Pennsic VLI - War-week Saturday
5 August 2017
Pennsic VLI - War?-week Saturday
Saturday 07:07
Awake early again - I think it's noise from neighbor camps. (The rest of my camp is zonked out.) I skipped the earplugs last night, even with the drumming.
Is this war week yet? Last Saturday must have been peace week (or was it before peace week?); and Pennsic is over next Saturday, so that can't be war week. I've never seen it defined. Monday-Friday has been pretty clear, but the weekends have not been.
Saturday 08:05
It's still cold. My thermometer pulled out of a box says 66°F (19°C), but I think it's colder than that outside the tent.
Colleen was up, but that's normal; she's the camp's other early riser.
I've fixed another solar light; seems to be the same battery-contact problem. This one's dim, but it's probably not well charged. I need to check/file the contacts in the plugs connecting my solar panel. I think there's been some corrosion in there after the rains, and that's keeping the Optima battery from getting a good charge.
For breakfast, I've had some of the pizza they brought back last night. 3 large pizzas, 4 people (I had gone to ground, and Cat gone to party) who mostly had already eaten dinner (leftovers or on the road) - one pizza was untouched. And it was cold last night, so the pizza was fine in a box on the table. (What's left of the camp's wildlife doesn't seem to be that bold.)
Saturday 22:25
69 classes of interest; went to 6 classes, 2 rehearsals, and a concert.
It's chilly tonight. It never got hot today. I spent most of my day in the rehearsal tent - strange, but convenient. (In particular, just leaving the recorders there. I used them for 2 classes.)
The Brehon Laws class was not about food as much as showing how the laws - preserved - could be used as documentation for facets of contemporary life. Laws that specified how livestock and crops could be applied to settling debts tell us what people were growing and eating. Laws about marriage and inheritance and care of the sick and recompense for injury tell us a lot of things directly and allow many more inferences. (The Brehon Laws are the 2nd oldest surviving legal code, after the Sanskrit.)
The History of Kissing was very full (and I got there a little late coming from rehearsal), so I decided to go back to the rehearsal tent for String Theory - not much new there, since I am somewhat acquainted with the physics of instruments and music. I was the only one attending the course at first (and I got there late since I was coming late from Kissing), but someone else came soon after and a 3rd later. This was a rare slack hour in my classes schedule.
Early Music Notation was a challenge. I've read from early notation very little since college, and reading unfamiliar clefs is (for me) much harder on instruments than vocally. We had lovely photocopies of pages from Marguerite's Chansonnier, but they were a little hard to read - with the complications of (1) figuring out note/rest values and counting, (2) figuring out pitches, and (3) not having the parts in score form so you could find your place again after you miscounted.
The Italian Novelle was in our modern notation and (consequently, for me) much easier. I had to leave this early for rehearsal.
The first Chorulus Pennsicus rehersal went fine.
Sight-Singing was a bit of an odd duck, since, in modern notation (and at written pitch), I am a pretty strong sight reader, instrumentally and vocally. But the Ut-Re-Mi history was interesting (seems like I must have had this before) and filed in some gaps. And there was some practice at application. (It was more like 80% theory.)
The Mass Project seems to have changed from its description; we weren't going to try to sing any mass movements today. (Just as well, since we had only 4 people counting the instructor, and no one to sing bass.) I (quietly) left early. ☹
Psallite were good; I wish I'd recorded them. (I think I thought that last year too....) Some of what they did tonight should be on their website.
TimeLengthRoomClassInstructorDescription
09:001.0 hrA&S 15Documenting Your Food: Brehon Laws in IrelandMistress Lisette la Roux
This class will focus on the Brehon Laws and how they can be used to document food and nutrition in the SCA time period. The class will discuss what the Brehon Laws were and give specific examples of references to food and its relationship to the community law.
10:002.0 hrPerforming Arts Rehearsal TentPennsic Choir: Open RehearsalPennsic Performing ArtsThe Pennsic Choir welcomes all interested singers! This year's concert theme is "A Medieval Christmas". The repertoire includes pieces by Hassler, King Henry VIII, Praetorius and Morley, conducted by Lady Siri Toivosdotter.
12:001.0 hrA&S 5The History of KissingLady Fortune St KeyneJuliet stated "palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss", but what do we know about the kiss in period? Our lips aren't sealed; come learn the history of the kiss.
