my Norrskensfest bardic competition documentation
Even though I didn't put anything into the rules about needing *written* documentation for the entries for the Norrskensbard competition (coming up on 14 November), I have still prepared a pdf to accompany my entries. Having taken the time to type it up, I though I would share it here, too.
The cover page says (in an Old English font, large print, nicely centered):
Fyra tävlingsbidrag av Kareina Talvi Tytär till Frostheim Norrskensfesten Norrskensbardstävlingen i Norra Nordmark November AS 50 (2015 CE) (which means "Four competition entries by Kareina Talvi Tytär for the Frostheim Feast of the Northern Lights, Norrskens Bard competition in northern Nordmark, November AS 50 (2015 CE).
1) En dikt med historiska belägg och dokumentation: (a documentably period poem)
An excerpt from the beginning of the prologue to the Canterbury Tales:
Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour,
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halve cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye
(so priketh hem Nature in hir corages),
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially from every shires ende
Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.
The Canterbury Tales are, perhaps, the most famous literary work written in Middle English. They are the classic example of a tale-within-a-tale. The story opens with the above description of how the beauties of spring inspire people to make the pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral, where they may give thanks to the martyred saint who helped them through sickness of the winter. From there the author, Geoffrey Chaucer, who was writing in the late 1380's, introduces a number of pilgrims undertaking that journey together, who help pass the walking time by telling stories to one another. It is reasonably common for teachers of English literature to assign their students to memorize the opening lines from the prologue to this tale, and thus it holds a soft spot in the hearts of many of us.
2) En sång jag har skrivit i historisk anda: (a song I wrote in a period style)
For my Piece in a Period Style I have chosen to follow the style of yet another 13th Century Middle English work, Sumer is icumen in. I have heard it described as the oldest known song written in English, but I was unable to confirm or deny this theory when looking it up in preparation for this competition. I did, however, learn that it is the oldest the oldest known musical composition featuring six-part polyphony (see: Roscow, G. H. (1999). "What is 'Sumer is icumen in'?" Review of English Studies 50, no. 198:188-95.).
For my adaption I first looked at the structure and rhyme pattern of the original (left column, next page). It has an opening pair of phrases, which ends in "cucu". Then there is a three-line verse wherein the first two lines rhyme with one another, and the third rhymes with "cucu", followed by a stand-alone "sing cucu" line. Then we have a four-line verse with the second line rhyming with "cucu" and the final two lines rhyming one another, followed by another stand-alone "sing cucu" line, followed by three more lines that either end with or rhyme with "cucu". This is the pattern I have tried to emulate in my version.
Sumer is icumin in is written as a "rota", a song that is sung by multiple voices, each starting at a different time, so that each is singing a different line at the same time, usually repeating the song over from the beginning to make it longer. This format isn't well suited for a single person performing an entry in a bardic competition, so I have written a second verse for myself to sing rather than repeating the same words again. However, I will ask for random volunteers from the audience to sing a counter-point while I perform (see sheet music on the following pages).
Winter time it has arrived
Winter time it has arrived,
loudly sing woo-hoo!
Crystal trees
and icy breeze
and oh the sky so blue!
Sing woo-hoo!
Sliding down the hill so fast,
it's what we love to do.
Build a snowman,
just like I can,
gladly sing woo-hoo!
Woo-hoo, woo-hoo,
snow-time brings us woo-hoo,
the silver and the blue.
Winter time it has arrived,
loudly sing woo-hoo!
Come inside
warm place to bide
and court a lover new!
Sing woo-hoo!
Stars all day, come out and play,
the perfect time to woo!
Call for singing,
call for dancing,
gladly do we woo!
Woo-hoo, woo-hoo,
snow-time brings us woo-hoo,
the silver and the blue.
