Ask me about the dancing pork chop...
Last Saturday, I entered Mists Bardic, as I have for the past several years since I moved down here from Allyshia. Unlike the last several years, however, I did not dodge the responsibility-bullet in time.
I won!
I am now the incipient Bard of the Mists, and I will take over the office from my good friend Derilei ingen Ferat at Mists Investiture in November. I'm really, really excited! The other competitors were Flieg, Bear, and Dýrfinna Guðmundsdottir. Finna had never really done a bardic competition before, but she jumped in with both feet and definitely made a splash. Her "Sumus Victores" had most of the audience dying of laughter as soon as she got to the chorus and we realized what she had done: translated "We Are the Champions" into Latin. In my book, she gets bonus points for doing something she'd never done before and singing in public.
The event itself was a great deal of fun, and the feast was really yummy. I had the pleasure of sharing a table with my awesome Laurel hrj, lifeofglamour, klwilliams, Geoffrey Matthias, Juliana of Tregony, falzalot, Aurelia de Montfort, and a lady whose name I didn't catch, but who was pleasant company. Santiago had brought plates and sticks for spinning, so I learned how to do the spinning plate trick. Whee! We also got some dancing going, including the very silly, newly-minted "Pork Chop Bransle" (a modified version of the Pease Bransle, done to the music of "Non sofre Santa Maria"). That one's mostly my fault.
As usual, here are the pieces I did:
Period Piece - Cantiga 159: Non sofre Santa Maria (aka The Miracle of the Dancing Pork Chop)
This is my favorite of the Cantigas de Santa Maria that I know. It is fabulously silly (kind of the medieval Spanish version of "I saw Jesus in my grilled cheese sandwich!"), but only if you can actually understand what is going on, so I did it in English rather than in the original 13th-century Gallician. Lucky me, my handy-dandy music history score book has a translation, so that was easily accomplished. I sang the chorus and first verse in the original, then switched over to reading the translation interspersed with the sung original chorus.
Non sofre Santa Maria
de seeren perdidosos
os que as sas romarias
son de fazer desejosos.
E dest' oyd' un miragre
de que vos quero falar,
que mostrou Santa Maria,
per com' eu oy contar,
aũuns romeus que foron
a Rocamador orar
como mui bõos crischãos,
simplement' e omildosos.
Non sofre Santa Maria...
Listen to this miracle that I want to tell to you, that Holy Mary performed, as I heard it recounted, for some pilgrims who went to Rocamador to pray, like many good Christians, simply and humbly.
Non sofre Santa Maria...
After they entered the town, they went to an inn, and ordered and paid for meat and bread for their supper, and wine; and in the meantime they went to pray to the Virgin that she pray to Her Son for them with Her merciful prayers.
Non sofre Santa Maria...
And they ordered nine pork chops, as God is my witness, to be put into the pot, for that's how many they were; but when they pulled them out, they found one fewer, for a servant girl had robbed them, and they were all complaining a lot about it.
Non sofre Santa Maria...
And they searched throughout the house trying to find it, calling to holy Mary that she reveal it to them; and they heard in a trunk the pork chop hitting the side, and they went running over to it quickly, they were not loitering.
Non sofre Santa Maria...
Ant they had the trunk opened and looked inside, and they saw their pork chop jumping back and forth; and they ran into the streets and called to many people, who saw that miracle, which was one of the most marvelous that the glorious Virgin had performed in that place. So they took the pork chop and hung in on a silken cord in front of Her holy altar, praising holy Mary, who performs beautiful miracles.
Non sofre Santa Maria...
Piece in a Period Style - Nebulae Laudate
(contrafactum on Stella splendens in monte)
Heus, populi, gaudete!
Nebulae laudate,
Magnam in omnis mundus:
Gloria cantate!
Through all the world the Mists are known:
Where history was born,
Where sages, kings, and heroes
Their pilgrimage have sworn.
Sing of the Mists, our glorious home,
Our warriors train and strive,
Scholars pursue enlightenment,
Artists create and thrive.
Heus populi...
Musicians and embroiderers,
Bakers and alchemists,
Equestrians and armorers
Sing praises to the Mists.
