerald of
Leesville<BR>A bard of Stargate </FONT></DIV></SPAN></FONT>
<DIV><SPAN class=554571319-29102006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> bards-bounces@lists.ansteorra.org
[mailto:bards-bounces@lists.ansteorra.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Darlene
Vandever<BR><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, October 29, 2006 12:39 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
Ansteorran Bardic list<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Bards] Question about letters of
intent<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>I've seen 4 or 5 letters of intent now listed here. Are these necessary to
compete or are these letters simply an attempt to raise the competition in the
minds of the people...advertising as it were....since the information on the
bardic site says nothing about needing a letter of entry to compete? </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Annes</DIV></BODY></HTML>