*******************
In the pdf the original is in the next column on the pdf, for easy side-by side comparison, but I don't know how to do that in LJ, so it will have to go here:
Sumer is icumen in
Sumer is icumen in
Lhude sing cuccu
Groweþ sed
and bloweþ med
and springþ þe wde nu
Sing cuccu
Awe bleteþ after lomb
lhouþ after calue cu
Bulluc sterteþ
bucke uerteþ
murie sing cuccu
Cuccu cuccu
Wel singes þu cuccu
ne swik þu nauer nu
3) En sång jag har skrivit på temat norrsken och norra Nordmark: (song I wrote in the theme of the northern lights and/or northern Nordmark
For this song I have chosen to write in Swedish, that being the appropriate language to praise the norrsken and norra Nordmark. Many thanks to Caroline of Gotvik, Lady Embla, and Lord Kjartan av Frostheim for their kind assistance with grammar and more properly Swedish ways to phrase my images than appeared in my first drafts. All remaining errors are my own.
For this piece I have chosen to use the structure and tune of the popular 12/13th Century drinking song Bache bene venies, from the Carmina Burana. This is a long song with alternating verse and chorus, with end-rhymes occurring in one pair of lines in each, and I have followed that structure for my song.
I have made my version much shorter than the original, since it is intended to be performed at a feast. However, like all good songs with a chorus, it may grow over time, if any of us are inspired to add verses in praise of our wonderful northern lands.
Since the theme was both the northern lights and/or the northern reaches of Nordmark I couldn't resist singing about both. The song begins with a brief geography lesson describing which SCA branches are part of norra Nordmark, then moves on to a verse in praise of Norrskensfest, the primer event hosted each year by Frostheim, and finally a verse in praise of the shire hot-tub, which is one of the more popular re-occurring features of our events. The Northern Lights, which dance over us as we soak in the tub, appear not only in the final verse, but also in the chorus, where they are named as (one of) the reason(s) we are lucky to live in the north.
Norra Nordmark
Jarnskog är norr om Frostheim,
nästa är Reengarda,
Gyllengran är sydligaste,
Uma mellan båda.
Norra Nordmark, lyckligt Nordmark,
norrsken vi beskåda
lyser ner på snön den vita
vintern ger dem båda.
Nu vi dansa, nu vi sjunga,
maten den serveras.
Kom vi nu till Norrskensfest
där vi fascineras.
Norra Nordmark, lyckligt Nordmark,
norrsken vi beskåda
lyser ner på snön den vita
vintern ger dem båda.
Badtunnan är varm och våt
bästa plats att sitta
norrsken dans i skyarna
nä vi där ock titta
Norra Nordmark, lyckligt Nordmark,
norrsken vi beskåda
lyser ner på snön den vita
vintern ger dem båda.
And, again, the pdf has the original in a column to the side for easy comparison, but here I have to settle for below:
Bache, bene venies
Bache, bene venies
gratus et optatus
per quem noster animus
fit letificatus.
Istud vinum, bonum vinum,
vinum generosum,
reddit virum curialem,
probum, animosum.
Iste cyphus concavus
de bono mero profluus
siquis bibit sepius
satur fit et ebrius
Istud vinum, bonum vinum,
vinum generosum,
reddit virum curialem,
probum, animosum.
Hec sunt vasa regia
quibus spoliatur
ierusalem et regalis
babilon ditatur.
Istud vinum, bonum vinum,
vinum generosum,
reddit virum curialem,
probum, animosum.
I did not include a translation in the pdf for the song in Swedish, since pretty much everyone at the event will be able to understand it. However, I have also written an English version, which is a reasonably close translation (some liberties taken to preserve rhyme and rhythm):
Northern Nordmark
Ironwood is north of Frostheim,
next it is Reengarda,
Gyllengran is southernmost,
the middle one is Uma.
Northern Nordmark, lucky Nordmark,
Northern Lights do shimmer,
shining contrast to the white snow,
winter is a glimmer. (the original speaks of both snow and the Lights being a gift of winter)
Now we dance, and now we sing,
feasting is so joyous.
Come ye all to Norrskensfest
an event so famous. (the original speaks of how the event will fascinate us)
Northern Nordmark, lucky Nordmark,
Northern Lights do shimmer,
shining contrast to the white snow,
winter is a glimmer.
The hot tub is ready now;
the best place for sitting
Northern Lights dance in the heavens,
while we're here and looking.
