This is my documentation for the A and S Team. Please see my blog post for more indepth feelings and responses from Pennsic 2022.
The Beginning of a new era!
Panteria was my first camping event in 2010 and has always been a special event to me (Even though a bunch of my friends tried to coax me into go to Roses instead). This year would be no different. Well, I mean, it will be because the event has grown and changed over the years.
With this development of the event, I decided to develop myself farther. I had started a similar idea before, but this will be an ongoing contingency group. I started a travel ad hoc choir in which we would learn some music and then after a few events or so, would get the chance to perform it.
The plan for this one would be to introduce everyone, get a gauge of their skill level and then do a thing! My first meeting has 10 vocalists as I gave out all copies of my music. we had 1 bass, 1 tenor, 4 altos and 4 sopranos. What made this group even more interesting was the addition of a youth (sub 18). I handed out pieces in various languages. She seemed very concerned that they would potentially contain a swear word. Even after I reassured her several times there we no swears, I even had a native speaker of the language to also confirm that.
It was a challenge to have a youth there as I haven’t been a youth instructor since 2008. So, a few years. She stuck around for about a half hour. With permission, just after she left, I made a recording of the group performing and a second one as well.
By the end of our 2 hour sessions, a complete piece of music was learned as well the groups excitement level was near explosion. They asked over and over again if they could perform that night at Bardic. I had been planning to wait a few rehearsals, but they people have spoken.
Additionally, I had brought my new rounds book which I created. This would be the second event it is making it’s debut at. I am really proud of what I gathered. Now I have a few finishing touches to add to it. However, people are eager to purchase or have a copy of it in general.
Here are a couple recordings of the rehearsal process:
Take 1:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-8hj3AmqyfbUb17JhhYOor3FWT3vwzJr
Take 2:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-7n480C7IACotD2tIAFFNsL3TeV7ICc6
You can definitely hear the improvement between takes. There is maybe a 20 minute difference between them. By performance that night they were spot on. I am still hunting down that recording.
During rehearsal I did refrain from singing with the group so they could focus on themselves. However, by performance, we had lost a couple folks and needed to shift around and I ended up singing with them.
NB) This was not taken at tempo for rehearsal reasons.
About the piece:
It was included in Dowland’s First Booke of Songes or Ayres, which appeared in 1597. The piece is often performed as a lute song by soloist and lute, but, like other songs in the First Booke, it is printed in a format that can also be performed as a madrigal by a small vocal group (typically SATB).
This lute song is largely famous for the lovely melody and the striking repetition of rising fourths in the penultimate line of each verse. This is especially effective in the first and second verses, where the text and the music are a perfect fit.
In the first verse, the singer urges the beloved to come to him again, so they can enjoy together the pleasures of love, “to see, to hear, to touch, to kiss, to die, ” in the second he sings of his sorrow, “I sit, I sigh, I weep, I faint, I die, ” and in the somewhat less graceful third verse, he claims that nothing can move her heart, “By sighs, and tears, more hot than are thy shafts/ Did tempt, while she for triumph laughs.”
Come again!
Sweet love doth now invite
Thy graces that refrain
To do me due delight,
To see, to hear, to touch, to kiss, to die,
With thee again in sweetest sympathy.
Come again!
That I may cease to mourn
Through thy unkind disdain;
For now left and forlorn
I sit, I sigh, I weep, I faint, I die
In deadly pain and endless misery.
All the day
The sun that lends me shine
By frowns do cause me pine
And feeds me with delay;
Her smiles, my springs that makes my joys to grow,
Her frowns the Winters of my woe.
All the night
My sleeps are full of dreams,
My eyes are full of streams.
My heart takes no delight
To see the fruits and joys that some do find
And mark the storms are me assign’d.
Out alas,
My faith is ever true,
Yet will she never rue
Nor yield me any grace;
Her eyes of fire, her heart of flint is made,
Whom tears nor truth may once invade.
