minstrel: Bardic Event Announcement

[James Turner]

East Kingdom University: Harpers' Retreat Campus (Sept 3rd - 6th)

Last year, gentles of bardic nature from throughout the East came to
Harpers' Retreat to share their joy of music, dance, storytelling and all
things bardic. Alas, the weekend was far too short and many a bard
petitioned for more time to mingle and jam with their brothers and sisters.
Fear not! Your cries were heard!

The Barony of Stonemarche is pleased to announce that Harpers' Retreat will
occupy the long Labor Day weekend this year, stretching from Friday all the
way to Monday. And to fill this expanded time, we are pleased to announce
that the event will also serve as a session of the East Kingdom University
dedicated to the bardic arts.

The weekend will be devoted to the arts and pleasures of the harper.
Workshops will be conducted on a variety of topics, taught by experienced
musicians, dancers, story tellers and craftspeople. If you wish to offer
your services as an instructor, please contact William the Alchymist (info
below). We hope to arrange some concerts, as well as a couple of good old
jam sessions. Saturday night, we will be having a competition Bardic Circle,
with prizes for the best singing and storytelling. Also Saturday night, we
will be having a feast in the Great Hall, and hope to season the dinner with
songs and stories from those assembled. In addition, on Sunday afternoon we
will have a smaller feast. This is a weekend to bask in the wonderful music,
story and dance of our Society. And since the art of the harper has always
been enhanced by the art of the brewer and vintner, we will also hold a
brewing and winemaking competition. Come to play, come to dance, come to
learn or come to listen.

The site is located at Bear Brook State Park in Suncook, NH (between
Manchester and Concord), and offers everything a tired harper could ask for.
32 cabins are available, sleeping between 3 and 7 people depending on size.
Each cabin has real beds (bring bedding and a pillow or a sleeping bag), and
each group of 5 cabins has it's own indoor toilet facilities. In addition,
shower facilities are available on site. Camping space is also available.

The admittance fee for the weekend is $15 per person, or $5 per day. Weekend
rates include cabin space as available. Gentles under 13 are $7 for the
weekend, or $3 per day. The Baronial family rate applies, the maximum rate
for for parents with children under 18 is $40 for the weekend, or $16 for
the day. Cabin space will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Groups are prefered, small groups may be asked to share a cabin with another
small group. If all cabin space is filled, tent space is available Because
cabin space is limited, we encourage gentles to reserve space early.
Reservations should be made with Lord Yitzhak ibn Yoshua (James M. Turner),
107 Fordway Ext, Derry NH 03038; (603) 434-5056; turner at blackbear.com.
Please indicate the number in your party, along with names, and include
payment.

The feast is being planned by Lady Rhiannon Dubgh (yes, the cook who served
until they burst last year), and will be held in the Great Hall on Saturday
night. Feast size will be based on advanced reservations, so if you do not
sign up for feast ahead of time, we do not guarentee you a place. The cost
for the feast is $5 for adults, and $3 for children for reservations made
before July 15th, $8 and $4 for reservations received afterwards, and $10
and $5 at the door, so get your money in early. The site is discretely wet
(no open containers, etc). The Sunday feast is $2 for adults, or $1 for
children.

Gentles wishing to teach should contact William the Alchymist (Jeff Suzuki)
at jeffs at bu.edu. We would prefer classes with a bardic theme and will give
preference to such. The site will open at 4PM on Friday, and close at 2PM on
Monday.

Find your best route to I-93 between Manchester and Concord, NH. Take exit
9N (Hookset) onto Rtes 3 and 38. Follow these roads until you reach the sign
for Route 28, marked Bear Brook State Park. Follow Route 28 until you see a
right turn at a sign for Bear Brook State Park (Bear Brook Road). Take the
road through the park. It will eventually turn into Deefield Road. You will
see a sign on the right for the Camping Grounds. Take this road. Shortly,
you will see a small house on the left at the corner of a road leading off
to the left. This road is signed for the Camping Grounds. Do not take this
road. Proceed straight onto the (soon to be) dirt road. Take this road
several miles, until you reach the 4-H camp.



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