Kingdom Bardic Championship

Unto all who wish to compete in the An Tir Kingdom Bardic Champion Competition, Duchess Stjarna, Kingdom Minister of Art and Sciences, greet you and invite you to declare your intent to compete in this year’s competition.

At Collegium, November 11-13, 2022, in the Barony of Aquaterra, Competitors will share their Bardic presentations with Their Royal Majesties and Their populace in hopes of being named the Bardic Champion of An Tir for the next year. We thank Andromacha Tis Lésvos for her time as Bardic Champion. Three years is a long time to keep our hearts warmed with stories around the fire. She was gracious to start this process and assist me as I start my new office.

Below are the list conventions of the Bardic Tournament (please note that these conventions may change depending on the number of entrants).

All entrants will need to submit their Letter of Intent to the Kingdom Minister of Arts & Sciences (KMAS) no later than 11:59pm on October 15th, 2022. This will be done electronically via the Google Form . 

Descriptions of each performance must be submitted by October 30th, 2022. This must include a 500 word or less documentation for the 2 period performance pieces that includes a short and accurate description of the type of piece, the location and time period, and some salient points regarding period performance. These will be displayed at the event for the populace.

Each entrant shall prepare three performances in one or more Bardic categories of their choice. All entrants will perform on Saturday morning and evening. The top three scoring entrants will be invited to perform their third piece on Sunday morning. Two of these performances need to be period/historical pieces. One performance may be an SCA or An Tir inspired piece. Please note that this may not be used in the third and final round. Entrants may enlist the assistance of others in up to two of their performances. One entry must be a solo performance.

The competition shall be divided into three phases: Phase 1 will be held on Saturday morning with all entrants performing an entry of their choice. There will be no questions during this phase. Phase 2 will be held on Saturday evening with all entrants performing a second entry of their choice. If time allows, there will be a short time for questions for the competitors from the audience. The populace will then be asked to select their top three performances. Phase 3 will be held Sunday morning – The voting will be tabulated after Phase 2 and the top three Bards will perform a third entry for the benefit of four judges: Their Majesties, the KMAS, and the Sitting Bardic Champion. If time allows questions may be asked of the competitors from the audience. The Bardic Champion will be selected by the Crown with the advice of the other two judges. Each performance should be 10 minutes or less.

Your in Service, Duchess Stjarna, An Tir Minister of Arts and Sciences, OP.