Dukes and squires and viscountesses
Fight boldly for her throne,
Vie for that greatest honor:
To call the Mists their own!
Heus, populi...
Masterwork - Gashlycrumb Bestiary
This time, I did not sing it, but recited it as I had originally written it. The text may be found here: Gashlycrumb Bestiary
Bard's Choice (A piece to inspire the populace to improve our society in some way) - The Master's Admonishment
(in the style of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight)
The guests had gathered gaily for dinner
And the talk had turned to the tourney just finished:
The champion was cheered for his chivalry and prowess,
And likewise his lady lauded for her grace.
The costumes of all comers were discussed by some avidly:
“Did you notice that new fellow?” asked a knight of his neighbor.
“He clearly had no clue!” his friend cackled in reply.
“His wardrobe was woeful! I wonder what he was thinking?”
They derided his dress, undaunted by courtesy,
And their laughter was so loud that others looked at them quellingly.
A stately man stood and struck them with his gaze;
He chided their churlishness, as children misbehaving:
“When I came to this kingdom, uncultured and new,
I was mocked in like manner for my meager knowledge,
Snubbed when I sought to supplement my ignorance,
Turned away by teachers whose trades I would have learned.
Dismissed and derided, I was nearly driven to leave,
But I finally found a friendly hand extended.
This worthy made me welcome, gave me warm reception,
Hosted me in her household and helped me find my place.
She set me to study and steered my endeavors,
Encouraged my efforts to improve my skill,
And eventually I was honored with elevation to the peerage:
This master was made by my mentor's kind generosity.”
Then he charged his chalice and laid a challenge on the company in
That place:
To welcome in their turn
Each new and eager face,
And teach who come to learn
With kindness and with grace.
Three Words, Fifteen Minutes - A Triolet on "silvery," "dawn," and "mayhap"
I spied her in the rosy dawn.
Her steps disturbed the silvery dew
That night left scattered on the lawn:
I spied her in the rosy dawn,
Thought her mayhap a spirit drawn
To earth, but that her tracks were new.
I spied her in the rosy dawn;
Her steps disturbed the silvery dew.
I won!
I am now the incipient Bard of the Mists, and I will take over the office from my good friend Derilei ingen Ferat at Mists Investiture in November. I'm really, really excited! The other competitors were Flieg, Bear, and Dýrfinna Guðmundsdottir. Finna had never really done a bardic competition before, but she jumped in with both feet and definitely made a splash. Her "Sumus Victores" had most of the audience dying of laughter as soon as she got to the chorus and we realized what she had done: translated "We Are the Champions" into Latin. In my book, she gets bonus points for doing something she'd never done before and singing in public.
The event itself was a great deal of fun, and the feast was really yummy. I had the pleasure of sharing a table with my awesome Laurel hrj, lifeofglamour, klwilliams, Geoffrey Matthias, Juliana of Tregony, falzalot, Aurelia de Montfort, and a lady whose name I didn't catch, but who was pleasant company. Santiago had brought plates and sticks for spinning, so I learned how to do the spinning plate trick. Whee! We also got some dancing going, including the very silly, newly-minted "Pork Chop Bransle" (a modified version of the Pease Bransle, done to the music of "Non sofre Santa Maria"). That one's mostly my fault.
As usual, here are the pieces I did:
Period Piece - Cantiga 159: Non sofre Santa Maria (aka The Miracle of the Dancing Pork Chop)
This is my favorite of the Cantigas de Santa Maria that I know. It is fabulously silly (kind of the medieval Spanish version of "I saw Jesus in my grilled cheese sandwich!"), but only if you can actually understand what is going on, so I did it in English rather than in the original 13th-century Gallician. Lucky me, my handy-dandy music history score book has a translation, so that was easily accomplished. I sang the chorus and first verse in the original, then switched over to reading the translation interspersed with the sung original chorus.
Non sofre Santa Maria
de seeren perdidosos
os que as sas romarias
son de fazer desejosos.
