Pennsic XLVII, War Week, Thorsday
Thu Aug 9 07:24:01 EDT 2018
Just woke up. I was also awake at 05:30 again, but I got some spotty sleep after that.
The laptop's been losing about 6% (battery) while I sleep pretty consistently. At some point I should do the experiment of shutting it down instead of suspending between use; how much charge is used to restart several times a day? And how much time is lost waiting for it to boot up? It's very convenient to be able to just open it up and start typing.
I should figure out how to turn off the watch's alarm; there are a few classes Freyasday, but nothing to wake-up for. (Hmm, none of them is held in the University, either.)
Thorsday 08:11
Besides the 3-AA light hanging in the tent (and the shower), I've mostly been using 1-AA flashlights at night. I recharged a lot of AA batteries before I left, and now I'm realizing I should have set up two piles of discharged cells. I have a lot of very old AA NiMH cells. Some ran a light fine for 2 or 3 days, and others quit in a couple of minutes. (These were all tested or recharged in the week before Pennsic.) Using them one-at-a-time you can see which ones are probably ready for recycling instead of recharging. I can run them through a diagnostic cycle on the smart charger and see whether any are revived. But they're all mixed together.
I should probably Sharpie the purchase year on rechargeables when I buy them.
Thorsday 23:00
It's been a busy day; War-week Thorsday always is. Only 1 class. 3 concerts; in 2 of them, with 3 groups.
I was a little late for my 09:00, and I don't think it had any handouts.
I decided to skip the 10:00 classes to work on music. I helped fold the chairs and tables in the empty "classroom" where I was practicing.
The instructor for the 11:00 class was a no-show.
12:00-14:00 was the dress rehearsal and recording session for tonight's KWC concert. I hadn't expected to be done before 14:00, but there weren't any classes of interest then. I decided to wander the marketplace, but few shops lured me in, and I still haven't seen anything anniemal asked for.
The 15:00 and 16:00 classes (parts 1 and 2), rescheduled from Tiwsday evening, again didn't happen. The instructor forgot she needed to be at the Arts & Sciences competition today. So I went back to camp and took a nap.
After that it was time for the concerts. The Recorder Ensemble concert went well. There were lots of mistakes, but we've had 3 1-hr rehearsals; you can't be expecting polish and perfection. The Chorulus Pennsicus and the Known World Choir also went well. I was backstage for the Children's Choir and the Youth Choir, but the children sounded typically cute, and the teenagers sounded pretty good. There's only one male in the Youth Choir, so he was generally alone on his part whenever they did something that wasn't unison; he's also singing in the adult choir (KWC) this year. One of the KWC altos is also still in the Youth Choir; she turned 18 just before Pennsic, so I expect she'll be leaving the youth group. (Her dad's a KWC tenor.)
Dinner tonight was ziti with cheese. It was ready earlier, but I went to one more concert first. There was a gap in the schedule between our concerts and the next group. I guess the people planning things expected us to take longer, but I think we ran about as long as we usually do. (It's not like any of the groups can do a much longer program with only a week (or less) of rehearsals.)
I recorded the concerts this evening. Known World Recorder Ensemble, Known World Choirs, Nutmegs & Ginger: "Saints and Sinners"
Thorsday 23:48
I've just copied 79 more photos from my camera to my laptop.
TIMEINSTRUCTORTITLEDESCRIPTION
09:00-10:00Master Cerridwen verch IorewordSex and Gender in the German Reformation
What's the difference between a whore and a prostitute? What was the view on homosexuality? Is divorce a thing? Could a woman lead/fight in the army? What were the views on gender roles? Class will take on the roles and options based on gender and status, charges of impotence, the brothels, cross-dressing, and other more taboo subjects of the German Reformation.
11:00-12:00Lady Kismira RothiemDeath and Necromancy in RomeWhat was a good death to a Roman? How was necromancy used to reflect the perversion of death in war? This class will focus on Lucan's epic Civil War that he wrote during the rule of Emperor Nero. Used to depict a scathing critique of Nero, Lucan exemplifies the stoic philosophy of a good death in his epic poem. He accomplished this by introducing the necromantic witch Erichtho, whose rituals brought back the unwilling souls of the dead for the use of divination. The class will discuss stoic philosophy and the madness of Nero's reign to better understand why men like Lucan were trying to hold tight to stoic ideologies.
