<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV><DIV>On Oct 29, 2006, at 5:51 PM, Robert Fitzmorgan wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><BR><BR><DIV><SPAN class="gmail_quote">On 10/29/06, <B class="gmail_sendername">Darlene Vandever</B> <<A href="mailto:annescvb@gmail.com">annescvb@gmail.com</A>> wrote:</SPAN><BLOCKQUOTE class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> <BR><BR><DIV><DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color="#009900" face="times new roman,serif" size="4"><STRONG>One might wonder then how the "period" bards did it. I'm not sure there was "professional voice training" available in the 11th century. </STRONG></FONT></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR>I expect that "period" bards probably got more respect and attention when performing for a hall than we do. ...</DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></DIV><DIV>... in that hall.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Consider: suppose that Gerald and Ihon and a few others and I sat down someplace quiet, got out quiet Period instruments (recorders, lutes, etc.) and began to play quiet music... suppose that our quiet music was the focal point of a Kingdom event, for the pleasure of the Crown... and now suppose that a crowd of loud, boisterous people set up a picnic right next to us.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Now tell me how that's different from the current circumstance in Sokol Hall.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>And please tell me what we can do about that. ;-)</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>To be clear: I'm not suggesting banishing the festive environment -- the "picnic" -- that is Twelfth Night (or Stargate Yule, or...) during the day. That's part and parcel of the event. I'm just looking for suggestions for how to improve the Eisteddfod. [1]</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Some have mentioned setting up a tent or tents outside, such as we might do for a hafla. Is that feasible? It would get the Esteddfod "far from the madding crowd", and would solve the problem of people with mobility disabilities being able to reach the competition. On the other hand, it can be cold outside that time of year, so that would have to be addressed... and of course, this is all up to the event organizers, not us (but maybe some of us -- Robin? -- could put a kind word in their ear).</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Michael</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>[1] <rant> I would like to remind the good folks of Steppes that the *primary* function of the day *is* the Eisteddfod. I've "read between the lines" in some of the posts that there's a certain resentment in Steppes that the Kingdom "takes their tax" for the Kingdom event, out of proportion to the number of folks who come for Eisteddfod. Fine: choose one of the other ways to hold Twelfth Night. Hold it off-calendar (no "tax" to Kingdom; but also no court, awards or Peerages). Hold it jointly with a neighboring canton or shire (no "tax" to Kingdom, get to have court, but divide the proceeds between multiple groups). Or just be happy with the current arrangement and don't begrudge the donation to Kingdom. But don't a) take advantage of hosting a Kingdom event, then b) squash said Kingdom event into oblivion, and then complain about the "tax". </rant></DIV></BODY></HTML>