12:001.0 hrPerforming Arts Rehearsal TentString TheoryThl Brendan O CorraidheHow do vibrating-string instruments really work? For players (and aspiring players) of plucked, strummed, and bowed string instruments, an understanding of the "what's really going on physically" can be very enlightening. Practical tips for technique and practice will also be shared. Class will also include a discussion of the medieval understanding of what was going on in the context of Aristotelian (as opposed to modern Newtonian) physics. Mathematical and scientific concepts limited to length, mass, tension, and simple fractions. Instructor has been playing guitar since the 1970s and teaching (and performing in the SCA) since the '80s, when he was an engineering student.
13:002.0 hrPerforming Arts Rehearsal TentEarly Music Notation: Marguerite's ChansonnierMaster John ElysQueen Marguerite of Austria, Princess of Asturias and Duchess of Savoy (1480-1530), was not only a musician herself but a noted patroness of the arts. One of her prized possessions was a 70-page handwritten collection of secular and sacred polyphonic music now referred to as Brussels 11239. We'll sight-read a variety of pieces from the book, stopping to discuss notational difficulties as they come up. Bring a melody instrument (or voice) you play fluently: recorder, fiddle, harp, viol, lute, etc.
14:003.0 hrPerforming Arts TentPA Afternoon Series: European Music ExhibitionPennsic Performing ArtsCome and enjoy an afternoon of European music. Experience the history of composers and a variety of instruments and vocal music from the 11th-16th centuries. Bring your voices, instruments, and play along!
15:001.0 hrPerforming Arts Rehearsal TentMusic in the Italian NovelleMaster Aaron DrummondSeveral 14th-16th-century Italian works of literature survive which contain descriptions of music performances. We'll read through some of the surviving music mentioned in these works and compare what we do to how the authors describe the musical performances. All instrumentalists and vocalists are welcome.
16:001.0 hrLochmere, N18Rehearsal (Closed): KWC Chorulus PennsicusPennsic Performing ArtsClosed rehearsals by audition only. Chorulus Pennsicus information available here: https://sites.google.com/site/kwcpennsicchoir/home/pennsic-choir/chorulus-pennsicus
17:001.0 hrPerforming Arts Rehearsal TentSight-Singing Using the Period Do-Re-Mi SystemLady Mathilda HarperImprove your sight-singing using a period technique. We'll be singing easy tunes while learning the Guidonian syllable system that evolved into the modern Do-Re-Mi, as well as pick up a little period music theory on the way. It's 80% singing, 20% theory. Learn and have fun all at the same time.
17:301.0 hrDance TentDance ElectronicaGregory BlountA group of dance computer geeks are working together to provide software and services for publishing dance materials (such as translations) on the web. Come hear what we're up to, and see how far we've gotten!
18:001.0 hrPerforming Arts Rehearsal TentMass ProjectLady Erlandr NordenskaldHands-on look into the Mass as a musical form and its importance in Renaissance vocal music. We will study a plain chant Mass and a Mass by Josquin. We are going to do a mini-performance at the European Music Expo and a Mass Performance during War Week. Time and Date TBD
18:301.5 hrPerforming Arts TentPsallite: Medieval Music for EveryonePennsic Performing Arts
Psallite performs troubadour songs, cantigas, motets, and other medieval music. All songs are sung in English, with vibrant translations written by Mistress Kasha. Featuring Mistress Kasha Alekseeva, Mistress Jadwiga Krzyzanowska, and Master Aaron Drummond.
The 2nd solar path light I fixed is working fine tonight, as bright as the others after spending the day in the sun. The tent has only 3 stakes away from the footprint, so I don't have a clear use for a 4th light.
Dinner tonight was pasta with cheese and sauce. And I had another piece of last night's leftover pizza. (I should have had more pizza and less pasta, had I realized the pizza was still here.) And I washed dishes. There's hot water again, and I'm going to try to take a shower and get to bed early tonight.
Sunday 00:21
Well, I failed to get to bed early, but for a good reason -
eftychia called realinterrobang, and I talked with her for a bit. She's just moved into a new apartment for her new job. I should renew my passport so I can visit her.
Sunday 01:36
I've had a (hot ☺) shower, washed my hair, and brushed my teeth. It's 60°F/15.6°C in my tent, and colder outside. I'm wearing one of those winter jackets I got cheap. It's not appropriate for medieval/Renaissance, but it is comfortable.
[This entry was originally posted as https://syntonic-comma.dreamwidth.org/910334.html on Dreamwidth (where there are
comments).]
