<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16414" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=347240013-07052007>Speaking of first time meetings, my first scarring
impres..... </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=347240013-07052007></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=347240013-07052007>The
first time I met Finnacan was at a Stargate Yule Revel, back when Eistedfodd
floated. Katrina of Coventry had tricked me into joining in on the
Eistedfodd. I had a four song repertoire, one of them was 'The Ball of
Kerrimuir'. Finnacan was titled bard of Ansteorra at the time and one of
the judges. At this particular moment in my then-young "career" in the
SCA, I didn't really know what I wanted to do ... but after that competition I
knew. I badgered Finn's ear for about thrity minutes as he was packing up,
trying to get on the road home, and he patiently waited and listened and
talked. It would be years thence before I'd actually hear him
perform,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=347240013-07052007></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=347240013-07052007>Always, Finnacan has been an inspiration, mostly from
the memory of that one night, when a fellow made the decision to be a performer
and was encouraged by another.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=347240013-07052007></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=347240013-07052007>gerald.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><BR>
<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>John
Hirling<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, May 07, 2007 4:31 AM<BR><B>To:</B> Ansteorran
Bardic list<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Bards] Congratulations
Finnacan!!!!!!<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>I first heard and met Finnacan at Gulf Wars IV. He performed a
piece called "The Power of a Kiss." Given that I have a mind like a steel
colander, you can appreciate the impression it made upon me. Among the
other performers were a number of laurels and I, naturally, assumed that a
performer of Finnacan's caliber counted himself among that order.
Finnican, you have been, and are, my inspiration when it comes to story telling
-- and you have always been a laurel in my mind. <BR>~ihon<BR><BR></BODY></HTML>