12:00-14:30Pennsic Performing ArtsRehearsal (Closed): KWC Dress Rehearsal
Space in use.
15:00-16:00Lady Gnaea CeleraBeyond the Cloth: Glassware for Your Persona Pt. 1Have you ever walked around an event with a glass in your hand? People will notice it long before they even think about looking at your shoes. Make a statement by having the right kind of vessel for your persona! Discussion of glassware from early period through the Middle Ages, and including Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. A list of reference books will be available.
16:00-17:00Lady Gnaea CeleraBeyond the Cloth: Glassware for Your Persona Pt. 2Have you ever walked around an event with a glass in your hand? People will notice it long before they even think about looking at your shoes. Make a statement by having the right kind of vessel for your persona! Discussion of glassware from the Late Middle Ages to late period, and including Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. A list of reference books will be available.
18:00-18:30Pennsic Performing ArtsKnown World Recorder Ensemble PerformanceRecorder players from across the Known World join together to share their love for this medieval instrument and period music in concert. Join us for our second Pennsic appearance! [ahem, third]
18:00-18:30Pennsic Performing ArtsRehearsal (Closed): KWC Pre-Performance Warm-Ups[Warm-ups were in the Dance tent; I wasn't there.]
18:30-20:30Pennsic Performing ArtsKnown World Choirs PerformanceThe Pennsic Choirs, consisting of the Pennsic Choir, the select choir Chorulus Pennsicus, the Youth Choir, and the Children's Choir, will perform an extravaganza of medieval and Renaissance choral music.
20:30-21:30Pennsic Performing ArtsNutmegs & Ginger: "Saints and Sinners"
Nutmegs & Ginger brings you new songs as well as old favorites from sacred to bawdy. Join us to celebrate the best and worst of humankind! Some material may be inappropriate for children under 12.
other classesTIMEINSTRUCTORTITLEDESCRIPTION
09:00-10:00Lady Helen AttebrookeThe Circle of StringsSometimes it feels like your harp is bent on breaking its strings, your fingers and possibly your heart, but have no fear! Find encouragement and instruction in this class as we focus on expanding technique, arranging period music for harp and performance skills. All levels welcome.
09:00-10:00Thl Ishiyama Gen'tarou Yori'iePPF: Zen Tray-tables and Kyosoku ArmrestsWhether for a formal meal like the Japanese Perfectly Period Feast or a private afternoon in your study, this wooden floor furniture is creates comfort and noble appearance. Several different kinds of zen tray-tables for holding your meal or beverages and several different kinds of kyousoku arm-rests for your seated comfort will be with researched with references. Methods of construction both traditional and modern will be discussed. Daiku (woodworkers), this is for you.
09:00-11:00DumnonaSpoken LatinAn introduction to basic conversational, Pennsic-appropriate Classical Latin. Oral participation encouraged. Handouts available.
09:00-11:00Lady Benedicta of CynnabarBasic Hand-SewingLearn period methods of seaming and hemming, fabric traits, and how to reduce thread wear and tangling. Fabric, thread, and needles will be supplied. Please bring needles and scissors if you have them. This course is appropriate for adults and for children the parents consider old enough to handle the needles safely. For children under 10, the parent must be present.
09:00-11:00Lady Urtatim al-QurtubiyyaDining with the Sultan: A Taste of Ottoman CuisineUsing actual 15th- and 16th-century Ottoman recipes, we will cook and eat two dishes: a meat dish and a grain or vegetable dish. As we cook, I will discuss Ottoman cuisine in Constantinople, especially that of the palaces. Information includes street food and market regulations. Also what was served to the Sultans and their pages, to European diplomats at palace feasts, and at circumcision festivals for the Sultans' sons. Please bring kitchen knives and pot holders, if you can. Includes recipe handout. Not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.
10:00-11:00Lady Laurensa SilverlockWorking Class Clothing In Tudor EnglandSilk velvet and lace and gems! While there is some undeniably jaw-droppingly beautiful and elaborate 16th-century clothing, that's not what 90% of people wore. This class will look at the inventories and wills of real Elizabethan people and peek inside their wardrobes. What fabrics did they use? How many garments did they have?
