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<DIV>Greetings Bards of Ponte Alto,</DIV>
<DIV> Ponte Alto has many fine performers and it was evident in the Performers Symposium last winter. Master Ruaidhri an Cu is calling all bards to compete for Royal Bard at Kingdom 12th Night and below is his challenge to find a successor. This is wonderful opportunity for those with bardic talents to compete in the competition. We look forward to seeing many of you at Kingdom 12th Night and at the Royal Bard competition.</DIV>
<DIV>In Service</DIV>
<DIV>Thomas and Denise<BR></DIV>
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<DIV>Worthy Bards of Atlantia,<BR><BR>The time has come for Their Majesties to choose a new Royal Bard to<BR>serve Themselves and Their heirs. At the Kingdom Twelfth Night<BR>celebration a contest shall be held to select my replacement. Finding<BR>that replacement is my final duty as Royal Bard.<BR><BR>Because each bard has his or her own strengths it would be foolish to<BR>expect the next Royal Bard to perform, compose, and serve in the same<BR>way that I have, therefore the contest will be based around the duties<BR>of the Royal Bard. The Royal Bard of Atlantia is tasked with serving<BR>The Crown, entertaining the populace, and promoting the Bardic Arts<BR>within the Kingdom of Atlantia. The contest shall reflect those duties.<BR><BR>The competition shall consist of three rounds.<BR><BR>The first round shall commence at 1:00.<BR> Each bard shall have three minutes to perform any piece that they<BR>wish, so long as it is appropriate to our Society (i.e. a period piece,<BR>on a period theme, of SCA origin, etc.). After the first round the<BR>judges will select those bards who will participate in the second round.<BR><BR>The second round shall commence at 2:30.<BR> Each bard shall have five minutes to perform a piece that is either<BR>from period or an original piece composed in a period style and on a<BR>period theme. Modest documentation is recommended (It would be wise to<BR>have the source of the material available for the judges, to compensate<BR>for our possible ignorance of your piece or style.). After the second<BR>round the judges will select those bards who will participate in the<BR>third round.<BR><BR>The third round shall commence at 4:30.<BR> Each bard shall have ten minutes to perform a piece on the theme of<BR>one of the seven virtues (faith, charity, hope, fortitude, justice,<BR>temperance, or prudence). The final round will be judged by Their<BR>Majesties.<BR><BR><BR><BR>If you have any questions please contact me via phone at (301)570-9434<BR>or via e-mail at <gorp@erols.com>.<BR><BR>Your servant, if you will have me,<BR><BR>Master Ruaidhri an Cu<BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>