Tag: Music

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Stonemarche Yule

Season’s greetings! And all that falala. Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanza have all passed, but now it’s time for us to celebrate with some logs and hidden babies in cake!

The household of Bard’s Rest, like it’s name, is notorious for making sure there’s entertainment at events, whether it’s alcohol, story, or song. This event would be no different. I had been told there was a need for performance, so I did what every good Jew does for Yule, and brings their Christmas songs. The room was filled with an array of homemade treats, chatter, and cheer — especially the alcoholic type. But what it didn’t have was music. I was still shy about performing in public, but with a little help from my friends, I had mustered courage enough to get up and perform. First I picked a few ditties of my own, then I received requests. Luckily, I brought my choral music as well, because then everyone wanted to sing.

Image may contain: 3 people, people standing

It wasn’t the prettiest arrangement, but the experience alone was enough to bring smiles to everyone’s faces. There was even a photographer there, singing out of the corners of her mouth while she captured everyone else having a great time. We would later reunite, she as Photographer-Girl, and me as That-Bard-Who-Sings/Hey Bard!

It was then I realized how much music could bring a family together, and this, of course, was meant to be a family event.

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Winter Feast

Home, Home at the Grange,

Where the knights and the laurels all play…

Where Bards are all heard

Not a discouraging word,

And our plates are all covered with food!

 

This feast almost didn’t happen. The autocrat was a last minute decision, as was the location. But this didn’t take away from the delicious potluck feast which dwelled on the bottom floor of the grange hall. Scadians are terrible at famine. And I’m terrible at not eating Scadian food. An incident with a near-comatose Viking — though I promise I survived, or else these would be post-mortem stories…

Earlier this year, I had taken on the responsibility of becoming the musical director of Voce di Sonata, the vocal group of Malagentia. We rehearsed bimonthly, at different homes in Portland and Saco. We had been working on general medieval music as well as holiday themed medieval music. It was decided that we would perform at Winter Feast, to give us a goal to work towards.

When the food dissipated, and people were mingling, it was time to present what we had been working towards. It was interesting, because half of my group was sick, and two of my three bases canceled last minute. Eh, we could handle it.

One of my friends from Endewearde happened to be in town, and also happened to be a professional musician! She offered to join us, and would have no problem sight-reading the music. So we gathered in our typical horse-shoe choir shape, and let the music flow. This had been my first time conducting since I graduated college in 2009, and it was just like getting back on a bike, as long as you put the training wheels back on.