10:00-12:00Lady Cobflaith ingen SitriuccaSongs of the Women TrouvèresDiscussion of the works of women poet-composers, or trouvères, in northern France in the 12th-13th centuries, with ideas for performance/rewriting. Although there had been a long-held notion that there are no extant Old French lyrics by women from this period, many songs have since been attributed to women (some named, some anonymous). We will look at a selection of these writers and songs (both words and music) and their translations, and we will discuss how to rewrite English translations to fit the music, while aiming to preserve the poetic style of the original text as much as possible. We will also sing at least one or two in English, using English translations that I have rewritten.
10:00-12:00Mistress Deonna von AachenGathering of the LoudsShawms, sackbutts and curtals, oh my. Players of loud Renaissance instruments gather just for fun to play different styles of music at each session such as intradas and other instrumental processionals and polychoral music. Not sure what these instruments are? Come listen or try one. Instruments will be available to share, but a reading knowledge of music is necessary. Bring a chair, music stand and clothespins.
10:00-14:00Lord Alain ap DaffydAll-Grain Period Beer-MakingBrewing beer, in a copper kettle, using period techniques, to produce a single malt and single hop brew. This is a four-hour process, with much time spent watching liquid be hot. A general discussion of period brewing will be held during these times.
11:00-12:00Lord Justin LymnerPPF: Construct and Wear Elegant Japanese MenswearProject your rank and status with an appropriate Japanese uniform. Japanese love uniforms from a simple kosode resembling a bathrobe to the many layers of aristocratic court wear. You can project an impressive image through your clothing. Come for a brief introduction to a dress-up session. Learn the basics of choosing, making, and putting on your own clothes. A petting zoo will be provided for dress-up. Part of the Heian-kyo 2020 series, emphasis will be on late 16th-century men's clothing.
11:00-12:00Thl Muirenn ingen ui MuirchertaigWomen Can't Read, Debunk'd: A Sleeping Pen Awake'dLiteracy does not mean the same thing today that it meant 500 years ago, and this change is more complicated when gender enters the picture. We will examine women's literacy between 1400-1600, and will examine women who wrote, men and women who wrote about women writing, and the distinction between women reading and women writing.
12:00-13:00Caryn of CynnabarWe Built a Clay Oven! (And So Can You!)We built a clay oven in our backyard, and so can you! This class will go over how we made our oven, as well as tips and tricks for building and maintaining a clay oven of your very own! Handout will include some of our favorite tried-and-true clay oven recipes (period and modern).
12:00-14:30Mistress Helen of GreyfellsMeaningful Steps: Creating Your Own PilgrimageLove to walk/hike? Love to wear your SCA kit? Learn to combine these things for a meaningful trip there and back again in your own area. Topics include what to wear, what to eat, what to bring and how to bring it with you. Discussion of how you might pick a route, mapping, and preparation. Some discussion of Pilgrimage in period, but this class focuses on the physical activity, not the religious aspects of the journey. This class was born from a year-long study project by the teacher who is far from being a "perfect physical specimen". If I could lug my 300 pounds of size 24 over 70 miles in 8 days, perhaps you can too!
13:00-14:00Baroness Verena EntenwirthSchrödinger's RecruitmentRecruiting strategies for the SCA including tried and true traditional methods (inside the box), outside-the-box recruitment ideas, social media recruitment, and hooking those with a passing interest.
13:00-14:00Mistress Amelie d'AnjouSo You Want to be a TroubadourPeriod music and poetry has some challenges for the modern performer. We'll discuss the issues and provide suggestions for places to start, whether you want to perform period stuff, write your own lyrics to period songs or some other combination. Specifically we'll look at different versions of 3 songs: Wolfram von Eschenbach's Jamer ist mir entsprungen, Raimbaut de Vaquiras' Kalenda maya, and Bernard de Ventadorn's Can vei la lauzeta. Good sources included on short handout.
13:00-14:00Salvia RepentinaSlaves and Freedpersons in Ancient RomeSlavery was a fact of life in ancient Rome, so what might a Roman persona be expected to know about it? Join us as we dispel the myths, face the facts and gain an understanding of how Roman people interacted with this challenging tradition.
