The Monthly Roundup: August, 2017 (a quick summary of the calendar listed events)
Starting off the month, the end of July and the first weeks of August will see this year’s Pennsic wars take place. From July 28 to Aug. 13, the single largest event in the SCA will be held at Slippery Rock, Penn., and includes melees and tournaments for rapier and heavy fighters, as well as merchants, artisans and performers. The Pennsic site shows as 17 hours road time from Oklahoma City.
On the following weekend, Aug.19 Steppes Artisan will be a Saturday only event and is a major A&S event for the barony. Held at the First United Methodist Church of Cedar Hills, the site is approximately half an hour south of Dallas/Fort Worth. This is a “body of work” competition open to any level artisan. Artisans should include in their displays evidence of growth as an artisan and researcher. Competitors are encouraged to be ready to speak to judges and Their Excellencies throughout the day. This is a day event with no camping, and site registration is $15 for adults and $5 for children.
On Aug. 26, the kingdom will host yet another artistic adventure with Glaslyn’s Artisan of the Flame. The day event is held in Denton, Texas, about half an hour north of Dallas/Fort Worth and two and a half hours south from Oklahoma City. This is a championship A&S competition for the group, and documentation is required for all entrants. Site registration is $15 for adults and $5 for children.
More information about each of these events can be found on the kingdom calendar, including links to maps, contact information for the stewards, and more detailed breakdown of site registrations, family maximums, and details about membership discounts. Visit http://www.ansteorra.org.
This year’s Pennsic Bardic Symposium will begin with topics suggested by year’s topics suggested by various members of the community ranging from memorization, the different “flavors” of bardic and how to clue visitors in on what type of bardic circle is being performed.
The schedule for the Pennsic Bardic Symposium is listed below:
_____ War Week Symposium Schedule:_____
The Bardic Symposium is an open gathering for special forums, topics, and discussions for the Bardic Community.
___ Monday 8/07- 3:00 – 5:00 ___
Introductions & Meet & Greet:
Meet your fellow bards. While many of us already know each other, this will give newcomers a chance to match names to faces.
Those Damn Words:
Memorization can be one of the more challenging aspects of our art. It is a skill that is very different from both the creation and performance of our works. While some places are accepting of performers holding lyrics, in others it’s taboo. How can we make the words stay in our brain? What can we do if they don’t? What can we do if kingdom custom toward non-memorized work is to say, “Harrumph?”
Confirmed Panelists:
Mistress Amelie d’Anjou
Lady Dearbhforgaill an Chomhaidh
THL Brendan O Corraidhe
Mistress Fiana of Clare
___ Tuesday 8/08- 3:00 – 5:00 ___
Fitting Round Pegs into Square Holes:
Neither bardic, nor the other performing arts, fit very comfortably into the various Kingdom A&S systems. Are there ways we can help ease this incompatibility? What sorts of improvements might be made to our various sets of criteria? Are there procedural changes that could make things easier? How else might these two disparate things be made to work together better?
Confirmed Panelists:
Mistress Halla of Mugmort (bard & MK KMOAS),
Duke Frederick of Holland,
Master Efenwealt Wystle
___ Wednesday 8/09 – 3:00 – 5:00 ___
Pulling the Teeth of the Muse aka Inspiration vs Perspiration:
Damn that plain piece of paper! It can be the most intimidating foe in the world. What to do when the idea is there, but the word’s just don’t want to come? Brainstorming? Head-butting standing masonry? Pan galactic gargle blasters? What?
Confirmed Panelists:
Duke Frederick of Holland,
THL Emer nic Aidan
Master Michael Alewright
Mistress Fiana of Clare
___ Thursday 8/10 – 3:00 – 5:00 ___
AUGH! Get Your Chocolate Out of My Peanut Butter:
There are lots of different flavors of bardic out there. In general, they’re all wonderful and should be able to co-exist peacefully. Sadly, this does not always seem to be the case. There has been friction between those more focused on social bardic or the current middle ages and those fonder of the documentable to period or more A&S-centric works. How can we arrange peace talks?
Confirmed Panelists:
Mistress Tyzes Sofia (Zsof),
Master Efenwealt Wystle
___ Friday 8/11 – 12:30 – 2:30 ___
These Are Not the Bards You’re Looking For, Move Along:
Some bardic circles are built around specific, over-arching themes: family friendly, bawdy, enchanted ground, etc. Are there ways, other than the Old Jedi Mind Trick, to clue new arrivals in on what sort of circle they’ve arrived at? How do we handle things when someone powerfully breaks the theme (ie: The kids are all awake and this guy is starting in on the Moose Song)?
Confirmed Panelists:
THL Aibhilin inghean Daibhidh
Baroness Morgan Wolfsinger
Wrapping Up:
What can we improve? What’s missing? What classes do we want to see taught that aren’t? What topics do we want to discuss? How can we make the bardic arts and its class tracks even better?
Courtesy of Cerian Cantwr
Provost, Bardic Symposium
The Canton of Skorragardr will host January Crown Tournament 2018 and is seeking volunteers to teach classes during the event.
Only a few slots remain for class, and sign up is currently underway. So far, classes include court dance, embroidery, black work, bardic arts, hair styling, how to autocrat an even, and leather working.
The site has three classrooms available with one hour and two hour slots available. All classrooms are equipped with projectors, and the larger classrooms can hold approximately 20 people. The smaller classrooms can hold maximum 10 people.
Classes are scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m. Those interested in applying to teach a class should indicate time preference and whether one or two hour times are needed.
The Canton Skorragarðr is hosting January Crown Tournament 2018 on January 13, 2018 in Ardmore, OK.
Please email Faerywitch7@gmail.com for more information or to volunteer to teach a class.
The Stellar Kingdom of Ansteorra has its heirs following Crown Tournament, held July 8 in Bonwicke.
Through fierce determination and right of combat, Duke Lochlan Dunn and Duchess Gwen verch Cynwrig de Insula Mona became Ansteorra’s new Prince and Princess. The day was filled with amazing feats of skills, pomp and friendships, but Ansteorrans weren’t the only ones to notice the glories of the day.
The Abilene Reporter-News was among the several media outlets to cover the event, and Ansteorra received word fame through the local media outlets. The article can be seen at http://www.reporternews.com/story/news/local/2017/07/09/all-hail-future-king-ansteorra/462148001/
Vivat Ansteorra!