Pennsic VLI - War-week Thursday
10 August 2017
Pennsic VLI - War-week Thursday
Thursday 07:46
I've been awake since 06:00. So much for getting to bed early. (But still, it's more sleep than I got the night before.) Today is my big concert day. I have a one-word (4-note) solo that opens the KWC concert. I'm not sure where our director's going to be for that, but I'll be the only one on stage, with the rest of the choir in the aisles - perhaps processing onto the stage, if we can manage that. I've pretty much got the piece memorized (Yes, it was running through my brain for that whole hour before I got out of bed.), and could make sense for me to conduct it, but it's plain chant, and my conducting skills are nowhere near up to doing that. (I tried it in my tent a couple of nights ago, and I can't even do something I can follow.)
(Caer Edgeremere's land agent) Anna has scheduled a class in camp today doing Psanky, a Ukranian wax and dye decoration of eggs. It will run several hours. Somebody's generally given a class on this most wars, and Anna's been saying for years that she wanted to do this. Tuesday she got it added to the schedule for today. (It's not in the printed book that was set up months ago, so I don't know how many people will find out about it. It's posted at the Pennsic Univ Info Point (with all the other cancellations, additions, and changes for the day), and it might be in the Thing online, for people here able to check there.)
Our dress rehearsals/recording session start at noon, with the children's/teen's choirs first. As usual, I still need to spend more time on our texts. I won't need the recorders until the 18:00 concert, but I need to add some recorder music to my folder; we added a piece from the sight-reading pile to the program.
Thursday 23:53
Singing a good concert is pretty heady. Singing with the KWC is intense; Chorulus Pennsicus even moreso. It's pretty damned amazing what each of these groups accomplishes in a week. Things weren't perfect at the recording session, nor at the concert, but they were both great. I don't think anyone who attended the concert went away disappointed.
Today's first class, Cantigas, was more original notation. There's a lot of room for assumptions and interpretation in the transcriptions to modern notation, and sometimes other interpretations are much more plausible - and much more interesting musically. Music from Spain can have Arabic influences, and forcing it into duple or triple rhythmic structures (and scales using whole or half steps) is too limiting.
Improvising on Diego Ortiz's ground bass sequences was fun and entertaining. We had a recorder, a hammered dulcimer, a vielle (I think (Mischa, from Wolgemut)), a violin, and several gambas. I was wishing I'd brought the audio recorder, and then realized I could make a video with the camera. [I haven't decided how/where to put videos on my website, and the audio files so far are just in a page of links to .wav files; at some point I need to edit many .wav files and create .mp3s.] (5:28, 5:06, 1:19, 3:27)
The recording session was uneventful and went well. We restarted a few pieces for various reasons, and re-recorded a couple because of traffic noise. (That's why we make the recordings at the dress rehearsal - we can't do redos at the concert.) The dress rehearsal ended early enough to get to a 14:00 class late. Erin went to Lokasenna; I went back to camp to eat lunch.
The wood block carving needed more time; perhaps 2 hours would have worked. This was a new instructor's first class. (And of course there was more interest than space available. I got there early enough to participate.)
The people who run the Thing are genuinely interested in improving it and making it more accessible. The Pennsic Univ Registrar (who I guess takes the class submissions), the scheduler, and one of the programmers where there. Only 2 people showed up to make suggestions. I put in my requests for (1) having 2 levels of selection, so low-priority choices could be shown as conflicts with high-priority events (e.g. rehearsals) and (2) being able to add events (like in-camp duties) to a personal calendar.
The other guy requested federated logins (like using a FaceBook or GMail account for Thing logins rather than requiring creating a Thing account) and the ability to remove selections from a custom schedule. (Currently you have to find the class on the full schedule to unselect it from your personal schedule. ☹) He had a couple more from a friend, but I don't remember them.
I've often mentioned that classes are too full to attend. The PU tried advanced registration (i.e. sign-ups) for classes, but ditched it; they shared some of the reasons behind that. (Signing up early was inconvenient. Some people signed up but didn't show up, but discouraged other people from signing up when the class was full.) But many instructors are distraught about having more attendees show up than they can teach.
The Bog U has been on the schedule the last 2 (previous and this) Pennsics, but the PU people say there's been informal classes in the bog for 20 years, people getting together to share knowledge (which is exactly what PU is). It's a long walk from the far end of Cooper's lake to the main class area, and there's a lot of people camped around the lake; it would make sense for them to start doing their own thing. Adding them to the main scheduling shares this with the rest of Pennsic - and brings in new teaching resources to the bog.