13:00-14:30Thl Faye de TreesDressed for the Sultan: Ottoman Turkish GarbTurkish clothing is beautiful, colorful, comfortable, and flexible with a mix-and-match versatility that suits the modern recreationist. This will be an overview of 16th-century Ottoman Turkish clothing, men's and women's with pattern handout and slides. Bring your mobile device to view slides!
14:00-15:00Mistress Azza al ShiraziPennsic Pile PracticeDo you have a copy of the Pennsic Pile of Music and want to play with other musicians? Bring your Pennsic Pile, music stand, and instruments and we'll play together! All instruments and skill levels welcome.
15:00-16:30Hawkeye PennyViking Age Weapons and ArmorCovers the weapons the Norseman used including weapons from the Rus and from Constantinople: helms and armor we know of; a detailed explanation of the weapons and weapon types, as well as how they used them; shield construction and technique; and what a typical warrior may have worn and carried into battle. I will have examples to show.
15:00-17:00Mistress Arwen Evaine ferch Rhys ap GwyConception, Pregnancy, and Birth in the Norse WorldBack in sagas through medieval times, pregnancy was not easy to undergo; childbirth without anesthesia was worse. One had to ward the mother from bears, the Underjordiske (Under-Earth Ones), malignant curses, and more. Learn what amulets to carry, what actions would shoo away dangers to the pregnant woman, as well as during childbirth and after the baby was born. The role of the midwife (hjelpekone) was critical in the actual birthing process. Some of these practices were logical and medically sound; others were pure fantasy. Please note that this class is for educational information only, and is not meant as medical advice.
16:00-17:30Mistress Wu YunXia: The Chinese Knight-ErrantJoin us for a discussion of how chivalry was practiced in China in the Middle Ages. This class will cover how Xia is different from Western chivalry, how it is the same, and ways to incorporate these into your persona.
17:00-18:00Baroness Daniela SchwartzhauptLongstitch Leather JournalStudents will learn to create their own leather-bound journal specifically using the long stitch technique. Students will leave the class with either a completed journal or a good head start to complete it on their own. Students will receive their own set of tools to continue exploring the art of bookbinding.
17:00-18:00Lady Wenllyan GochImprov Dance for French Renaissance Guitar MusicEnjoy the music of the late-period French Renaissance Guitar composers Adrian Le Roy, Guillaume Morlaye and more while performing easy, improvised bransles, bransles gay, tourdion, alman, pavan, and--if there's time--galliards!
18:00-19:00Lady Ermagerd Chorale du Lac (Bog Choir) This is a good choir class for beginning singers who want to sing together in a group for fun, and for experienced singers to take a refresher in choral singing and work on technique and tuning. Instead of rehearsing for a performance, we will practice for learning's sake and go caroling in the Bog at the end of the series.
I got compliments after the concerts from people who know me, and from total strangers.
One of our new altos (Chorulus + KWC) lives in Spotsylvania(?), VA, and she and her husband perform at the MD RenFest - with Consort Anon, it turns out, friends of mine from way back, before the Capriccio Catch Club, with LJ Pendlebury's trio Avalon. (Apparently they're getting paid; all I was seeing (from both groups, Avalon and Capriccio) was free admission to the MDRF in exchange for being too busy to see much of the MDRF. (We could also buy discounted tickets, but big groups and season tickets were probably even bigger discounts, so no big perq there.)) Anyway, it's possible I may be joining Consort Anon next season; of course, with work grabbing weekends - sometimes with little notice - I'm unlikely to be available 8 weekends in a row. And I'm not going want to be tied to 8 weekends of RenFest. With LJ's group I was one of the rotating 4th members, so I wasn't out there every weekend. Cappricio was every faire day, and I decided to take a year off; Cappricio was not asked back the next year. (Coincidence? Was my presence was critical?) So we'll see....
I got 9 AmpHrs of solar charging today. I was also back at camp to reposition the panel (following the Sun), as I was the only other day I've gotten 9.
Freyasday 00:57
I've had a shower (and washed my hair, 2nd time this Pennsic).
I expect tomorrow night will be the last shower; House Bloodjack will probably be gone Saturnsday afternoon, and the shower with them. (We'll still have the water heater.)