**********************
4) Denna plats sparas för den jag ska skriva med tre ord ur en hatt. This place reserved for the piece I will write (on the day) using three words out of a hat
And here is the sheet music for the two songs:
The cover page says (in an Old English font, large print, nicely centered):
Fyra tävlingsbidrag av Kareina Talvi Tytär till Frostheim Norrskensfesten Norrskensbardstävlingen i Norra Nordmark November AS 50 (2015 CE) (which means "Four competition entries by Kareina Talvi Tytär for the Frostheim Feast of the Northern Lights, Norrskens Bard competition in northern Nordmark, November AS 50 (2015 CE).
1) En dikt med historiska belägg och dokumentation: (a documentably period poem)
An excerpt from the beginning of the prologue to the Canterbury Tales:
Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour,
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halve cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye
(so priketh hem Nature in hir corages),
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially from every shires ende
Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.
The Canterbury Tales are, perhaps, the most famous literary work written in Middle English. They are the classic example of a tale-within-a-tale. The story opens with the above description of how the beauties of spring inspire people to make the pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral, where they may give thanks to the martyred saint who helped them through sickness of the winter. From there the author, Geoffrey Chaucer, who was writing in the late 1380's, introduces a number of pilgrims undertaking that journey together, who help pass the walking time by telling stories to one another. It is reasonably common for teachers of English literature to assign their students to memorize the opening lines from the prologue to this tale, and thus it holds a soft spot in the hearts of many of us.
2) En sång jag har skrivit i historisk anda: (a song I wrote in a period style)
For my Piece in a Period Style I have chosen to follow the style of yet another 13th Century Middle English work, Sumer is icumen in. I have heard it described as the oldest known song written in English, but I was unable to confirm or deny this theory when looking it up in preparation for this competition. I did, however, learn that it is the oldest the oldest known musical composition featuring six-part polyphony (see: Roscow, G. H. (1999). "What is 'Sumer is icumen in'?" Review of English Studies 50, no. 198:188-95.).
For my adaption I first looked at the structure and rhyme pattern of the original (left column, next page). It has an opening pair of phrases, which ends in "cucu". Then there is a three-line verse wherein the first two lines rhyme with one another, and the third rhymes with "cucu", followed by a stand-alone "sing cucu" line. Then we have a four-line verse with the second line rhyming with "cucu" and the final two lines rhyming one another, followed by another stand-alone "sing cucu" line, followed by three more lines that either end with or rhyme with "cucu". This is the pattern I have tried to emulate in my version.
Sumer is icumin in is written as a "rota", a song that is sung by multiple voices, each starting at a different time, so that each is singing a different line at the same time, usually repeating the song over from the beginning to make it longer. This format isn't well suited for a single person performing an entry in a bardic competition, so I have written a second verse for myself to sing rather than repeating the same words again. However, I will ask for random volunteers from the audience to sing a counter-point while I perform (see sheet music on the following pages).
Winter time it has arrived
Winter time it has arrived,
loudly sing woo-hoo!
Crystal trees
and icy breeze
and oh the sky so blue!
Sing woo-hoo!
Sliding down the hill so fast,
it's what we love to do.
Build a snowman,
just like I can,
gladly sing woo-hoo!
Woo-hoo, woo-hoo,
snow-time brings us woo-hoo,
the silver and the blue.
Winter time it has arrived,
loudly sing woo-hoo!
Come inside
warm place to bide
and court a lover new!
Sing woo-hoo!
Stars all day, come out and play,
the perfect time to woo!
Call for singing,
call for dancing,
gladly do we woo!
Woo-hoo, woo-hoo,
snow-time brings us woo-hoo,
the silver and the blue.
*******************
In the pdf the original is in the next column on the pdf, for easy side-by side comparison, but I don't know how to do that in LJ, so it will have to go here:
Sumer is icumen in
Sumer is icumen in
Lhude sing cuccu
Groweþ sed
and bloweþ med
and springþ þe wde nu
Sing cuccu
Awe bleteþ after lomb
lhouþ after calue cu
Bulluc sterteþ
bucke uerteþ
murie sing cuccu
Cuccu cuccu
Wel singes þu cuccu
ne swik þu nauer nu
3) En sång jag har skrivit på temat norrsken och norra Nordmark: (song I wrote in the theme of the northern lights and/or northern Nordmark
For this song I have chosen to write in Swedish, that being the appropriate language to praise the norrsken and norra Nordmark. Many thanks to Caroline of Gotvik, Lady Embla, and Lord Kjartan av Frostheim for their kind assistance with grammar and more properly Swedish ways to phrase my images than appeared in my first drafts. All remaining errors are my own.