Pennsic VLI - War?-week Saturday
Saturday 07:07
Awake early again - I think it's noise from neighbor camps. (The rest of my camp is zonked out.) I skipped the earplugs last night, even with the drumming.
Is this war week yet? Last Saturday must have been peace week (or was it before peace week?); and Pennsic is over next Saturday, so that can't be war week. I've never seen it defined. Monday-Friday has been pretty clear, but the weekends have not been.
Saturday 08:05
It's still cold. My thermometer pulled out of a box says 66°F (19°C), but I think it's colder than that outside the tent.
Colleen was up, but that's normal; she's the camp's other early riser.
I've fixed another solar light; seems to be the same battery-contact problem. This one's dim, but it's probably not well charged. I need to check/file the contacts in the plugs connecting my solar panel. I think there's been some corrosion in there after the rains, and that's keeping the Optima battery from getting a good charge.
For breakfast, I've had some of the pizza they brought back last night. 3 large pizzas, 4 people (I had gone to ground, and Cat gone to party) who mostly had already eaten dinner (leftovers or on the road) - one pizza was untouched. And it was cold last night, so the pizza was fine in a box on the table. (What's left of the camp's wildlife doesn't seem to be that bold.)
Saturday 22:25
69 classes of interest; went to 6 classes, 2 rehearsals, and a concert.
It's chilly tonight. It never got hot today. I spent most of my day in the rehearsal tent - strange, but convenient. (In particular, just leaving the recorders there. I used them for 2 classes.)
The Brehon Laws class was not about food as much as showing how the laws - preserved - could be used as documentation for facets of contemporary life. Laws that specified how livestock and crops could be applied to settling debts tell us what people were growing and eating. Laws about marriage and inheritance and care of the sick and recompense for injury tell us a lot of things directly and allow many more inferences. (The Brehon Laws are the 2nd oldest surviving legal code, after the Sanskrit.)
The History of Kissing was very full (and I got there a little late coming from rehearsal), so I decided to go back to the rehearsal tent for String Theory - not much new there, since I am somewhat acquainted with the physics of instruments and music. I was the only one attending the course at first (and I got there late since I was coming late from Kissing), but someone else came soon after and a 3rd later. This was a rare slack hour in my classes schedule.
Early Music Notation was a challenge. I've read from early notation very little since college, and reading unfamiliar clefs is (for me) much harder on instruments than vocally. We had lovely photocopies of pages from Marguerite's Chansonnier, but they were a little hard to read - with the complications of (1) figuring out note/rest values and counting, (2) figuring out pitches, and (3) not having the parts in score form so you could find your place again after you miscounted.
The Italian Novelle was in our modern notation and (consequently, for me) much easier. I had to leave this early for rehearsal.
The first Chorulus Pennsicus rehersal went fine.
Sight-Singing was a bit of an odd duck, since, in modern notation (and at written pitch), I am a pretty strong sight reader, instrumentally and vocally. But the Ut-Re-Mi history was interesting (seems like I must have had this before) and filed in some gaps. And there was some practice at application. (It was more like 80% theory.)
The Mass Project seems to have changed from its description; we weren't going to try to sing any mass movements today. (Just as well, since we had only 4 people counting the instructor, and no one to sing bass.) I (quietly) left early. ☹
Psallite were good; I wish I'd recorded them. (I think I thought that last year too....) Some of what they did tonight should be on their website.
TimeLengthRoomClassInstructorDescription
09:001.0 hrA&S 15Documenting Your Food: Brehon Laws in IrelandMistress Lisette la Roux
This class will focus on the Brehon Laws and how they can be used to document food and nutrition in the SCA time period. The class will discuss what the Brehon Laws were and give specific examples of references to food and its relationship to the community law.
10:002.0 hrPerforming Arts Rehearsal TentPennsic Choir: Open RehearsalPennsic Performing ArtsThe Pennsic Choir welcomes all interested singers! This year's concert theme is "A Medieval Christmas". The repertoire includes pieces by Hassler, King Henry VIII, Praetorius and Morley, conducted by Lady Siri Toivosdotter.
12:001.0 hrA&S 5The History of KissingLady Fortune St KeyneJuliet stated "palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss", but what do we know about the kiss in period? Our lips aren't sealed; come learn the history of the kiss.