[This entry was originally posted as https://syntonic-comma.dreamwidth.org/1010276.html on Dreamwidth (where there are
comments).]
Just woke up. I was also awake at 05:30 again, but I got some spotty sleep after that.
The laptop's been losing about 6% (battery) while I sleep pretty consistently. At some point I should do the experiment of shutting it down instead of suspending between use; how much charge is used to restart several times a day? And how much time is lost waiting for it to boot up? It's very convenient to be able to just open it up and start typing.
I should figure out how to turn off the watch's alarm; there are a few classes Freyasday, but nothing to wake-up for. (Hmm, none of them is held in the University, either.)
Thorsday 08:11
Besides the 3-AA light hanging in the tent (and the shower), I've mostly been using 1-AA flashlights at night. I recharged a lot of AA batteries before I left, and now I'm realizing I should have set up two piles of discharged cells. I have a lot of very old AA NiMH cells. Some ran a light fine for 2 or 3 days, and others quit in a couple of minutes. (These were all tested or recharged in the week before Pennsic.) Using them one-at-a-time you can see which ones are probably ready for recycling instead of recharging. I can run them through a diagnostic cycle on the smart charger and see whether any are revived. But they're all mixed together.
I should probably Sharpie the purchase year on rechargeables when I buy them.
Thorsday 23:00
It's been a busy day; War-week Thorsday always is. Only 1 class. 3 concerts; in 2 of them, with 3 groups.
I was a little late for my 09:00, and I don't think it had any handouts.
I decided to skip the 10:00 classes to work on music. I helped fold the chairs and tables in the empty "classroom" where I was practicing.
The instructor for the 11:00 class was a no-show.
12:00-14:00 was the dress rehearsal and recording session for tonight's KWC concert. I hadn't expected to be done before 14:00, but there weren't any classes of interest then. I decided to wander the marketplace, but few shops lured me in, and I still haven't seen anything anniemal asked for.
The 15:00 and 16:00 classes (parts 1 and 2), rescheduled from Tiwsday evening, again didn't happen. The instructor forgot she needed to be at the Arts & Sciences competition today. So I went back to camp and took a nap.
After that it was time for the concerts. The Recorder Ensemble concert went well. There were lots of mistakes, but we've had 3 1-hr rehearsals; you can't be expecting polish and perfection. The Chorulus Pennsicus and the Known World Choir also went well. I was backstage for the Children's Choir and the Youth Choir, but the children sounded typically cute, and the teenagers sounded pretty good. There's only one male in the Youth Choir, so he was generally alone on his part whenever they did something that wasn't unison; he's also singing in the adult choir (KWC) this year. One of the KWC altos is also still in the Youth Choir; she turned 18 just before Pennsic, so I expect she'll be leaving the youth group. (Her dad's a KWC tenor.)
Dinner tonight was ziti with cheese. It was ready earlier, but I went to one more concert first. There was a gap in the schedule between our concerts and the next group. I guess the people planning things expected us to take longer, but I think we ran about as long as we usually do. (It's not like any of the groups can do a much longer program with only a week (or less) of rehearsals.)
I recorded the concerts this evening. Known World Recorder Ensemble, Known World Choirs, Nutmegs & Ginger: "Saints and Sinners"
Thorsday 23:48
I've just copied 79 more photos from my camera to my laptop.
TIMEINSTRUCTORTITLEDESCRIPTION
09:00-10:00Master Cerridwen verch IorewordSex and Gender in the German Reformation
What's the difference between a whore and a prostitute? What was the view on homosexuality? Is divorce a thing? Could a woman lead/fight in the army? What were the views on gender roles? Class will take on the roles and options based on gender and status, charges of impotence, the brothels, cross-dressing, and other more taboo subjects of the German Reformation.
11:00-12:00Lady Kismira RothiemDeath and Necromancy in RomeWhat was a good death to a Roman? How was necromancy used to reflect the perversion of death in war? This class will focus on Lucan's epic Civil War that he wrote during the rule of Emperor Nero. Used to depict a scathing critique of Nero, Lucan exemplifies the stoic philosophy of a good death in his epic poem. He accomplished this by introducing the necromantic witch Erichtho, whose rituals brought back the unwilling souls of the dead for the use of divination. The class will discuss stoic philosophy and the madness of Nero's reign to better understand why men like Lucan were trying to hold tight to stoic ideologies.