For this piece I have chosen to use the structure and tune of the popular 12/13th Century drinking song Bache bene venies, from the Carmina Burana. This is a long song with alternating verse and chorus, with end-rhymes occurring in one pair of lines in each, and I have followed that structure for my song.
I have made my version much shorter than the original, since it is intended to be performed at a feast. However, like all good songs with a chorus, it may grow over time, if any of us are inspired to add verses in praise of our wonderful northern lands.
Since the theme was both the northern lights and/or the northern reaches of Nordmark I couldn't resist singing about both. The song begins with a brief geography lesson describing which SCA branches are part of norra Nordmark, then moves on to a verse in praise of Norrskensfest, the primer event hosted each year by Frostheim, and finally a verse in praise of the shire hot-tub, which is one of the more popular re-occurring features of our events. The Northern Lights, which dance over us as we soak in the tub, appear not only in the final verse, but also in the chorus, where they are named as (one of) the reason(s) we are lucky to live in the north.
Norra Nordmark
Jarnskog är norr om Frostheim,
nästa är Reengarda,
Gyllengran är sydligaste,
Uma mellan båda.
Norra Nordmark, lyckligt Nordmark,
norrsken vi beskåda
lyser ner på snön den vita
vintern ger dem båda.
Nu vi dansa, nu vi sjunga,
maten den serveras.
Kom vi nu till Norrskensfest
där vi fascineras.
Norra Nordmark, lyckligt Nordmark,
norrsken vi beskåda
lyser ner på snön den vita
vintern ger dem båda.
Badtunnan är varm och våt
bästa plats att sitta
norrsken dans i skyarna
nä vi där ock titta
Norra Nordmark, lyckligt Nordmark,
norrsken vi beskåda
lyser ner på snön den vita
vintern ger dem båda.
And, again, the pdf has the original in a column to the side for easy comparison, but here I have to settle for below:
Bache, bene venies
Bache, bene venies
gratus et optatus
per quem noster animus
fit letificatus.
Istud vinum, bonum vinum,
vinum generosum,
reddit virum curialem,
probum, animosum.
Iste cyphus concavus
de bono mero profluus
siquis bibit sepius
satur fit et ebrius
Istud vinum, bonum vinum,
vinum generosum,
reddit virum curialem,
probum, animosum.
Hec sunt vasa regia
quibus spoliatur
ierusalem et regalis
babilon ditatur.
Istud vinum, bonum vinum,
vinum generosum,
reddit virum curialem,
probum, animosum.
I did not include a translation in the pdf for the song in Swedish, since pretty much everyone at the event will be able to understand it. However, I have also written an English version, which is a reasonably close translation (some liberties taken to preserve rhyme and rhythm):
Northern Nordmark
Ironwood is north of Frostheim,
next it is Reengarda,
Gyllengran is southernmost,
the middle one is Uma.
Northern Nordmark, lucky Nordmark,
Northern Lights do shimmer,
shining contrast to the white snow,
winter is a glimmer. (the original speaks of both snow and the Lights being a gift of winter)
Now we dance, and now we sing,
feasting is so joyous.
Come ye all to Norrskensfest
an event so famous. (the original speaks of how the event will fascinate us)
Northern Nordmark, lucky Nordmark,
Northern Lights do shimmer,
shining contrast to the white snow,
winter is a glimmer.
The hot tub is ready now;
the best place for sitting
Northern Lights dance in the heavens,
while we're here and looking.
**********************
4) Denna plats sparas för den jag ska skriva med tre ord ur en hatt. This place reserved for the piece I will write (on the day) using three words out of a hat
And here is the sheet music for the two songs: