When I met Corotica, they had barely set foot into our kingdom and yet, it felt like they had been here since its inception. I walked into their life and they bounded into mine. They shared themselves, their art and their shoulder. I would see them soaring from working on their art to adorned in full armor as if invisible wings would carry them effortlessly, but with expediency. I saw fire in them around them. The true passion of the artist and the fire of a fighter, emblazoned in battle. The fighter that is the protectorate with the playfulness of a goblin… nay… a cryptid paladin, ready to fight for the downtrodden, the ignored and forgotten. They were ready to fight the good fight.
However, I am not here to speak of Corotica and how truly amazing of a human they are. I am here to speak of the inspiration that Corotica has bestowed. I would be remiss to only speak of my experiences. When you stand on the dias with other champions, you start to build new bonds. One of those bonds is with the person we are championed to. Inspiration is not just about words, it is about actions as well. Ryan MacWhite shares the story of an arrow. It was a super heated match, if you had not had seen it. The only noise was the sound of bows loosing and arrows making contact with the target. Ryan’s second to last arrow shattered into what felt like 1000 pieces. Only a small section survived. When the round was decided, he took the arrow fletching, which had survived, to her Excellency, Indrakshi and the tip to Corotica. He stated “This is just the first of many arrows I would break in your name”. The finals came and another arrow was shattered. This time, Ryan had presented the fletching of the arrow to Corotica to make their arrow whole, so to speak. Corotica advised how this moment of the event had made their day. Later, after safe travels home. Corotica sent a picture of the arrow parts in a vase in their home. Most folks would say “oh, a broken arrow” and throw it in the garbage but it MEANT something to them and that’s just rare and special.
I bring words from the co-populace, Lady Seigne Ruadh, Woman of the SCA, Archer, artisan and friend. Seigne spoke to me as a woman of the SCA. She spoke, with joyful tears in her eyes, of Corotica, who is female presenting. Seigne spoke of Corotica as a fighter who is a voice for women in the SCA. Corotica has spoken out for the underprivileged genders and continues to speak out for them. Corotica has made it known that things need to change for women and those who do not fit the mold for the male gender. Corotica has spoken publically about how male presenting fighters were treated and the disparity of the treatment Corotica received when they said the same thing just a moment before. When Corotica became consort, they stated that a change was coming. That our world would change. That is influence. Seigne states “ I am not a fighter, I but am an archer and I am a woman. I think it’s really important that Corotica made it known that you need to listen to people, not a gender and I appreciate them for doing that. I was inspired to create a coat to make them stand out. I did a large documentable piece of research because they had a stunning personality, a warrior and who would appreciate a warm gift.” This is power. This is inspiration. This is the voice that Corotica has given the populace.
To all those assembled today, Corotica is a Rose with thorns. They are a defender of the weak, inspiration for the artist, muse for the warriors. They have long since been a peer. I, a member of the populace, was given a voice today thanks to Corotica. I can recommend no one more than I do them.
It was finally time to step down. Although I have been serving as Consorts Bardic champ since only May, it still had a major emotional impact on my life. This is not a negative reflection serving as champ, but quite the opposite.
When I was chosen to serve as consorts champ, I was overwhelmed with pride and plans. I was going to make a change and I was going to change the world, minds, judgements. I was going to make people feel welcome. New Bards, Old Bards, those who didn’t like Bards and those who loved bards. I had plans.
I put out monthly challenges, trying to inspire folx to capture the history of our kingdom, to capture to memories, to challenges themselves and stretch themselves and mayhap try something new that they hadn’t done before. I taught classes in whatever capacity I could. I ran the ad hoc choir, I ran impromptu rounds circles. I taught privately and I shared my knowledge with anyone who would have me and would listen. I served on the A and S team and I showed the deep breadth of knowledge and information that went into preparing a single piece of performance. I performed at their majesties whim and I filled time in court. I continued to run EKCoP (East Kingdom College of Performers) events and helped established a budget for the college so we could spread our reach. I took a new student.
I created a rubric to support the kingdom and have a more fair overview of bardic judging and how to be fair about the review when comparing apples to dolphins.
I traveled down ahead of time with my best mundane friend, Jena (Going by Faelinn in the SCA). In introduced her to Rein’s, in Vernon, CT as a treat. Unlimited pickles and just a gosh darn good sandwhich. She was originally going to compete, but health got in the way. She still went down with me to support me. We may have also stopped at the fabric mecca, the $2.99 fabric store.