The Thing programmer realized setting priorities on selections would give them more info about class attendance for classes that show up as secondary/conflicts in personalized schedules. They track attendance by sending people out count bodies at each class. Mainly they want to know which classes should be in bigger (or smaller) tents in the future. This new info might let them find more classes which shouldn't be scheduled at the same time. But the attendance numbers also show that a larger percentage of Pennsic attendees are also PU attendees - far more than participate in the battles and martial activities. Performing Arts is separate, but PU and PA require substantial resources (a lot of tents, a lot of space, a lot of staff); the attendance figures justify these resources. (They're reasons I come to Pennsic.)
Some of the activities scheduled on the Thing count for volunteer points. (Teaching a class, sure. Rehearsals? Yes, they count, but I don't know why. I guess rehearsing is part of performing, and that is also an offering to the community.) Some kind of automated/passive attendance measurement would let them automate some of the war-point counting. [That would also require more identity info, to assign the points to the correct kingdoms.]
I went back to camp after the Thing to get all of my recorders (I travelled "light" with just the toolbox/recorder case to the morning classes) and the audio recorder for the concert. The KWRE wasn't great, but we had only 3 rehearsals (and I had to miss part of all of them for Chorulus) and a wide variety of abilities. We had a much larger group than last year. Tuning is a problem.
The kids did a good job, and they're always cute. There were only 3 teens, and they did very well too. It's disappointing that there were so few of them, since they're a source of future singers for the adult choirs.
Chorulus was great. KWC was great. We always are. We just are.
I stayed for one more concert, and it was good. (A few pieces were iffy (and maybe I need to learn how to listen to those); several were outstanding.)
I recorded the KWRE/Chorulus/KWC/Nutmegs and Ginger concerts. The .wav files are on http://bchivers.name/audio. [Big .wav files for now; someday smaller .mp3 files....]
60 classes of interest; went to 4 classes, a double dress rehearsal, and a triple concert.
TimeLengthRoomClassInstructorDescription
09:301.5Performing Arts Rehearsal TentInterpreting Cantigas on Your OwnMistress Amelie d'AnjouThe Cantigas de Santa Maria are a well-known music source, but can you read the original notation yourself? Yes! By learning just a bit of medieval notation, you can check current transcriptions or even do your own! Why? Because some of the current versions out there are arguably wrong, and because it's fun. [cantigas #100, 166, 1, 340, 77]
11:001.0Performing Arts Rehearsal TentLet's Play Ortiz TenorsMistress Amelie d'Anjou
We'll practice our improv skills by jamming on a few of the tenors or ground bass lines in Diego Ortiz's treatise on viol playing (he calls them recercadas). Any instruments welcome, but be prepared to improvise. Probable tenors include passamezzo antico, passamezzo moderno, and folia. If you would like to look at the music ahead, go to IMSLP and search for Diego Ortiz. (Recercadas primera, secunda, and quarta or ottava sobre tenores Italianos - we'll do our own top lines) The treatise is Trattado de Glosas from 1553, also on IMSLP. (Recercadas are at the end.)
12:002.5Performing Arts TentRehearsal (Closed): KWC Dress RehearsalPennsic Performing Arts
Space in use.
14:001.0A&S 15Lokasenna: What We Learn When Loki Shouts at GodsSarah BarringerBy doing a close reading of the Norse poem, Lokasenna, we will talk about Loki and the other gods' characteristics and personalities.
15:001.0A&S 4Wood Block Carving for Print MakingLord Gregor Reinhardt von Holstein
Learn the basics of wood block carving for print making, see carved wood blocks and prints, and try your hand at carving techniques. Students will be able to learn basic transfer and carving techniques. Please note that carving tools are sharp and this course may not be appropriate for younger students.
16:001.0A&S 3thing.pennsicuniversity.org: Hiss & PurrThl Griffin de WillingehamThird year! Everyone, instructor or not, come say what you liked, disliked, and would like to see in this system for next year.
18:000.5Dance TentRehearsal (Closed): KWC Pre-Performance Warm-UpsPennsic Performing Arts(Closed Rehearsal) 6 pm: Pre-performance warm-ups and line-up in European Dance Tent for the Known World Choir performance in PAT at 6:30 pm.
18:000.5Performing Arts TentKnown World Recorder Ensemble PerformancePennsic Performing ArtsRecorder 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!
