Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 08:45:19 -0500 (EST)
From: mn13189@WCUVAX1.WCU.EDU
Subject: Re: minstrel: Bardic, Period, Etc.
In-Reply-To: <361FC5C7.5DDC@cyberhighway.net>
To: Sandi Augsburger <sandilee@cyberhighway.net>
Cc: minstrel@pbm.com
Message-Id: <Pine.PMDF.3.95.981011083808.549667405A-100000@WCUVAX1.WCU.EDU>
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On Sat, 10 Oct 1998, Sandi Augsburger wrote:

> 
> I am a fairly new member of the Society (in fact, the SCA headquarters
> keeps sending my registration back for changes!). So, I hope I have not
> stepped on toes (especially dancing ones!)- or repeated information that

Not at all, milady!  Your post was right on the nose and very important
information for SCA folks to remember.  I have faced similar porblems in
my bardic career (which began at my second SCA event!).  I sing Scottish
traditional songs, 16th century, 17th century. . .   I sing acapella,
completely unnacompanied.  Why?  Because prior to this century, Scottish
folk singers did not accompany themselves nor were they accompanied by
others.  The instrumental music was kept seperate.  The sound that is so
popular today with guitar and harp and accordian, et al, inn the big folk
bands was only started in the 60's and largely influenced by American
music.  Yet from the get go I had people encourage me as a bard, and say,
"You really should learn guitar so you can accompany yourself!"  I got
this even from Luarels.  Even from one music laurel!  And when I replied
that the music I was trying to recreate was unnacompanied vocal, I usually
was told that it would still sound better with some type of accompaniment.
That type of music is what people are used to hearing.  But people can
learn to appreciate and even lke other styles that are very different with
exposure.  I once read an ethno-musicologist who said comparing the
lavisly arranged instrumental peices to solo voice in the Scottish
tradition was like comparing soft velvet to peat-smelling tweed.
(I have nothing in my wardrobe made of velvet, by the way. . .  ;-)
Aye,
Eogan
(the tweed-bard)


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