After the drive was completed, I spent the next few days with family. My sister lives about an hour from the event site, so I spent a few days of quiet with my Sister, B.I.L, nieces and their elderly dog, Beaujolais.
Friday night, Wolfgang (Husband) flew down and I picked him up from the Philly airport. He wanted to support me running the competition and stepping down. He’s a good egg that way and the best partner I could ever ask for.
The next day came….
It was time to turn over the sash. I worked diligently with my co- champ, Leyli Shirazi to concoct a fair competition. I worked with her on the wording and we split up the work to spread the word. I worked with the amazing Event Steward, Alison Wodehalle and she made sure the performers would everything they needed and more.
Day of, it was time for the sash to go. Had I done enough? Had I served my kingdom enough?
I was in my wedding dress. It fit a lot better now since it has been taken in 4 clothing sizes. I had transformed since I had taken this job. Physically and mentally. My hair was gone, I had seen things but I had my armor. I think I was ready for the day to begin. My best friends and my family surrounded me. The Bardic community is that. Family. We are not in competition, we are there for one another, all just trying to get the same job.
About 2 weeks prior, my friend… my -dear- friend, Isabeau was taken from us. It hurt. She was going to be there. She was going to sit beside me… us… and help us bring in the new kingdom champs. She was taken from us. It wasn’t fair. She was too good to have been taken. The world still needed her music, her gentle beauty, inside and out. I was anxious trying to find a way to serve her memory.
At the end of court, I spoke these words… This… this is what happened.
Greetings your majesties, highnesses, excellencies and all in attendance. Welcome everyone to the 2023 Bardic Championships! I want to thank each and every one of you for joining us today. Although this is a day of competition, this is also a day of celebration. We are a community of music, story, theater, magic and pure joy. Today will be a day in which we continue our legacy and find the newest successors for the crown. As we support our community, I am saddened to note that we are without one of own. Mistress Isabeau d’Orleans was taken from us a couple weeks ago and the loss of her music and joy is felt amongst us all. Isabeau was a pillar of the music community in the East Kingdom and beyond. She served as Consorts Bardic Champion in 1996 and always there to be found performing, teaching, and sharing music. With the permission of the competitors, I would like to dedicate the day to her.
In addition to the dedication, instead of a moment of silence, I think it would be more befitted to Isabeau to have a moment of song. I’d like to ask everyone to join me in singing for Isabeau. Dona Nobis Pacem is what I would call the summoning of Bards. Feel free to sing a long.
I figured if I had read it aloud, it wouldn’t be real and I could get through it.
The room was full of song. It started and ended naturally. Did I do enough? I hope so. She deserved the best.
We had 11 competitors. All of varying skills. We had singing, poetry, stories and magic. Pieces ranging from Eastern to Western Culture and from early to late period. Every performer shared a piece of their hearts and was vulnerable. We were all vulnerable that day. Performers are vulnerable because not only are they working hard on their craft, but they are sharing a piece of their heart with you… a stranger, friend, in between. I didn’t want to have to cut anyone from the competition. Each individual who competed would have made an excellent champ.
For the final round of judging, we, the non royal judges, recused ourselves and let the royals pick their final choices. I didn’t want that responsibility. I’m glad they agreed with us and allowed me to just listen to the final competitors for who they were.
Left to right
Aneleda, Leyli, Estgar, Ian, Eithne, Myself and Taliesan
We had recommended that their majesties and highness choose a challenge based off the competitors resume so if there is something they wanted to see each of them do that they hadn’t seen yet, they had that option.
Estgar was given the task of boasting the outgoing champs. See the video below:
Before the last court I finally got to sing with my people. We had an impromptu rounds sing along. People swarmed in like a flurry of … flurried things to sing. We sang old rounds and new ones.
Court began, I held the sword of state one last time (I had the privilege, 3 times during this reign, to do so) At the end of the day, Estgar was named Consorts champion and Taliesan was named Sovereign’s champion.
At that point I thought the day was over. I got to rejoin my husband, sitting in court, my friends who were not on the Dias and friends I had not met yet. I was sad I didn’t get to see the new scrolls given out in court. I was always so overjoyed when I got to see the scrolls as they were being read. I got to hear the speech between the recipient and the royal and now I would be sitting back with everyone else. It was really nice feeling special and seen for the last 9 months. I still got to pop up to greet those in the orders I was a part of, but somehow, it wouldn’t be the same.