18:302.0Performing Arts TentKnown World Choirs PerformancePennsic Performing ArtsShow time: 6:30 - 8:15 pm. The 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.
20:301.0Performing Arts TentNutmegs & GingerPennsic Performing Arts
"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.
The (ever-so-lovely) Erin had something going on in her camp tonight, and asked for a rain check (no idea when, around here) on our traditional sit around at my camp and then her camp drinking interesting beverages and catching up on each other's lives. Sigh. ☹
I can stop carrying the ocarina in my journey bag. I've needed to have it for giving pitches at the last Chorulus rehearsals and the concert. (I pulled it out as a joke at a rehearsal, but it seems to have been just the thing?)
Dinner was pasta alfredo w/ vegetables, and pear crisp for dessert. I had some applesauce and peanuts before the concert, since I was getting hungry. (I would have just eaten some peanut butter if I'd had some already stirred together. (The oil separates.))
There's only a few classes tomorrow. And tomorrow is the last day for the merchants. (May be the time to find bargains; some will have stuff they don't want to take back home.)
Friday 03:43
I'm getting to bed very late. I dozed off several times earlier (including on the phone with realinterrobang when she called
eftychia), but I don't know how long for. I've listed to some of the audio recordings I made today. What I heard around me today (both afternoon and evening) is so different from what the microphones picked up. There's a male voice (bass? tenor? don't know (yet)) that's largely clueless about pitch and not good about timing, and perhaps a couple of women who are muddling about too. I don't hear the women as often as the man. Things overall are not as clean as I thought they sounded around me. ☹ In Sweet was the song there's a G cadence where the tenors have the 3rd 3 times; the 1st time we should be on B♭ and some aren't. In There is no rose there's a C# that the bottom part where I heard only a C♮ this afternoon; tonight it was both. ☹ What I heard and what the microphone heard may both be different from what most of the audience heard.
I made my share of mistakes too (both afternoon and evening), but they weren't repeated mistakes (yeah, I find new ones every day) and I don't take the section with me. I can be a harsh critic.
I transferred photos (and today's Ortiz-class videos) to my laptop.
[This entry was originally posted as https://syntonic-comma.dreamwidth.org/911509.html on Dreamwidth (where there are
comments).]
Pennsic VLI - War-week Thursday
Thursday 07:46
I've been awake since 06:00. So much for getting to bed early. (But still, it's more sleep than I got the night before.) Today is my big concert day. I have a one-word (4-note) solo that opens the KWC concert. I'm not sure where our director's going to be for that, but I'll be the only one on stage, with the rest of the choir in the aisles - perhaps processing onto the stage, if we can manage that. I've pretty much got the piece memorized (Yes, it was running through my brain for that whole hour before I got out of bed.), and could make sense for me to conduct it, but it's plain chant, and my conducting skills are nowhere near up to doing that. (I tried it in my tent a couple of nights ago, and I can't even do something I can follow.)
(Caer Edgeremere's land agent) Anna has scheduled a class in camp today doing Psanky, a Ukranian wax and dye decoration of eggs. It will run several hours. Somebody's generally given a class on this most wars, and Anna's been saying for years that she wanted to do this. Tuesday she got it added to the schedule for today. (It's not in the printed book that was set up months ago, so I don't know how many people will find out about it. It's posted at the Pennsic Univ Info Point (with all the other cancellations, additions, and changes for the day), and it might be in the Thing online, for people here able to check there.)
Our dress rehearsals/recording session start at noon, with the children's/teen's choirs first. As usual, I still need to spend more time on our texts. I won't need the recorders until the 18:00 concert, but I need to add some recorder music to my folder; we added a piece from the sight-reading pile to the program.
Thursday 23:53
Singing a good concert is pretty heady. Singing with the KWC is intense; Chorulus Pennsicus even moreso. It's pretty damned amazing what each of these groups accomplishes in a week. Things weren't perfect at the recording session, nor at the concert, but they were both great. I don't think anyone who attended the concert went away disappointed.
Today's first class, Cantigas, was more original notation. There's a lot of room for assumptions and interpretation in the transcriptions to modern notation, and sometimes other interpretations are much more plausible - and much more interesting musically. Music from Spain can have Arabic influences, and forcing it into duple or triple rhythmic structures (and scales using whole or half steps) is too limiting.
