(no subject)
So, I haven't really been looking at the Kingdom calendar recently. With the lack of full-time employment, I've been keeping close to home and not spending the money. Last week, I got a note from my laurel asking me about going to bardic champions.
I hadn't planned on it, but she obviously wanted me to compete. I didn't have anything prepared, so it I just went with pieces I know. It was an interesting day. I stayed up way too late the night before, hanging with my friends (kls_eloise and family) who were giving me a place to crash. I was tired, a little hyped up on caffeine and apparently VERY hyped up on adrenalin. I am almost never nervous performing...unless it's a competition. By the time the second round came up, my vocal control was SHOT. Thankfully, since I was singing a very emotional piece, that masked a lot of the control issues and people loved it. I came away with several tokens and a lot of people came up to me to thank me for that performance. Later in the day I was talking to someone who asked me if I had even realized that I had received a standing ovation. The queen had asked me a question as the applause began, and because I was leaned over to talk to her, I hadn't even seen it.
For the final round they asked me to play something. It kind of put me at an instant disadvantage. While I am a perfectly competent instrumentalist, I don't have virtuosity of some of my friends (I'm looking at you hudebnik), and I don't play the amazing range of instruments of others (like shalmestere who plays EVERYTHING well). I chose a line from a de Lassus ricecare to play on tenor recorder, which was lovely, but did not have the punch of the drinking songs and comedic tales requested from the other finalists. There were also a couple of blips because I didn't have anywhere that I could play through it beforehand and adrenaline makes my fingers go places I don't always tell them. So, I wasn't surprised when they chose others as the winners.
I was actually perfectly happy with this outcome. I didn't really want the responsibility, but I did want to let people see what I can do. The SCA can have a really short institutional memory about these things and I haven't done much solo performing recently. My laurel was happy with how things turned out, though disappointed that her class kept her from hearing the second performance. Afterwards, I headed back to my friends in CT where I enjoyed a lovely dinner and even better company.
This morning, it was up an out early so I could get to mass. What a great musical morning that was. We started with our schola singing an introit before the hymn. During mass we sang the Kyrie from the Palestrina Missa Brevis, an Anglican chant style responsorial psalm, the Allegri "Miserere," and the Paulus "Pilgrim's Hymn" for communion meditation. All of it was just glorious.
Here's the Paulus for those who don't know it...
Now I'm home with the kitty curled up next to me on the couch. I was going to go back to church for a recital this afternoon, but getting off of the highway by my house, the car started acting up, so I'm not going anywhere but straight to a mechanic in the morning (sigh). I'm grateful that it waited until I was at a point that I could stay home. I think I'm going to take a nap with Sunny and chill for the rest of the day.
I hadn't planned on it, but she obviously wanted me to compete. I didn't have anything prepared, so it I just went with pieces I know. It was an interesting day. I stayed up way too late the night before, hanging with my friends (kls_eloise and family) who were giving me a place to crash. I was tired, a little hyped up on caffeine and apparently VERY hyped up on adrenalin. I am almost never nervous performing...unless it's a competition. By the time the second round came up, my vocal control was SHOT. Thankfully, since I was singing a very emotional piece, that masked a lot of the control issues and people loved it. I came away with several tokens and a lot of people came up to me to thank me for that performance. Later in the day I was talking to someone who asked me if I had even realized that I had received a standing ovation. The queen had asked me a question as the applause began, and because I was leaned over to talk to her, I hadn't even seen it.
For the final round they asked me to play something. It kind of put me at an instant disadvantage. While I am a perfectly competent instrumentalist, I don't have virtuosity of some of my friends (I'm looking at you hudebnik), and I don't play the amazing range of instruments of others (like shalmestere who plays EVERYTHING well). I chose a line from a de Lassus ricecare to play on tenor recorder, which was lovely, but did not have the punch of the drinking songs and comedic tales requested from the other finalists. There were also a couple of blips because I didn't have anywhere that I could play through it beforehand and adrenaline makes my fingers go places I don't always tell them. So, I wasn't surprised when they chose others as the winners.
I was actually perfectly happy with this outcome. I didn't really want the responsibility, but I did want to let people see what I can do. The SCA can have a really short institutional memory about these things and I haven't done much solo performing recently. My laurel was happy with how things turned out, though disappointed that her class kept her from hearing the second performance. Afterwards, I headed back to my friends in CT where I enjoyed a lovely dinner and even better company.
This morning, it was up an out early so I could get to mass. What a great musical morning that was. We started with our schola singing an introit before the hymn. During mass we sang the Kyrie from the Palestrina Missa Brevis, an Anglican chant style responsorial psalm, the Allegri "Miserere," and the Paulus "Pilgrim's Hymn" for communion meditation. All of it was just glorious.
Here's the Paulus for those who don't know it...
Click to viewNow I'm home with the kitty curled up next to me on the couch. I was going to go back to church for a recital this afternoon, but getting off of the highway by my house, the car started acting up, so I'm not going anywhere but straight to a mechanic in the morning (sigh). I'm grateful that it waited until I was at a point that I could stay home. I think I'm going to take a nap with Sunny and chill for the rest of the day.