Most of what was planned for War of the Wings 2015 did happen and get produced as planned which was posted in the other 4 blog posts laying out the plan for the Performing Arts Program at War of the Wings 2015:

WOW Performing Arts 1 of 4 , WOW Performing Arts 2 of 4, WOW Performing Arts 3 of 4, WOW Performing Arts 4 of 4,  but as we all know…nothing ever goes quite as we planned it…

Friday started with a great kickoff of a new method for creating a European Dance Pick Up Band! We used sheet music from the Pennsic Pile, Milady Reynse Kyferin from Nottinghill Coil led the band, and volunteer musicians from all over the kingdom came to the castle to rehearse at noon on Friday and Saturday. They provided music for the European dancing on both Friday and Saturday nights!  Here is a picture of some of the volunteer musicians:

The pick up band for Middle Eastern dancing led by Mistress Azza that played on Saturday night was also a great success!

On Friday, we did hold a great class in Improvisation Skills followed by a laughter filled “Who’s Line Doth It Be Anyway” show! Here are a few pictures from that show:

After “Who’s Line” we held an Unbelted Bardic Tournament. The “unbelted” part was a challenge to any Peer who wanted to participate… any Peer needed to bring a *partner* to perform with who was not also a Peer. The one taker we had on this challenge was Mistress Dervila who partnered with her husband Tom the Drumbuilder in the telling of stories.  The winner of the tournament was Baroness Morgan Wolfsinger of Black Diamond!

Here’s one pic from that tournament:

Friday evening, many performances occurred.  The Bardic Smackdown War Point Competition happened.  There was no light nor heat nor clear direction provided, but once Mistress Dervila stepped in to instill some guidance on the chaos, ten performers did provide their best performances in contribution to the War effort.  The performers that braved the cold and chaos of war were these brave souls:

North:

• Baroness Morgan Wolfsinger of Black Diamond
• Lord Johann von Solothurn of Black Diamond
• Mistress Dervila of Hawkwood
• milady Fennic du Blayz of Black Diamond
• milady Rosheen from Highland Foorde

South:

• Lady Morgaine of Hidden Mountain
• milady Reynsa Keyferin of Nottinghil Coil
• milady Albree of Nottinghil Coil
• Lady Isabella Arabella Daughter of Hidden Mountain
• THLady Jorunn nic Lochlainn of Hidden Mountain

The South side won the war point.

Also preparing for war on Friday night were the Rabble Rousers and Bawdy Bardic singers warming up the Adults Only crowd for the eventual Naughty Commedia Show of i Firenzi.

Rabble Rousers for Black Diamond were led by our Kingdom Bard, Lord Johann von Solothurn, and Rabble Rousers for Nottinghill Coil were led by the ever-innocent Lady Machteld Cleine.  Milady Ky led the Bawdy bardic singing until i Firenzi was ready with the very silly, adults only, commedia dell’ arte play “The Issues Of One’s Loins” which had special guest star appearances by Master Efenwealt Wystle and also His Majesty Christophe of Atlantia!

Here is the one picture allowed to be published from the i Firenzi play:

Saturday saw a cascade of successful plans come to fruition!  All the classes, rehearsals and performances ran as planned including: a European dance class, meeting of the Atlantia Performing Arts Guild, Intro to Commedia dell’ Arte class, Iron Commedia rehearsal, Bardic Madness class & performance, Bardic 101 & 102 class, Research for Performers class, and the Iron Commedia performance before court!  Here’s a rarely seen before and after set of pictures of the novice commedia student cast before and after the Iron Commedia show:

Before:   After: 

Saturday night, there was a competition held for the Baronial Bardic Champions from all the baronies of Atlantia that was supposed to be followed by a lovely concert with performance slots for both a handful of pre-scheduled experienced performers and also open slots for whoever wanted to come join in the fun.  As it turned out, we did not have use of the Vingulf Hall, so we were out in the open air experiencing the very cold wind that night.  We did bring with us one fire bowl and the camp-lantern footlights we use at Pennsic, so we had a little light and heat. The following brave souls huddled around the fire bowl kept their promises to compete for the honor of their home baronies:

