minstrel: Performance Lengths

[Mike Baker]

Frederick, I commiserate and appreciate the depth of your quandary.

Most of my "best" performance pieces are stories that run 5 to 7 minutes, 
maybe slightly less but easily much more. I find that the essential 
component is "reading the audience". This includes the setting: formal 
circle, informal campfire, command performance, competition, etc. It 
definitely includes consideration of the size of the listening group: I find 
that smaller audiences are more likely to tolerate or even enjoy longer 
works, while large groups tend to disintegrate into private discussions 
unless you are particularly rivetting as a performer (or they are showing 
respect for the venue, such as in a Kingdom-level competition).

AND your "read" must consider the individuals within the audience as well. 
For example, I have a couple of St. Nicholas legends that I have learned 
that are Not Suitable for young audiences, esp. tween-agers who would 
deliberately repeat them to even younger siblings for the shock value. 
Likewise, I'd hesitate before repeating my mutable ditty about "There Are 
Other Highlands Than Scotland's" in front of a heavily-influenced Celtic 
crowd -- for them, it's time to pull out "Scottish Rats" as learnt 
indirectly from Michael Gallowglass' rendition on _The Return of the Cynagua 
Sampler: The Sequel_ (and hope that someone present knows enough of the 
shtick to start up a local rendition of the appropriate Blech Watch Nosepipe 
Orchestra background...)

In formal and even semi-formal competitions (in Ansteorra, a Titled Bard of 
<name of branch> or a Kingdom Eisteddfod), holding the entire audience may 
actually not be your primary concern: you want to do your best stuff in the 
best manner available in order to impress the judges. Where a competition 
calls for performance in two (or more) forms, my suggestion is to split up 
the lengths and show that you *can* work in shorter timeframes as well as 
the longer, more traditional, style of material. Long poem? Make a short 
song your second work.

Maybe the best place to practice / test-run "new" material is in front of 
your local bardic group, musician's gathering, or equivalent. If those 
aren't available, prevail upon a few non-performer friends at the next 
event, find a quiet corner, and let 'er fly.

If you aren't too certain of those friends beforehand, I guarantee you'll 
have a better understanding of just where you stand in their considerations 
afterwards...

(Note: I have only scanned a couple of the other responses already posted. 
The concept intrigued me sufficiently to want to take a - mostly - 
uninfluenced stab at responding to your concern. Now I'm off to study those 
other correspondents and see if their words stimulate other thoughts...)

Kihe Blackeagle (the Dreamsinger Bard)  s.k.a. Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri 
al-Amra
     currently residing in Barony of the Steppes, Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mike C. Baker                      mbaker at rapp.com
Any opinions expressed are obviously my own unless explicitly stated 
otherwise! 

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