East Kingdom Badge – may be used by any citizen of the East Kingdom

Rules and guidelines for the King’s and Queen’s Bardic Champions Competition are now available. They are printed below and can also be found at this webpage.

In an effort to encourage the bardic arts, we suggest that attendees bring small tokens to be given to any performer you find particularly pleasing.

Requirements for competition entry:
You must pre register for the Competition. All entrants must submit an email to the King’s Bard no later than 1 week before the competition indicating their willingness to compete. Out of courtesy to the autocrat & event staff please ALSO pre register for the event.

On the day of the competition each performer shall submit a brief “resume” (such as would fit on an index card) listing the performance types and styles (e.g. songs, stories, jests, musical instruments, poetry, improvisation of diverse kinds, etc.) that the performer is willing to offer upon request, should the performer reach the finals. Competitors are encouraged to be specific (see below for examples). Their Majesties will pick for each finalist one of the performance types listed on that performer’s resume for the final round. This gives the performers a chance to display versatility as well as skill, and gives Their Majesties additional information as they “audition” their next bardic champions.

Competition Format: The competition will take place over three rounds. All performance pieces should be period, period-style*, or otherwise SCA-appropriate**. All performers must perform at least one period or “period style” piece with documentation in either the first or second round.
Excessively bawdy or overtly adult themed offerings are not welcome.

Round 1: Pieces may not exceed 4 minutes, and can be period, period-style, or SCA-appropriate.

Round 2: Pieces may not exceed 6 minutes. Competitors in this round must perform a period piece if they chose to do a non-period piece in Round 1.

Round 3: The assignment for the final round will be determined by Their Majesties, guided by the performer’s earlier works, as well as the information obtained from the performer via their resume. Performers will have a few moments to prepare between the assignment from TRM and the start of performances.

*A period performance is defined as a song, story, or other performance that can be plausibly documented prior to 1601. Original compositions based on period rules of composition, original stories based on period styles, contrafacta to a period tune, and other such performances can be considered a period-style performance, with the required documentation***. For example, a performer could sing a period song with lyrics that have been rewritten modernly, tell a story from the Decameron in English, play an original tune in a period style on recorder, or recite a modern English translation of an Old English poem. Note that original works need not be written by the performer, so long as the style is documentable prior to 1601.

**An SCA-appropriate performance is any non-period piece of an appropriate nature for an SCA Bardic event, which cannot be documented prior to 1601. This would include things like SCA folk songs, or traditional pieces or stories that do not break the illusion of the medieval & Renaissance periods.

*** Documentation is required for at least one of your performances in the first two rounds, and can be supplied on an index card. For all questions concerning documentation, or assistance, please contact one of the current Champions.

Sample resumes:
Romanus Gaius Cantus (SC, OTC, Troubadour) – Roman-style boasts, filk on any topic to the tune of the Maltese Bransle or Greensleeves, good at extemporaneous speaking, can chant war-style marching songs in Latin. Excellent at theatre-style reading text I have not seen before.

Skihald the Viking (King’s Bard to John VIII, Troubadour, Order of the Maunche, Order of the Laurel) – Perform and write Norse-styled poetry in English, tell skaldic tales from 4 to 10 minutes in length from hilarious to morose, excellent teller of jokes, intermediate juggler, have several magic tricks I have worked into period settings.

Ysibeau du Provance – Period pieces in French for solo voice or recorder, Latin sacred music of the 12th century, improvisational harp. Can write small praise poems in French and English with some notice. Familiar with some music from most SCA periods, and SCA-appropriate songs. I am good at selecting music for different occasions.

Haven Fortnight (Bard to Baron of the Place) – I know a handful of period pieces, but my strengths are really SCA-appropriate non-period songs composed by others (traditional, folk tradition, SCA-composers) or by myself. I also play guitar. I can write pieces on commission with some notice. I can play and stroll at the same time. I can write in rhyming verse on short notice on nearly any topic and present it.