1. Baroness Morgan Wolfsinger – Baronial Bardic Champion of the Barony of Black Diamond (Who won the Unbelted Bardic Tourney on Friday!)
2. Lady Thamira HaSopheret- Baronial Bardic Champion of our hosting Barony of Sacred Stone
3. Lord Jaume de Monçó (Craig B. Daniel) – Baronial Performing Arts Champion of the Barony of Windmasters’ Hill
4. Lady Morgaine Ferguson (Ivy Pandora) – Baronial Bardic Champion of the Barony of Hidden Mountain
5. milady Reynsa Keyferin – Baronial Bardic Co-Champion of the Barony of Notinghil Coil (also Director of the WoW European Pick Up Dance Band!)
6. Lady Deirdre O’Bardon – filling in for the Baronial Bardic Champion of the Barony of Bright Hills
7. Lady Scholastica Joycors (Mylinda Butterworth) – Baronial Bardic Champion of the Barony of Lochmere

Many thanks to those who braved the cold to witness and provide an audience for these dedicated and loyal Baronial Champions! That includes a few performers who had committed to perform in our “Bards and Brewers Concert” which turned out to be a cozy circle of dedicated bards including Master Scott Efenwealt Vaughan and Mistress Aenor (Kirsten Humdinger Vaughan), Lord Johann von Solothurn, Mistress Rosalind (Jonna Bernstein), and my ever supportive baritone husband Manus MacDhai (Scott Dean) , AND Dervila Ni Leanon and Tom Drumbuilder!

Special thanks also to Their Excellencies of Windmasters Hill, Callixtus and Adriana, who did come brave the cold to witness the competition.

The winner of the Inter-Baronial Bardic Champions Competition on Saturday night at War of the Wings was Lord Jaume de Monçó, the Performing Arts Champion of the Barony of Windmasters’ Hill!  He performed an impressively smooth period magic trick of “Cups and Balls” and will share the research documentation of it by request.

Sorry, there are no pictures to share from Saturday night’s performances – it was WAAAAAY too cold and dark!

So watch this space for the next announcement for your opportunities to take part in Performing Arts in the Kingdom of Atlantia!

1) Nottinghill Coil’s Baronial Birthday event on February 20-22 in Bennettsville, SC: https://sites.google.com/site/ncbb34/arts-sciences

Performing arts activities there include: Friday night dance practice and informal bardic at the “Tavern”, dance and dessert revel after feast on Saturday night organized by Baron Geldamar le Farceur, a bardic circle on Saturday night in the breezeway of the Whispering Pines Yellow cabins using the “Pick, Pass, or Play” format organized by Chung Tai Ren.

2) Brunch with the Bards in the Barony of Ponte Alto on February 21 in Reston, VA: http://pontealto.atlantia.sca.org/events/bardbrunch.php

A multitude of performing opportunities and classes on performing happening all day! So many, I can’t even type up a summary.  I’ll just rely on mentioning that the teachers for these classes include our current Poeta Atlantia, our recently stepped down 2014 Kingdom Bard, and a few of the highest quality Laurels involved in poetry and bardic arts our fair kingdom has to offer! If you’re into poetry, singing, or general performing guidance, you can’t beat a day spent in Ponte Alto on Feb 21!

3) Tournament of Ymir in the Barony of Windmasters’ Hill on February 27 – March 1 in Reidsville, NC:  http://ymir.windmastershill.org/index.php

Ymir is a huge event, and the performing activities include:  afternoon bardic competition at 2:00pm in the merchants area, a commedia play performance by i Firenzi starting at 3:30pm in the big hall, European dancing starting 30 minutes after feast ends, and a bardic circle using the Pick, Pass, or Play format also starting 30 minutes after feast ends.

4) Kingdom A&S Festival on March 7 in Wallace, NC  : http://kasf.atlantia.sca.org/

Performers do have a place at the KASF!  Pre-determined activities include the Gyrth Oldcastle Poetry Smackdown and the performance of a period commedia dell’ arte scenario by i Firenzi.  Performances are also a part of the Persona Pentathlon and Triathlon.  Also, Lady Katarzyna Witkowska will be teaching a special class on Francois Villon, a 15th Century French poet.  For any questions about how to work in a performance you want to bring, contact the Autocrat, Mistress Mordeyrn Tremayne, with the email provided on the web page.

5) Of course, Gulf Wars, March 15-22 in Lumberton, MS, abounds with performing opportunities and classes, so if you’re going, just check out the web page for Performing Arts http://www.gulfwars.org/index.php/gw-activities/arts-sciences/performing-arts  and stop by the Sable and Gules Theater and the Green Dragon Inn while you’re there!

If you have questions or other events to suggest to performers, please leave a comment here on this blog and I’ll find you an answer and promote your event!

Sincerely yours,

Lady Sophia the Orange

Atlantia Kingdom Minister for Arts and Sciences Deputy for Performing Arts