12:00-14:30Pennsic Performing ArtsRehearsal (Closed): KWC Dress Rehearsal
Space in use.
15:00-16:00Lady Gnaea CeleraBeyond the Cloth: Glassware for Your Persona Pt. 1Have you ever walked around an event with a glass in your hand? People will notice it long before they even think about looking at your shoes. Make a statement by having the right kind of vessel for your persona! Discussion of glassware from early period through the Middle Ages, and including Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. A list of reference books will be available.
16:00-17:00Lady Gnaea CeleraBeyond the Cloth: Glassware for Your Persona Pt. 2Have you ever walked around an event with a glass in your hand? People will notice it long before they even think about looking at your shoes. Make a statement by having the right kind of vessel for your persona! Discussion of glassware from the Late Middle Ages to late period, and including Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. A list of reference books will be available.
18:00-18:30Pennsic Performing ArtsKnown World Recorder Ensemble PerformanceRecorder players from across the Known World join together to share their love for this medieval instrument and period music in concert. Join us for our second Pennsic appearance! [ahem, third]
18:00-18:30Pennsic Performing ArtsRehearsal (Closed): KWC Pre-Performance Warm-Ups[Warm-ups were in the Dance tent; I wasn't there.]
18:30-20:30Pennsic Performing ArtsKnown World Choirs PerformanceThe Pennsic Choirs, consisting of the Pennsic Choir, the select choir Chorulus Pennsicus, the Youth Choir, and the Children's Choir, will perform an extravaganza of medieval and Renaissance choral music.
20:30-21:30Pennsic Performing ArtsNutmegs & Ginger: "Saints and Sinners"
Nutmegs & Ginger brings you new songs as well as old favorites from sacred to bawdy. Join us to celebrate the best and worst of humankind! Some material may be inappropriate for children under 12.
other classesTIMEINSTRUCTORTITLEDESCRIPTION
09:00-10:00Lady Helen AttebrookeThe Circle of StringsSometimes it feels like your harp is bent on breaking its strings, your fingers and possibly your heart, but have no fear! Find encouragement and instruction in this class as we focus on expanding technique, arranging period music for harp and performance skills. All levels welcome.
09:00-10:00Thl Ishiyama Gen'tarou Yori'iePPF: Zen Tray-tables and Kyosoku ArmrestsWhether for a formal meal like the Japanese Perfectly Period Feast or a private afternoon in your study, this wooden floor furniture is creates comfort and noble appearance. Several different kinds of zen tray-tables for holding your meal or beverages and several different kinds of kyousoku arm-rests for your seated comfort will be with researched with references. Methods of construction both traditional and modern will be discussed. Daiku (woodworkers), this is for you.
09:00-11:00DumnonaSpoken LatinAn introduction to basic conversational, Pennsic-appropriate Classical Latin. Oral participation encouraged. Handouts available.
09:00-11:00Lady Benedicta of CynnabarBasic Hand-SewingLearn period methods of seaming and hemming, fabric traits, and how to reduce thread wear and tangling. Fabric, thread, and needles will be supplied. Please bring needles and scissors if you have them. This course is appropriate for adults and for children the parents consider old enough to handle the needles safely. For children under 10, the parent must be present.
09:00-11:00Lady Urtatim al-QurtubiyyaDining with the Sultan: A Taste of Ottoman CuisineUsing actual 15th- and 16th-century Ottoman recipes, we will cook and eat two dishes: a meat dish and a grain or vegetable dish. As we cook, I will discuss Ottoman cuisine in Constantinople, especially that of the palaces. Information includes street food and market regulations. Also what was served to the Sultans and their pages, to European diplomats at palace feasts, and at circumcision festivals for the Sultans' sons. Please bring kitchen knives and pot holders, if you can. Includes recipe handout. Not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.
10:00-11:00Lady Laurensa SilverlockWorking Class Clothing In Tudor EnglandSilk velvet and lace and gems! While there is some undeniably jaw-droppingly beautiful and elaborate 16th-century clothing, that's not what 90% of people wore. This class will look at the inventories and wills of real Elizabethan people and peek inside their wardrobes. What fabrics did they use? How many garments did they have?