Improvising on Diego Ortiz's ground bass sequences was fun and entertaining. We had a recorder, a hammered dulcimer, a vielle (I think (Mischa, from Wolgemut)), a violin, and several gambas. I was wishing I'd brought the audio recorder, and then realized I could make a video with the camera. [I haven't decided how/where to put videos on my website, and the audio files so far are just in a page of links to .wav files; at some point I need to edit many .wav files and create .mp3s.] (5:28, 5:06, 1:19, 3:27)
The recording session was uneventful and went well. We restarted a few pieces for various reasons, and re-recorded a couple because of traffic noise. (That's why we make the recordings at the dress rehearsal - we can't do redos at the concert.) The dress rehearsal ended early enough to get to a 14:00 class late. Erin went to Lokasenna; I went back to camp to eat lunch.
The wood block carving needed more time; perhaps 2 hours would have worked. This was a new instructor's first class. (And of course there was more interest than space available. I got there early enough to participate.)
The people who run the Thing are genuinely interested in improving it and making it more accessible. The Pennsic Univ Registrar (who I guess takes the class submissions), the scheduler, and one of the programmers where there. Only 2 people showed up to make suggestions. I put in my requests for (1) having 2 levels of selection, so low-priority choices could be shown as conflicts with high-priority events (e.g. rehearsals) and (2) being able to add events (like in-camp duties) to a personal calendar.
The other guy requested federated logins (like using a FaceBook or GMail account for Thing logins rather than requiring creating a Thing account) and the ability to remove selections from a custom schedule. (Currently you have to find the class on the full schedule to unselect it from your personal schedule. ☹) He had a couple more from a friend, but I don't remember them.
I've often mentioned that classes are too full to attend. The PU tried advanced registration (i.e. sign-ups) for classes, but ditched it; they shared some of the reasons behind that. (Signing up early was inconvenient. Some people signed up but didn't show up, but discouraged other people from signing up when the class was full.) But many instructors are distraught about having more attendees show up than they can teach.
The Bog U has been on the schedule the last 2 (previous and this) Pennsics, but the PU people say there's been informal classes in the bog for 20 years, people getting together to share knowledge (which is exactly what PU is). It's a long walk from the far end of Cooper's lake to the main class area, and there's a lot of people camped around the lake; it would make sense for them to start doing their own thing. Adding them to the main scheduling shares this with the rest of Pennsic - and brings in new teaching resources to the bog.
The Thing programmer realized setting priorities on selections would give them more info about class attendance for classes that show up as secondary/conflicts in personalized schedules. They track attendance by sending people out count bodies at each class. Mainly they want to know which classes should be in bigger (or smaller) tents in the future. This new info might let them find more classes which shouldn't be scheduled at the same time. But the attendance numbers also show that a larger percentage of Pennsic attendees are also PU attendees - far more than participate in the battles and martial activities. Performing Arts is separate, but PU and PA require substantial resources (a lot of tents, a lot of space, a lot of staff); the attendance figures justify these resources. (They're reasons I come to Pennsic.)
Some of the activities scheduled on the Thing count for volunteer points. (Teaching a class, sure. Rehearsals? Yes, they count, but I don't know why. I guess rehearsing is part of performing, and that is also an offering to the community.) Some kind of automated/passive attendance measurement would let them automate some of the war-point counting. [That would also require more identity info, to assign the points to the correct kingdoms.]
I went back to camp after the Thing to get all of my recorders (I travelled "light" with just the toolbox/recorder case to the morning classes) and the audio recorder for the concert. The KWRE wasn't great, but we had only 3 rehearsals (and I had to miss part of all of them for Chorulus) and a wide variety of abilities. We had a much larger group than last year. Tuning is a problem.
The kids did a good job, and they're always cute. There were only 3 teens, and they did very well too. It's disappointing that there were so few of them, since they're a source of future singers for the adult choirs.
Chorulus was great. KWC was great. We always are. We just are.
I stayed for one more concert, and it was good. (A few pieces were iffy (and maybe I need to learn how to listen to those); several were outstanding.)
I recorded the KWRE/Chorulus/KWC/Nutmegs and Ginger concerts. The .wav files are on http://bchivers.name/audio. [Big .wav files for now; someday smaller .mp3 files....]
60 classes of interest; went to 4 classes, a double dress rehearsal, and a triple concert.