Gentle Love,
Draw forth thy wounding dart,
Thou canst not pierce her heart;
For I, that do approve
By sighs and tears more hot than are thy shafts
Did tempt while she for triumph laughs.
Music and the Coronation of Ozurr and Fortune
It’s that time of year again, friends, where music needs to happen!
As you saw in my previous post, I had gotten the bid to make the tokens for Ozurr and Fortune for their coronation. Helium hand strikes again. However, my true passion, if you haven’t guessed it by now, is making music.
4 weeks prior at K and Q Bardic, I was approached by the queen’s bard and asked if I were would be at coronation and if I would sing. It was to be a late period Italian coronation. I have a fair bit of late Italian in my repertoire, so, I agreed.
Shortly after gulf wars was over, I received yet another message from the queen’s bard asking for my musical expertise to assist her with repertoire as well as asking me to conduct the choir and run rehearsals. This is my wheelhouse after all. However, with this only being just over 2 weeks until coronation, I’ll admit I was a bit apprehensive. However, we hunkered down and got to work.
Over the next 2 weeks, I made sure music had gotten to folks, ran some rehearsals out of my home, made sure there was online rehearsals for those who wanted it and diligently reviewed the 3 pieces we had to perform.
Conducting is not just getting up there and waving a stick or your hands. There is a lot of time reviewing the scores, knowing where difficult parts may fall, how to fix them, appropriate changes in tempo, dynamics and knowing where there might be blend issues and vowel issues. In addition, if the piece isn’t in English, getting your performers all on the same page on that.
Day of we only ended up doing two of the pieces. That’s ok. Stuff changes. I also managed to sit outside for the sitting in state.
Here is a clip of ” The World an Illusion” by David Yardley (Lord Geoffrey of Exeter).
This is a direct quote from the composer:
It’s Anon 15th C, English. I adapted the words of the last stanza to make the song. You might find it useful to also look at my whole first album that was professionally recorded and released – the entire thing is about staying true to period while composing and re imagining the medieval.
And if you want to check out my first album with loads of examples of what you’re talking about, it’s https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nIpq88PwzSeo9PFMyePKtVkNKhTkjBhz0 This will be on my second album of compositions.
Here is the sheet music for it:
The world an illusion EK coronation version
David Yardley, (B. 1978- )
We also performed a second piece:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1eSyHaNQJNXMyrOXFgEWXrga0Pn5pwsSt
Là ver’ l’aurora, che si dolce- Palestrina
Madrical- Published in 1555 in Il primo libro de madrigali a 4 voci, no. 8.
Là ver’ l’aurora, che si dolce l’aura
al tempo novo suol movere i fiori,
et li augelletti incominciar lor versi,
si dolcemente i pensier’ dentro a l’alma
mover mi sento a chi li a tutti in forza,
che ritornar convenmi a le mie note
The dawn is there, that the aura
is sweet at the time wind wont move the flowers
and them augelletti will start their verses,
he gently thought into his soul
I feel to those who put them all together,
that I return to my notes.
Words for Simona Bat Leon, Silver Crescent
Words by Lady Solveig Bjarnardottir (Based on Psalm 31)
A woman of noble character has been found!
She is worth far more than rubies, she is the diamond of our kingdom.
She lacks nothing of value.
She brings good all the days of her life.
She works with eager hands and brings service to all.
She is like the merchant ships, bringing her company and good deeds.
She gets up while it is still night;
she provides for the kingdom
She considers a task and performs it;
She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that the Barony lamps do not go out at night.
She opens her arms to the poor of spirit
and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in black and hold.
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She does not eat the bread of idleness.
Many women do noble things,
but she surpasses them all
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but this woman is to be praised.
Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the East Kingdom Gates
And so, by our hands, do we, Emperor Brennan and Empress Caoilfhionn , see fit to induct, Simona Bat Leon , into the order of the silver crescent. In Addition we grant her arms Per pale azure and argent vetu, a mullet of six points between three bees, all counterchanged, at Falling Leaves, in the Barony of Carolingia, As 53.
Meddlings of the Minnesinger 