10:00-12:00Lady Cobflaith ingen SitriuccaSongs of the Women TrouvèresDiscussion of the works of women poet-composers, or trouvères, in northern France in the 12th-13th centuries, with ideas for performance/rewriting. Although there had been a long-held notion that there are no extant Old French lyrics by women from this period, many songs have since been attributed to women (some named, some anonymous). We will look at a selection of these writers and songs (both words and music) and their translations, and we will discuss how to rewrite English translations to fit the music, while aiming to preserve the poetic style of the original text as much as possible. We will also sing at least one or two in English, using English translations that I have rewritten.
10:00-12:00Mistress Deonna von AachenGathering of the LoudsShawms, sackbutts and curtals, oh my. Players of loud Renaissance instruments gather just for fun to play different styles of music at each session such as intradas and other instrumental processionals and polychoral music. Not sure what these instruments are? Come listen or try one. Instruments will be available to share, but a reading knowledge of music is necessary. Bring a chair, music stand and clothespins.
10:00-14:00Lord Alain ap DaffydAll-Grain Period Beer-MakingBrewing beer, in a copper kettle, using period techniques, to produce a single malt and single hop brew. This is a four-hour process, with much time spent watching liquid be hot. A general discussion of period brewing will be held during these times.
11:00-12:00Lord Justin LymnerPPF: Construct and Wear Elegant Japanese MenswearProject your rank and status with an appropriate Japanese uniform. Japanese love uniforms from a simple kosode resembling a bathrobe to the many layers of aristocratic court wear. You can project an impressive image through your clothing. Come for a brief introduction to a dress-up session. Learn the basics of choosing, making, and putting on your own clothes. A petting zoo will be provided for dress-up. Part of the Heian-kyo 2020 series, emphasis will be on late 16th-century men's clothing.
11:00-12:00Thl Muirenn ingen ui MuirchertaigWomen Can't Read, Debunk'd: A Sleeping Pen Awake'dLiteracy does not mean the same thing today that it meant 500 years ago, and this change is more complicated when gender enters the picture. We will examine women's literacy between 1400-1600, and will examine women who wrote, men and women who wrote about women writing, and the distinction between women reading and women writing.
12:00-13:00Caryn of CynnabarWe Built a Clay Oven! (And So Can You!)We built a clay oven in our backyard, and so can you! This class will go over how we made our oven, as well as tips and tricks for building and maintaining a clay oven of your very own! Handout will include some of our favorite tried-and-true clay oven recipes (period and modern).
12:00-14:30Mistress Helen of GreyfellsMeaningful Steps: Creating Your Own PilgrimageLove to walk/hike? Love to wear your SCA kit? Learn to combine these things for a meaningful trip there and back again in your own area. Topics include what to wear, what to eat, what to bring and how to bring it with you. Discussion of how you might pick a route, mapping, and preparation. Some discussion of Pilgrimage in period, but this class focuses on the physical activity, not the religious aspects of the journey. This class was born from a year-long study project by the teacher who is far from being a "perfect physical specimen". If I could lug my 300 pounds of size 24 over 70 miles in 8 days, perhaps you can too!
13:00-14:00Baroness Verena EntenwirthSchrödinger's RecruitmentRecruiting strategies for the SCA including tried and true traditional methods (inside the box), outside-the-box recruitment ideas, social media recruitment, and hooking those with a passing interest.
13:00-14:00Mistress Amelie d'AnjouSo You Want to be a TroubadourPeriod music and poetry has some challenges for the modern performer. We'll discuss the issues and provide suggestions for places to start, whether you want to perform period stuff, write your own lyrics to period songs or some other combination. Specifically we'll look at different versions of 3 songs: Wolfram von Eschenbach's Jamer ist mir entsprungen, Raimbaut de Vaquiras' Kalenda maya, and Bernard de Ventadorn's Can vei la lauzeta. Good sources included on short handout.
13:00-14:00Salvia RepentinaSlaves and Freedpersons in Ancient RomeSlavery was a fact of life in ancient Rome, so what might a Roman persona be expected to know about it? Join us as we dispel the myths, face the facts and gain an understanding of how Roman people interacted with this challenging tradition.
