Title: fst-entertain-msg
Subject: Entertainment at period and SCA feasts.
Author: Edited by Mark Harris
Last saved by: Mark S. Harris
Keywords: feast, entertainment, SCA, period, sing, song, jester, juggler, bard, dance

fst-entertain-msg - 7/21/07

Entertainment at period and SCA feasts.

NOTE: See also the files: feast-decor-msg, feast-serving-msg, p-songs-msg, theater-msg, dance-msg, jesters-msg, bardic-msg, juggling-msg, singing-msg.

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    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 19:21:01 EDT
From: LrdRas at aol.com
Subject: SC - Feast entertainment

apiskp at yahoo.com writes:
<< And that's another tiny peeve of mine:  I don't think
 there should be back-to-back entertainment all evening
 that completely usurps any opportunity for conversa-
 tion.   >>

Entertainment at medieval feasts was for the most part in between courses 
and/or music (*vocal or instrumental) was used as background music. The 
'entertainers should not expect to be 'listened' to if they perform during 
the feast. That is (or was) not their function. The diners should realize 
they need not listen and continue with their conversations. 

Ras

Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 11:33:30 +1000
From: Black Jade <Black_Jade at bigpond.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Feast entertainment

>Entertainment at medieval feasts was for the most part in between courses
>and/or music (*vocal or instrumental) was used as background music. The
>'entertainers should not expect to be 'listened' to if they perform during
>the feast. That is (or was) not their function. The diners should realize
>they need not listen and continue with their conversations.

I agree with this, both as a listener and an entertainer, (albeit not a
very good one).  Most of the people in my barony, I think, do it out of
courtesy more than expecting a floorshow.  But it can get very difficult to
get it right when EVERYONE has their attention focused right between your
eyes.  I usually enjoy myself more when I wander around a feast and croak
my tunes at MY leisure, rather than having to wait upon other peoples.
Some Tables ask me nicely if I could sing them a somg and it becomes a more
private and much more rewarding affair, rather thn people feeling that they
are having entertainment rammed down their throats.

Just my 2c worth (ducking and running at high speed for the Rock)

Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 23:17:33 -0500
From: "Aeddan ap Trahaearn" <aeddan at the-shores.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Feast entertainment

> Entertainment at medieval feasts was for the most part in between
> courses and/or music (*vocal or instrumental) was used as background
> music. The 'entertainers should not expect to be 'listened' to if they
> perform during the feast. That is (or was) not their function. The
> diners should realize they need not listen and continue with their
> conversations. 
> 
> Ras

I agree.  I think this is why the musicians were seated in a gallery 
above the hall.  So they might be heard but not seen.

Aeddan ap Trahaearn
Shire of Mooneschadowe
Kingdom of Ansteorra

Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:17:07 -0500
From: Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise <jenne at fiedlerfamily.net>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Mumming/Theatricals at feasts
To: Mauche List <discuss-maunche at lists.eastkingdom.org>,	Cooks within
	the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

A couple of years ago, I believe there may have been some discussion on 
the lists about documentation for Theatrical presentations and/or 
mummings during feasts.

Turns out Roy Strong's book _Feast: A history of Grand Eating_ has some 
descriptions of 15th and 16th century feast mummings and spectacles, 
especially from pages 123-125, but other descriptions are scattered 
throughout the book. These include music, dancing, what we would call 
'opera' type presentations, a staging of the siege of Jerusalem, and 
mimed theatricals.
-- 
-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net 

Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:52:38 -0500
From: "Elaine Koogler" <kiridono at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Mumming/Theatricals at feasts
To: jenne at fiedlerfamily.net,	"Cooks within the SCA"
	<sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

When our Barony hosted Twelfth Night last year, I tried to do something of
the sort.  The theme was the elements...so I had four people, one
representing each element who did a presentation during the feast...each one
introduced a course.  I had them wearing a kind of tabard, mask and circlet
of leaves/flowers/etc. in the colors of the element...and one of our poetry
laurels wrote some wonderful verses that each "element" read.  It seemed to
go off very well.

Kiri

On 1/18/07, Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise <jenne at fiedlerfamily.net>
wrote:
> A couple of years ago, I believe there may have been some discussion on
> the lists about documentation for Theatrical presentations and/or
> mummings during feasts.

Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:52:59 -0500
From: "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius" <adamantius1 at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Mumming/Theatricals at feasts
To: jenne at fiedlerfamily.net,	Cooks within the SCA
	<sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

On Jan 18, 2007, at 2:17 PM, Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise wrote:

> A couple of years ago, I believe there may have been some discussion on
> the lists about documentation for Theatrical presentations and/or
> mummings during feasts.
>
> Turns out Roy Strong's book _Feast: A history of Grand Eating_ has some
> descriptions of 15th and 16th century feast mummings and spectacles,
> especially from pages 123-125, but other descriptions are scattered
> throughout the book. These include music, dancing, what we would call
> 'opera' type presentations, a staging of the siege of Jerusalem, and
> mimed theatricals.

There may be a smattering of info on this in Nichola Fletcher's  
"Charlemagne's Tablecloth", too. I've got a copy here that I haven't  
yet read, but it alleges to cover much the same ground...

Adamantius

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