Court was soon coming to a close and then something strange happened. My name was called. Maybe an additional thank you for running the event? Who knew?
Her Majesty, Corotica, who I had known since about her time moving to the East started speaking about my term as her champion and still, nothing sank in. You can see how still I am sitting in the video below as I am trying to listen to every word she is saying. Heck, maybe she is giving me a cypher. Usually those happen at decoronation but you never know.
This is the aftermath:
Calligraphy by Mistress Collette D’Avignon, Illumination by Mistress Camille des Jardin Words by THL Agnes Marie de CalaisMedallion by Baron Muin maqq MinainBrooch by Master Roibeard Mac NeilMy one eyed emotional supper jerk and I love himmmmmmm
This has been a long journey for me. One I never thought I saw despite how much love and passion I put into my music. I love my art. It is literally what has kept me alive for all these years. It gives me the adrenalin. Brain weasels are a thing as well. Do I belong in this group? Some day it will settle in.
All I really remember from that moment was Audrey reminding me not to cry on the scroll. I was greeted with a flurry of hugs. It was incredible to say the least.
My friends came all the way from New Hampshire to be there. To support me. Baron Keziah, Ástrídr Sægeirsdottir, Alric the Younger, Wolfgang (husband), Agnes (from MA), Damhan (from MA) Audrey (from MA), Cecelia (from MA), My student, Eithne to compete (Also from MA), my apprentice cousin Adelisa and my Pelican, Rowen. All to support me. My poor Laurel, Sabine would have been there as well, but this stupid plague got her.
Dinner and camaraderie afterwards and then the voyage home. I have the best people in my life. (Also, look how cute my emotional support husband is!)
I’m sure there is a lot more to process and a lot I missed, but this is what a couple days and coffee have gifted me for brain.
I haven’t been to Canada since I was 13 years old. First time driving there. Luckily I had another sort of frank-o-phone traveling with me and a dude who looks like he could take someone out if he wanted to.
An uneventful trip to Canada sans the weird parking situation. At the coronation itself I played my alto recorder when needed, but I was asked specifically to perform during feast. HRM, Corotica wanted the feast to be opened welcoming everyone. I had offered to sing a piece by Marion of Heatherdale (Heather Dale) called “Come and be Welcome”, with a few modifications to be inclusive to the whole community instead of the performance/bardic community only. It was nice to welcome everyone. The crowd sang together and it was a night of much revelry.
5 weeks planning… start to finish… no small feat. Harper’s retreat was on a rush job this year due to no fault of anyone but the state of the world and difficulty finding sites, one that would rent to us on shorter notices, available on a weekend we were and within budget. A site was found, jumping into autocratting such a large event compared to what I used to doing was no small feat. Luckily, I was just the deputy so I could learn the ropes of a camping event.
It was tight getting in classes, getting folks acquainted to a new to us site, working with a site owner who had never rented to a LARP group before and a site which was still very much under construction.
I believe everything went as smoothly as it could have. Feedback was received and I am bursting with new ideas on how to make this coming summer a more accessible and enjoyable Harper’s retreat.
I even had time to teach a few classes. I taught a class on why contrafact/Filk is a period practice, my rounds class and my class on how to warm up your body for performance.
I was also asked to held judge the bardic competition as well as even compete afterwards, which, was nice. My focus was trying to support others, but having others ask me to perform is always a joy. It’s nice to feel wanted.
With the coming of the new year, we all seem to have goals for ourselves. As an individual who is neuro divergent, I seem to struggle with organization. That is why I chose to organize my blog in a more accessible way. I’ve started by making a searchable list of my body of work. Here is what I have so far: Edit: Go Check out my “Body of Work” Page, “Publications” and “Classes”.
Singing! The digital age pt 2! A few days ago, Amalie and I were approached by the Baroness of Stonemarche, who happens to be a performer in I Sebastiani (The greatest comedia troupe in all the known world). They had one of their performers who was supposed to perform in the intermezzo have a health emergency come up. She approached us asking if we could “Do a thing”.
We have both been Bardic Champions of the Barony and long time friends . We agreed to perform a duet. There wasn’t anything in either of our repertoires that really suited what they wanted, so off to learn new rep it was!