13:00-14:30Thl Faye de TreesDressed for the Sultan: Ottoman Turkish GarbTurkish clothing is beautiful, colorful, comfortable, and flexible with a mix-and-match versatility that suits the modern recreationist. This will be an overview of 16th-century Ottoman Turkish clothing, men's and women's with pattern handout and slides. Bring your mobile device to view slides!
14:00-15:00Mistress Azza al ShiraziPennsic Pile PracticeDo you have a copy of the Pennsic Pile of Music and want to play with other musicians? Bring your Pennsic Pile, music stand, and instruments and we'll play together! All instruments and skill levels welcome.
15:00-16:30Hawkeye PennyViking Age Weapons and ArmorCovers the weapons the Norseman used including weapons from the Rus and from Constantinople: helms and armor we know of; a detailed explanation of the weapons and weapon types, as well as how they used them; shield construction and technique; and what a typical warrior may have worn and carried into battle. I will have examples to show.
15:00-17:00Mistress Arwen Evaine ferch Rhys ap GwyConception, Pregnancy, and Birth in the Norse WorldBack in sagas through medieval times, pregnancy was not easy to undergo; childbirth without anesthesia was worse. One had to ward the mother from bears, the Underjordiske (Under-Earth Ones), malignant curses, and more. Learn what amulets to carry, what actions would shoo away dangers to the pregnant woman, as well as during childbirth and after the baby was born. The role of the midwife (hjelpekone) was critical in the actual birthing process. Some of these practices were logical and medically sound; others were pure fantasy. Please note that this class is for educational information only, and is not meant as medical advice.
16:00-17:30Mistress Wu YunXia: The Chinese Knight-ErrantJoin us for a discussion of how chivalry was practiced in China in the Middle Ages. This class will cover how Xia is different from Western chivalry, how it is the same, and ways to incorporate these into your persona.
17:00-18:00Baroness Daniela SchwartzhauptLongstitch Leather JournalStudents will learn to create their own leather-bound journal specifically using the long stitch technique. Students will leave the class with either a completed journal or a good head start to complete it on their own. Students will receive their own set of tools to continue exploring the art of bookbinding.
17:00-18:00Lady Wenllyan GochImprov Dance for French Renaissance Guitar MusicEnjoy the music of the late-period French Renaissance Guitar composers Adrian Le Roy, Guillaume Morlaye and more while performing easy, improvised bransles, bransles gay, tourdion, alman, pavan, and--if there's time--galliards!
18:00-19:00Lady Ermagerd Chorale du Lac (Bog Choir) This is a good choir class for beginning singers who want to sing together in a group for fun, and for experienced singers to take a refresher in choral singing and work on technique and tuning. Instead of rehearsing for a performance, we will practice for learning's sake and go caroling in the Bog at the end of the series.
I got compliments after the concerts from people who know me, and from total strangers.
One of our new altos (Chorulus + KWC) lives in Spotsylvania(?), VA, and she and her husband perform at the MD RenFest - with Consort Anon, it turns out, friends of mine from way back, before the Capriccio Catch Club, with LJ Pendlebury's trio Avalon. (Apparently they're getting paid; all I was seeing (from both groups, Avalon and Capriccio) was free admission to the MDRF in exchange for being too busy to see much of the MDRF. (We could also buy discounted tickets, but big groups and season tickets were probably even bigger discounts, so no big perq there.)) Anyway, it's possible I may be joining Consort Anon next season; of course, with work grabbing weekends - sometimes with little notice - I'm unlikely to be available 8 weekends in a row. And I'm not going want to be tied to 8 weekends of RenFest. With LJ's group I was one of the rotating 4th members, so I wasn't out there every weekend. Cappricio was every faire day, and I decided to take a year off; Cappricio was not asked back the next year. (Coincidence? Was my presence was critical?) So we'll see....
I got 9 AmpHrs of solar charging today. I was also back at camp to reposition the panel (following the Sun), as I was the only other day I've gotten 9.
Freyasday 00:57
I've had a shower (and washed my hair, 2nd time this Pennsic).
I expect tomorrow night will be the last shower; House Bloodjack will probably be gone Saturnsday afternoon, and the shower with them. (We'll still have the water heater.)
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