Drake OranwoodWe just got back from Pennsic (and boy is our everything tired). We’re extremely happy with our decision to only go for peace week this year and manage our risks. More about that later.
While I was at war, I debuted my newest song, “Homecoming”, which I finished last Friday, just in time for Pennsic. I was able to share it at a couple of bardic circles and a number of private performances for friends and chosen family.
And 5 weeks later…another new class! This one is titled “Developing Stage Presence as a Bard”, and I remembered to get a recording of it! This was a lively class with lots of interaction, which I really enjoyed.
Hi all! I had the chance to teach my first new class in a long time: “The Pleasures & Perils of Making Filk”. I had a lot of fun, and it was well-attended. Eventually, I’ll have to see what I can do about teaching it again and getting that recorded, but in the meantime, feel free to check out the class notes.
Saturday, Jess and I attended the Yule event for the Baronies of Bergental and Beyond the Mountain. It was a lovely chance to get to see people one last time before we pack it in on SCA events for the winter (and the corresponding COVID surge, which of course is already on the rise). We were primarily there so I could deliver a commission:
After months of planning, promoting, recruiting, and cat-herding, the First Bardic War is at last upon us. Over 100 hours of performances will be available to enjoy, and competitive and non-competitive events will abound. The Facebook page seems to have livestreams of running throughout the day—if you don’t see it when you go there, check the “Videos” tab.)
As one of the East/Atlantia alliance’s generals, I am immensely proud of the scope and breadth of the talent we are bringing to the battlefield. I am competing in three categories myself: the Champions Battle (prerecorded, war point will be streaming on Tuesday May 18 at 5:30 PM EDT), Original Song of the Modern Middle Ages (live, war point streams Saturday May 22 at 7:00 PM EDT), and the Brawl. (Here is the War Point schedule.)
The Brawl videos premiered on YouTube this morning, and will be available throughout the war for the populace to vote on (total YouTube likes per alliance, full playlist is here). My entry is below.
I will also be teaching “My Guitar’s Persona Is a Lute” on Zoom Monday May 17 at 5 PM EDT. (Zoom links are posted at the start of each day on the website.)
I look forward to seeing you on or off the battlefield.
YIS, Drake
Last Saturday, the East Kingdom held its annual Bardic Championship, and I had the surreal experience of participating in this event as one of the MCs and judges. This was hardly the only “first” for the championship, which of course was conducted entirely online for the first time as well.
So, I am totally going to bard hell, as promised. It’s a small price to pay for the joy of co-creating something that lifts spirits and promotes community and fun, and “The Zoom Where It Happens” seems to have done that.
But no one does anything alone. I threw out an idea, and it would have come to nothing without the dedication and talent of a large collection of friends old and new. So I have people to thank.
This weekend, I posted a new video of a brand-new filk, which tells the true story of the origins of The First Bardic War. “The Zoom Where It Happens” is, of course, based on “The Room Where It Happens” from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton. This one, as you can see, involved a ton of collaboration from some incredibly talented bards (and a few very generous royals), and I will post more about that experience in the coming week. (The song page has copious annotations for serious geeks and Hamilfans.)
Enjoy (and I’d be very grateful if you subscribed to my YouTube channel while you’re there):
What…shenanigans? About the upcoming Bardic War? From bards?!? Coming soon? That’s…that’s preposterous.
I of course have absolutely no idea what these rumormongers are talking about. The very idea of our fine, upstanding SCA bards being involved in (shudder) “shenanigans” is obviously, patently absurd.
Honestly. (Shakes head) I have no idea where these rumors come from…
Drake, Consort’s Bard, East (and entirely too dignified for such nonsense)
To all the performers of the East, greetings!
(TLDR: Sign up to perform for your kingdom! C’mon, it’ll be fun! But take a moment please to read the long post anyway…)
This is a strange time we are living through together. The first warmth of spring, and for many, the first traces of hope. Hope that the day is drawing ever closer, when we will once more be able to gather together, embrace, and share companionship, song and story at an in-person event. Even now, we do not know just how many months more that will be. It’s tantalizing and at times maddening, no?
And as we wait, lo, this spring brings a bounty of opportunities to put our performance and research skills to the test, in service to our kingdom. (All of them remote! More time in front of a webcam instead of a fire! Will it never end?) As your kingdom’s Bardic Champions, it can be a little awkward asking for people to sign up, particularly since these events ended up scheduled so close to one another. And yet, this is the calendar we face, and the kingdom needs the support of its performers now.
Drake Oranwood