TimeLengthRoomClassInstructorDescription
09:301.5Performing Arts Rehearsal TentInterpreting Cantigas on Your OwnMistress Amelie d'AnjouThe Cantigas de Santa Maria are a well-known music source, but can you read the original notation yourself? Yes! By learning just a bit of medieval notation, you can check current transcriptions or even do your own! Why? Because some of the current versions out there are arguably wrong, and because it's fun. [cantigas #100, 166, 1, 340, 77]
11:001.0Performing Arts Rehearsal TentLet's Play Ortiz TenorsMistress Amelie d'Anjou
We'll practice our improv skills by jamming on a few of the tenors or ground bass lines in Diego Ortiz's treatise on viol playing (he calls them recercadas). Any instruments welcome, but be prepared to improvise. Probable tenors include passamezzo antico, passamezzo moderno, and folia. If you would like to look at the music ahead, go to IMSLP and search for Diego Ortiz. (Recercadas primera, secunda, and quarta or ottava sobre tenores Italianos - we'll do our own top lines) The treatise is Trattado de Glosas from 1553, also on IMSLP. (Recercadas are at the end.)
12:002.5Performing Arts TentRehearsal (Closed): KWC Dress RehearsalPennsic Performing Arts
Space in use.
14:001.0A&S 15Lokasenna: What We Learn When Loki Shouts at GodsSarah BarringerBy doing a close reading of the Norse poem, Lokasenna, we will talk about Loki and the other gods' characteristics and personalities.
15:001.0A&S 4Wood Block Carving for Print MakingLord Gregor Reinhardt von Holstein
Learn the basics of wood block carving for print making, see carved wood blocks and prints, and try your hand at carving techniques. Students will be able to learn basic transfer and carving techniques. Please note that carving tools are sharp and this course may not be appropriate for younger students.
16:001.0A&S 3thing.pennsicuniversity.org: Hiss & PurrThl Griffin de WillingehamThird year! Everyone, instructor or not, come say what you liked, disliked, and would like to see in this system for next year.
18:000.5Dance TentRehearsal (Closed): KWC Pre-Performance Warm-UpsPennsic Performing Arts(Closed Rehearsal) 6 pm: Pre-performance warm-ups and line-up in European Dance Tent for the Known World Choir performance in PAT at 6:30 pm.
18:000.5Performing Arts TentKnown World Recorder Ensemble PerformancePennsic Performing ArtsRecorder 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!
18:302.0Performing Arts TentKnown World Choirs PerformancePennsic Performing ArtsShow time: 6:30 - 8:15 pm. The 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.
20:301.0Performing Arts TentNutmegs & GingerPennsic Performing Arts
"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.
The (ever-so-lovely) Erin had something going on in her camp tonight, and asked for a rain check (no idea when, around here) on our traditional sit around at my camp and then her camp drinking interesting beverages and catching up on each other's lives. Sigh. ☹
I can stop carrying the ocarina in my journey bag. I've needed to have it for giving pitches at the last Chorulus rehearsals and the concert. (I pulled it out as a joke at a rehearsal, but it seems to have been just the thing?)
Dinner was pasta alfredo w/ vegetables, and pear crisp for dessert. I had some applesauce and peanuts before the concert, since I was getting hungry. (I would have just eaten some peanut butter if I'd had some already stirred together. (The oil separates.))
There's only a few classes tomorrow. And tomorrow is the last day for the merchants. (May be the time to find bargains; some will have stuff they don't want to take back home.)
Friday 03:43
I'm getting to bed very late. I dozed off several times earlier (including on the phone with realinterrobang when she called
eftychia), but I don't know how long for. I've listed to some of the audio recordings I made today. What I heard around me today (both afternoon and evening) is so different from what the microphones picked up. There's a male voice (bass? tenor? don't know (yet)) that's largely clueless about pitch and not good about timing, and perhaps a couple of women who are muddling about too. I don't hear the women as often as the man. Things overall are not as clean as I thought they sounded around me. ☹ In Sweet was the song there's a G cadence where the tenors have the 3rd 3 times; the 1st time we should be on B♭ and some aren't. In There is no rose there's a C# that the bottom part where I heard only a C♮ this afternoon; tonight it was both. ☹ What I heard and what the microphone heard may both be different from what most of the audience heard.
I made my share of mistakes too (both afternoon and evening), but they weren't repeated mistakes (yeah, I find new ones every day) and I don't take the section with me. I can be a harsh critic.
I transferred photos (and today's Ortiz-class videos) to my laptop.
[This entry was originally posted as https://syntonic-comma.dreamwidth.org/911509.html on Dreamwidth (where there are
comments).]