Tag: BOyfriend

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It’s the most wonderful shopping of the yearrrrrrrr!

Birka. If you have read any of my blog posts, you know this German/Viking loves bling. Birka, besides Pennsic is my favorite shopping event. The vendors are always changing and bringing new and wonderful wears.
This was also my newest partners first Birka. “I can show you the world! Shining, Shimmering, Splendid!” Also, his first event. I don’t bring them in gently. He seemed to do well with the 90 million people he met in a half second, including Her Royal Majesty, who had given him his first token in the SCA. You could see the magic happening… as far as you can have in a hotel.

He was excited to show off his first garb. I had taught him to sew the week prior. He’s a quick study and eager to create. HE even made himself a haversack. None of these had a pattern. I showed him how to pattern off his previously made clothes as a gentle way to bring him in.

Boyfriend
He met 90 million people in 30 seconds but he was happy as a clam. He is far more social than I am.

First court of the day for us was Baronial court. Although I wasn’t currently living in Barony, Stonemarche has always been my home. I often offer to herald or perform for them.

Herald
When court came around, I showed him the joy of other’s getting awards. I was on queens guard, but made sure when I wasn’t guarding he has someone to keep him company or something to do. He was surrounded by those willing to give him information and he was also keeping his hands busy with his newly learned hobby of crocheting. He even got to hear one of my scrolls going out.

This was based off Beowolf

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

Scroll

After court was all said and done, I was off to do my most favorite thing at Birka… THE BARDIC CIRLE! This was my 4th year running it and every year I learn new and different exciting pieces and meet amazing new performers. I task myself with trying to support newer performers, performers who are shy and taking others under my wing. This year was no different.

However, these was something new to me. I had always considered a content warning for age restrictions; however, I had never considered a content warning for triggers based on language or images. This was a new idea to consider. I think it’s important to consider our audience. We aren’t stopping our performance, but we are allowing them to have an opportunity to leave should they have triggers to the content. Even my partner, who doesn’t have faith in his own singing was brave enough o perform. We had a wide variety of performers and skill levels. I can’t wait to see what else comes from these folks.

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Harper’s Retreat 2018!

Time after time this proves to be my favorite event. This year was no different. I brought my S.O. Aegir with me. He got to experience his first “small” event since his first event was the Great North Eastern War. Little bit of a size difference. Fencing was first on the docket for the day. Stab stab all my friends. Nothing gets me in the mood to sing besides dancing (aka, fencing) with my friends. I didn’t come close to winning but boy did I have fun!

Later in the day I taught a class on stage presence and how to make your piece more interesting to the audience. I had 2 students show up and I was perfectly ok with this. They were two very different performers, but were able to utilize the same skills. The first young woman was a puppeteer and storyteller. She exclaimed her issues were volume and some stage fright. I proposed we use a counting up excersize where we would identify different volumes and then use different shapes of our mouth and words to bring her resonance forward. We also fixed different focal points by adjusting where here body and puppet were facing and worked on a few topics of tempo.

My second student had never been on stage before and had never performed in front of anyone before. We worked through a song he had prepared. We again talked about volume. In addition, we added movement to his body, keeping his eyes open and stage movement in general.

When the class was over, both advised they felt more confident in their skills and would add these into practice. The young woman put it into practice for the Warrior Bard competition that evening.

Feast was next! Probably one of the best feasts to date. The current Baronial Bard and Nexcellency, Keziah Planchette had requested some of the prior and present bards to come perform during the feast. Here is a clip of my performance. I think the liquid courage also made an appearance.

Harper4

 

 

That evening it was time to compete for Warrior and Baronial Bard. The guidelines for Baronial Bard were Courtly love and Virtues. In addition, due to the recent loss of our Baron (who passed away about a month prior) it was requested that we not sing anything sad.

For Warrior Bard I whipped out a quick one of my favorites, Laciate Morire (which, is not exactly not a sad song… but it was in Italian so I fudged the poetric translation).

For Baronial Bard I sang a Ladino piece, La Prima Vez and We are the East (By Drake Oranwood). I may not have won Baronial Bard, but I did truly win because there were very few dry eyes at the end of We are the East. #lifetimegoalsachieved.

The next day in court, I assisted with Heralding because hey, i’m loud! I can haz shouty voice! However, not too long after I had sat down, I heard my name requested in court. I was asked to join the order of the Lamp of Apollo. This is a Baronial Arts and Science award especially for encouraging others to do their art as well. The scroll was done by Keziah Planchett and the words lovingly composed by Amalie von Hohensee and Gerhardt von Hohensee. I was in tears as there was no better gift. (If you remember back to Birka, I had done the words for their scrolls)

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GNEW- GNE- A new? 2018

I often find that GNE has been my event home since I started playing in 2010, but it wasn’t my first even. It is always one that has resonated with me as a war… a true immersion event for me.

This year was no different. I got to get my hands dirty with Bardic from helping to arrange the Bardic space, advertising and even performing myself.

I spent the weeks prior to GNE helping Gregor set up the Bardic space and quire Bardic Talent. I’ll admit, however, I was a bit preoccupied with my own agenda. This was my boyfriend’s first event and I wanted it to be as magical for him as it was for me.

Friday I spent fencing and showing my boyfriend around the range and doing a little bit of shopping. Saturday, I made sure I was there for the other performers as well. Prior to my own performance, a friend of mine was having a difficult time building up her own confidence. I spent time prior to making sure she knew people would be there and the massive amount of skill she possessed. I even requested she sing a song specifically for me.

When it was time to perform, I took the stage. This would be a casual performance. I really feel it’s important to read your venue. I chose not to sing the songs that made me feel like a million bucks, but ones that my audience would enjoy. This concert was not for me. It was for the audience.

The Friday prior, my good friend, now Mistress Christiana Crane had been sent to vigil. I feel like I only truly have one gift I can give and so this is what I made for her.

 

Recording forthcoming:

 

In the forests of mid Malagentia

Shimmers the snowy white gleam

Carried on the beams of Polaris

The Winter witch schemes

 

The harmony of her cackles

Delighted as temperature drops

When the snow fall curtains the skyline

The witch never stops

 

The icy blast from her chill

Her powers make you succumb to her will

Though with no terror you shall fill

From the winter witch

 

When autumn passes slowly

And you feel her chill in the air

The summer spells has faded

Your skin halts to  bare

 

The icy blast from her chill

Her powers make you succumb to her will

Though with no terror you shall fill

 

From the winter witch

The icy blast from her chill

Her powers make you succumb to her will

Though with no terror you shall fill

From the winter witch