E dest' oyd' un miragre
de que vos quero falar,
que mostrou Santa Maria,
per com' eu oy contar,
aũuns romeus que foron
a Rocamador orar
como mui bõos crischãos,
simplement' e omildosos.
Non sofre Santa Maria...
Listen to this miracle that I want to tell to you, that Holy Mary performed, as I heard it recounted, for some pilgrims who went to Rocamador to pray, like many good Christians, simply and humbly.
Non sofre Santa Maria...
After they entered the town, they went to an inn, and ordered and paid for meat and bread for their supper, and wine; and in the meantime they went to pray to the Virgin that she pray to Her Son for them with Her merciful prayers.
Non sofre Santa Maria...
And they ordered nine pork chops, as God is my witness, to be put into the pot, for that's how many they were; but when they pulled them out, they found one fewer, for a servant girl had robbed them, and they were all complaining a lot about it.
Non sofre Santa Maria...
And they searched throughout the house trying to find it, calling to holy Mary that she reveal it to them; and they heard in a trunk the pork chop hitting the side, and they went running over to it quickly, they were not loitering.
Non sofre Santa Maria...
Ant they had the trunk opened and looked inside, and they saw their pork chop jumping back and forth; and they ran into the streets and called to many people, who saw that miracle, which was one of the most marvelous that the glorious Virgin had performed in that place. So they took the pork chop and hung in on a silken cord in front of Her holy altar, praising holy Mary, who performs beautiful miracles.
Non sofre Santa Maria...
Piece in a Period Style - Nebulae Laudate
(contrafactum on Stella splendens in monte)
Heus, populi, gaudete!
Nebulae laudate,
Magnam in omnis mundus:
Gloria cantate!
Through all the world the Mists are known:
Where history was born,
Where sages, kings, and heroes
Their pilgrimage have sworn.
Sing of the Mists, our glorious home,
Our warriors train and strive,
Scholars pursue enlightenment,
Artists create and thrive.
Heus populi...
Musicians and embroiderers,
Bakers and alchemists,
Equestrians and armorers
Sing praises to the Mists.
Dukes and squires and viscountesses
Fight boldly for her throne,
Vie for that greatest honor:
To call the Mists their own!
Heus, populi...
Masterwork - Gashlycrumb Bestiary
This time, I did not sing it, but recited it as I had originally written it. The text may be found here: Gashlycrumb Bestiary
Bard's Choice (A piece to inspire the populace to improve our society in some way) - The Master's Admonishment
(in the style of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight)
The guests had gathered gaily for dinner
And the talk had turned to the tourney just finished:
The champion was cheered for his chivalry and prowess,
And likewise his lady lauded for her grace.
The costumes of all comers were discussed by some avidly:
“Did you notice that new fellow?” asked a knight of his neighbor.
“He clearly had no clue!” his friend cackled in reply.
“His wardrobe was woeful! I wonder what he was thinking?”
They derided his dress, undaunted by courtesy,
And their laughter was so loud that others looked at them quellingly.
A stately man stood and struck them with his gaze;
He chided their churlishness, as children misbehaving:
“When I came to this kingdom, uncultured and new,
I was mocked in like manner for my meager knowledge,
Snubbed when I sought to supplement my ignorance,
Turned away by teachers whose trades I would have learned.
Dismissed and derided, I was nearly driven to leave,
But I finally found a friendly hand extended.
This worthy made me welcome, gave me warm reception,
Hosted me in her household and helped me find my place.
She set me to study and steered my endeavors,
Encouraged my efforts to improve my skill,
And eventually I was honored with elevation to the peerage:
This master was made by my mentor's kind generosity.”
Then he charged his chalice and laid a challenge on the company in
That place:
To welcome in their turn
Each new and eager face,
And teach who come to learn
With kindness and with grace.
Three Words, Fifteen Minutes - A Triolet on "silvery," "dawn," and "mayhap"
I spied her in the rosy dawn.
Her steps disturbed the silvery dew
That night left scattered on the lawn:
I spied her in the rosy dawn,
Thought her mayhap a spirit drawn
To earth, but that her tracks were new.
I spied her in the rosy dawn;
Her steps disturbed the silvery dew.