From: SHICOFF@unc.oit.unc.EDU
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: reply re:  period songs
Date: 4 Sep 92 00:10:00 GMT
Organization: The Internet

I've re-read the 1st senstance of that post
(Not only have I no ability, because of this system,
to go back & change a line once I have entered it,
but it is often quite a while before I get hard copy
or to see it at all to verify it), I don't think the
English is bad.  I used "Belt & Chain" ( yes, it is
modern, by Master Morric of Trimaris) as an example
of a song that sets a mood.  I had been listing the
requirements of the repetoire, & but gave an example of a
song to fit one of the requirements ("sets a very strong
mood"), when I thought people might have trouble picturing
that.  I will admit it was the one line that I thought
might be a little unclear, but I couldn't call it back,
& I still don't think it is bad English.
I'm sorry you have heard me do only 12 pieces.  I have
sung literally hundreds of different pieces at events in the
past year.  Yes, we do get asked to do certain (VERY
POPULAR) pieces over & over.  I'll list the pieces I
did for the last finals & semi-finals.  I'll have to
sit down & remember (in my copius spare time) the pieces
I did for the previous 2 years.  I like to do at least
1 documemtable piece for a competition, assuming we're
given a time limit (10 min. seems to be common),
rather than just allowed to do 1 piece.
For the finals this year, at Twelthnight:
Yes, I did "Lions" (the referred to Michael of
Bedford song) as the last piece, but I had also
declaimed "Dice Game of the 2 Olafs" -- a modern
(SCA) poem, but about a real in-period incident,
and told as a story, the "Tale of William the
Marshall"--also real history.
They asked Niall & I to do a "run-off" piece each,
as they (it was Galm & Katriona judging, by the
way, not Michael & Seonid) couldn't make up their
minds between us.  Perhaps we did not play fair
then, by each doing a song we knew to be amoung
their favorites (I did "Born on the Listfield"),
but on the other hand, I'm sure it was a period thing
to perform pieces one knows to be favorites of one's
judges/Masters. (Thank you, Terry, for the correct
name of the author)
At the semi-finals:
On Guard (by Master Valoga)
Lochmabentown Harper (period words & tune from the
Blaike MS., National Mus. of Scotland, 1487 or is it
1483? hmmm, I wish I owned that reference source....)
Lions--certainly not the best choice for a contest, but
I did it because I wanted to sing it to the most critical
audience I could find, as a practise.  If you're going
to sing a song praising him, to a man unused to praise,
you'd better have it COLD.
    How did we get from me saying that I had period
pieces in my repetoire, to your sentance that ends
"--it's only abject ignorance of medieval music which
would permit someone to think that the bulk of
your performances are period in form, or content."
     I have never made that claim to anyone.
Looking over my posting, I do see something that might
have been mistaken--"about the only areas we don't
get to in the Kingdom much are Storvik/Ponte Alto,
because we don't enjoy going to those areas much...."
Not intended as a slight to the good gentles living
in the Storvik/Ponte Alto area.  I habitually refer to
places by SCA name, when talking to SCA'ers (&
occaisionally, my boss....).  I might as well have
said Southdowns (Atlanta).  The traffic in 1 area is
in my mind, about as bad as in the other.  Also, it's
my impression that Storvik has few camping events.
I vastly prefer camping events to non-camping events.
I do occaisionally go to non-camping events, but always
catch myself saying "What am I doing here?  Are we having fun yet?!!
And hotel events... I've figured out that a major part
of the problem with hotel events is that they just won't
let you have bonfires in there....
Too bad you missed the "song swap" that Baron John/
Niall/I got into at Emerald Joust later (it wasn't
THAT late) on Sat. night in the hall (I was told one
could hear us for quite a ways...)  You might ask Michael
& Seonid about it.  We got into "Oh, yeah, you think that's
period & catchy?  Well, listen to THIS!"  & Michael kept
saying "I want to hear the documentation!"  We ran with
that ball for quite some time before we slid to something
else.  A lot of fun, Baron John is, & very
knowledgable, too.  Too bad we don't get to see
him more.
   Also, how did we get from my correcting (in private
e-mail) what seemed to me, Terry's mis-reading of my
posting (I never said..., I said....) to Hossein's
announcement "e-mail was exchanged, the upshot of
which suggests that the insult was not unintended at all."?
   Most puzzling.  Seems pointless now to try to continue
the private discussion....
Julitta
M.S.O.B.
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca,rec.arts.sf.written