12:001.0 hrPerforming Arts Rehearsal TentString TheoryThl Brendan O CorraidheHow do vibrating-string instruments really work? For players (and aspiring players) of plucked, strummed, and bowed string instruments, an understanding of the "what's really going on physically" can be very enlightening. Practical tips for technique and practice will also be shared. Class will also include a discussion of the medieval understanding of what was going on in the context of Aristotelian (as opposed to modern Newtonian) physics. Mathematical and scientific concepts limited to length, mass, tension, and simple fractions. Instructor has been playing guitar since the 1970s and teaching (and performing in the SCA) since the '80s, when he was an engineering student.
13:002.0 hrPerforming Arts Rehearsal TentEarly Music Notation: Marguerite's ChansonnierMaster John ElysQueen Marguerite of Austria, Princess of Asturias and Duchess of Savoy (1480-1530), was not only a musician herself but a noted patroness of the arts. One of her prized possessions was a 70-page handwritten collection of secular and sacred polyphonic music now referred to as Brussels 11239. We'll sight-read a variety of pieces from the book, stopping to discuss notational difficulties as they come up. Bring a melody instrument (or voice) you play fluently: recorder, fiddle, harp, viol, lute, etc.
14:003.0 hrPerforming Arts TentPA Afternoon Series: European Music ExhibitionPennsic Performing ArtsCome and enjoy an afternoon of European music. Experience the history of composers and a variety of instruments and vocal music from the 11th-16th centuries. Bring your voices, instruments, and play along!
15:001.0 hrPerforming Arts Rehearsal TentMusic in the Italian NovelleMaster Aaron DrummondSeveral 14th-16th-century Italian works of literature survive which contain descriptions of music performances. We'll read through some of the surviving music mentioned in these works and compare what we do to how the authors describe the musical performances. All instrumentalists and vocalists are welcome.
16:001.0 hrLochmere, N18Rehearsal (Closed): KWC Chorulus PennsicusPennsic Performing ArtsClosed rehearsals by audition only. Chorulus Pennsicus information available here: https://sites.google.com/site/kwcpennsicchoir/home/pennsic-choir/chorulus-pennsicus
17:001.0 hrPerforming Arts Rehearsal TentSight-Singing Using the Period Do-Re-Mi SystemLady Mathilda HarperImprove your sight-singing using a period technique. We'll be singing easy tunes while learning the Guidonian syllable system that evolved into the modern Do-Re-Mi, as well as pick up a little period music theory on the way. It's 80% singing, 20% theory. Learn and have fun all at the same time.
17:301.0 hrDance TentDance ElectronicaGregory BlountA group of dance computer geeks are working together to provide software and services for publishing dance materials (such as translations) on the web. Come hear what we're up to, and see how far we've gotten!
18:001.0 hrPerforming Arts Rehearsal TentMass ProjectLady Erlandr NordenskaldHands-on look into the Mass as a musical form and its importance in Renaissance vocal music. We will study a plain chant Mass and a Mass by Josquin. We are going to do a mini-performance at the European Music Expo and a Mass Performance during War Week. Time and Date TBD
18:301.5 hrPerforming Arts TentPsallite: Medieval Music for EveryonePennsic Performing Arts
Psallite performs troubadour songs, cantigas, motets, and other medieval music. All songs are sung in English, with vibrant translations written by Mistress Kasha. Featuring Mistress Kasha Alekseeva, Mistress Jadwiga Krzyzanowska, and Master Aaron Drummond.
The 2nd solar path light I fixed is working fine tonight, as bright as the others after spending the day in the sun. The tent has only 3 stakes away from the footprint, so I don't have a clear use for a 4th light.
Dinner tonight was pasta with cheese and sauce. And I had another piece of last night's leftover pizza. (I should have had more pizza and less pasta, had I realized the pizza was still here.) And I washed dishes. There's hot water again, and I'm going to try to take a shower and get to bed early tonight.
Sunday 00:21
Well, I failed to get to bed early, but for a good reason -
eftychia called realinterrobang, and I talked with her for a bit. She's just moved into a new apartment for her new job. I should renew my passport so I can visit her.
Sunday 01:36
I've had a (hot ☺) shower, washed my hair, and brushed my teeth. It's 60°F/15.6°C in my tent, and colder outside. I'm wearing one of those winter jackets I got cheap. It's not appropriate for medieval/Renaissance, but it is comfortable.
[This entry was originally posted as https://syntonic-comma.dreamwidth.org/910334.html on Dreamwidth (where there are
comments).]