Amalie went digging through CPDL and Thomas Morley fell on to our plates. This was Tuesday Night. Wednesday, off to learn a thing!
Thursday, Thursday,…. Thursday. I guess i should record a thing. My friend, George, who is a mundane friend had been getting me into doing some streaming. With this came some awesome and free software. OBS. I was able to make this beautiful half of my recording. It also instantly transfers my files to videos for consumption.
21 takes later this is what I decided to keep. Live performances are fleeting and you cannot dwell on mistakes and imperfections. Videos… those are permanent and scary!
Text:
Sweet nymph come to thy lover, Lo, here alone our loves we may discover, Where the sweet Nightingale with wanton glosses, Hark! her love too discloses.
Sweet Nymph Come to Thy Lover (Morley, Thomas). Composition Year, 1595 or before
My Co-Autocrat and I had spend months and months planning the second iteration of the EKCoP Challenge assembly. This was my first time “running” it and I had found a super sweet location. Weeks before, COVID-19 really started to spread into the US and reared it’s ugly head. The plague doctor could truly not contain this one.
My Co-Autocrat and I made the difficult decision to cancel the even. This was not done lightly. However, not only is this spread via respiratory system, singing/vocal arts were known to be the fastest way to spread it.
I wasn’t willing to go down without a fight. I wasn’t willing to let the performing arts community take a blow to one of their only real chances to gather and perform in a low key environment. Then, it hit me! Why not do this online? What were the logistics?
I spoke to my co-autocrat who has been running monthly online practice to see if this was feasible. It was!
From there we got everything sorted and up and promoted within 5 hours of this idea. Would this work? Would anyone come? Would the delay kill everything? Are we running it like it was run previously? Who knows! here we go!
We eventually settled on a formal of open meet for an hour, classes till 6 and open performances till 10.
Attendance rolled in, every class was attended and well respected.
Delight, praise of the prowess of people-kings of sword-armed Halfdan, skilled in combat, we have heard, and what honor this Saxon brings! Oft foes fought with feuded feats, from a large tribe, Stonemarche, the bear-pits tremble, the echos called. Since ego laid down friend, a feat, fables reclaim him: for he waxed under weights, in western battles fought, Pennsic, shoulder to shoulder, far and near, who wisdom was vast as whale-way, heard his mandate, gave him recognition: a wealth of reason! To him minds-worth laid before, a son in battle, an elder to books to favor Grímnir’s lip-streams, meeting their flights head on the Wielder of Wonder, with world’s renown. Mighty Queen Margarita, glory-filled, awards you arms this day, A market day at Birka, AS 54 in the Barony of Stonemarche
A woman whyt words can find her whey.
Quiet, though well versed, she has her head covered when there is work to be done.
Norse, South, East, West the books take her.
Through research, new mysteries are unveiled.
Her attention to detail brings truths to the light.
Her family, all, gathered in notes, papers, quill and ink.
All this is brought to a head till the very end and capped off with certainty to accuracy.
With fine attention to detail, I, Margarita, Sovereign to the East kingdom, do find it only true and proper, to induct Lady Alianor Salton into the Order of the Silver Brooch, this Yule, January 4, Anno Sociotatis LIV, in Ostgardr and have her join her rightful place.
I had been down in Philly the week prior to work at Pax Unplugged (It’s a gigantic board gaming convention). I tend to work at these every year. The SCA was also doing a demo. When I wasn’t on duty, I was assisting the SCA with their demo. Everything from playing medieval board games to singing “Do you wanna learn a board game?” (To the infamous Disney, Frozen tune “Do you wanna build a snow man). Yes… Yes I went there. Don’t judge me.
I stayed in town for the week so I could try my hand with the Bhakail fencers and also spend time with my local family.
I had also never been to a Bhakail event so I figured this would be a good time since this is where my Laurel lives and my Laurel Aunty lives. There was not much besides Bar side singing going on until Myself and a few other Bard friends of mine noticed that the feast was desolate of singing. We decided this was not to remain the case. We whipped out our voices and instruments and started to make music happen. No holiday festivity should be without music and so we filled it with music. The coolest part was having her Royale Majesty join us on the Balcony to sing. (Pssst. She’s got an awesome voice, Ya’ll)
Meddlings of the Minnesinger 