Single Entry KAS / KBC 2013.

.....On Saturday, TBT kicked off her 'Kingdom Arts & Sciences and Bardic Championship Single Entry Support Group'. Although we've GOT to pick a good nickname for it, instead of that mouth full of words, I was really inspired and excited to be at the charter meeting. The goal of which is to support all its members in the preparation of at least a single entry at KAS / KBC in 2013.

.....I was personally hoping that on Saturday we'd get to the point of declaring the items we were going to enter so we could get started over the next month in starting to gather information. So I was a little frustrated when we ended the meeting with just laying out the goals of the group and gathering names.

.....But it did not take me long at all to figure out why that next step is quite a leap! I had decided early on that I wanted to enter a musical piece. I'm pretty busy these days, so I know I don't have the time to do the research and development required to submit sonnets or a choreographed dance. But I thought a musical piece using an established piece of music from period would be, relatively, easier to do.

.....So, on Sunday, I started pulling out Gemshorn music. I love the sound of the Gemshorn, and find that I really like playing it. So I decided that a song on the Gemshorn would be the thing.

.....Problem No. 1: There is no music written specifically for the Gemshorn in period. None. Everything produced today as 'Gemshorn Music' was written for the recorder or similar instrument and transcribed for the Gemshorn.

.....Problem No. 2: The Gemshorns produced these days are keyed similarly to a recorder. So that it could approximate recorder music. In period, this doesn't seem to necessarily to have been the case. When I read that Gemshorns in period more typically resembled Ocarina's then they did Recorders, I was dismayed. There are about ten bazilion different types of Ocarina's. They play, generally, similarly, but they are not the same instrument as a Recorder as the Gemshorns of today more closely approximate.

.....Problem No. 3: My Gemshorn is a cow horn that has a cedar fipple and is sealed with a synthetic resin. The 'typical' Gemshorn in period was made from a wild mountain goat found in Europe that is extinct on the continent itself. How closely, really, does the sound from my Gemshorn approximate a Gemshorn in period.

.....So, at that point I started thinking that maybe instead I'll pull out my Bass Recorder and play something on it. Again, not so fast.

.....Problem No. 1: The Bass Recorder, especially in late period, was an ensemble (consort) instrument. You didn't exactly hear it as a soloist. I could play something transcribed from another instrument, but I would have to defend that choice. Which is possible, but am I passionate enough about the Bass Recorder to do that effectively?

.....I thought at this point that maybe I would play in a duet with someone else. The music could be carefully marked for the judges so that they know exactly which parts they need to be listening to my lead and what parts need to be judged for my work. I had been talking with Solvei at the Day Camp and thought that maybe this would be fun. Although there is a risk. Actually, several. Solvei is a really good player. I could sound really bad in comparison and my scores could go lower because of that. Even saying that by the time of the Championship I had improved to hold my own. There was always the risk that it would be difficult for the judges to really distinguish one part from the other and I could get dinged accordingly.

.....So, bottom line. It's the focus thing. Just in a couple of hours of looking around my nice, neat, simple entry had grown tentacles and was branching in dozens of different ways. What did I really want to play? By myself? With another? Earlier period? Later period?

.....At this point I'm leaning towards going with the Gemshorn, with a lot of back-up on why my Gemshorn would be recognized if heard in period. But I'm going to hold out a little until I hear back from Solvei. Now I need to pick out what exactly I want to play.

.....Focus! Focus!

.....Aaron / Arontius.