Our Lady Rose

Sometimes you realize that you feel a certain way when you see someone, and you never tell them. I wrote this song to tell someone. I first shared it on Friday, February 16, 2024. Rose was in the hospital, and her daughter played it for her the day that I sent it. I deeply hope she heard it.

Our beloved friend Rose passed away just a few days later. I will miss her very, very much and I know that I will see her at certain events, just out of the corner of my eye, forevermore.

Read more: Our Lady Rose

Her soul glows like the blossom
That blooms in summer’s warm
She’s soft as pussy willow,
As fierce as any storm.
Her heart’s large as forest
Her smile melts winter’s cold
Her hair reflects the autumn trees
And the hearty marigold.
Our Rose ever blooming our rose

Clever as the raven
As busy as the bee
Looking out for everyone,
A soul of quality.
There are many ways of being
In this big world I suppose.
Wish all were as generous
As our Lady Rose.

Her soul glows like the blossom
That blooms in summer’s warm
She’s soft as pussy willow,
As fierce as any storm.
Her heart’s large as forest
Her smile melts winter’s cold
Her hair reflects the autumn trees
And the hearty marigold.

The rose is never fragile,
It’s lovely but its thorn
Is ever at the ready
For any who would scorn
A person who is needy
for kindness or for aid,
The lowest in spirit
Find their temper swayed.

She carries bread and cookies,
Of lemons and fine flour,
Her joy in hospitality
Perhaps her greatest power.
The gifts that she delivers
Are affection manifest.
Her love is never ending,
We Are well and truly blessed.

Her soul glows like the blossom
That blooms in summer’s warm
She’s soft as pussy willow,
As fierce as any storm.
Her heart’s large as forest
Her smile melts winter’s cold
Her hair reflects the autumn trees
And the hearty marigold.
Our Rose

Her love is never ending
Our Rose is a garden ever tending
Our Rose

The guitar part was created using samples by BradoSanz shared on Looperman at https://www.looperman.com/loops?mid=BradoSanz that were augmented with some additional synth acoustic guitar pieces in GarageBand.

Pelican Boast for Brenden Crane

I was asked to boast Brenden into the hall for his elevation to Pelican January 2024 at Birka. I created a boast to read during the whole of the procession, which began at the back of the Birka hall and ended (fortunately!) just as the Crane family approached the thrones.

Read more: Pelican Boast for Brenden Crane

O crowded hall, come and greet this noble thane
Who captures images and hearts, Brenden Crane.
I’d boast of a man of great humility
Simple, for his virtues are easy to see
So much for his fellows our fine friend doth care
the honors he loves are the honors we share
So much that on paper this man did implore
His boast be an homage to those here before
To people he never knew but in name
Their mark upon friends in his heart lit a flame
That heart, so open, that he wears on his sleeve
While its steady beat inspires us to believe.
Yes, name them he bid me, so name them I will
For while scattered to realms they are with us still.
Our Dear Caroline and beloved Julien,
St Liam and ernst, who serve now much as then,
Don Jehan, Aimee, and of course, Gregory…
Their stories are guides, like the stars ore the sea
Shine bright on the whale road Brenden rows upon
While observing the sky – in night, day, or dawn.
His generous spirit and kindness to all
Have touched many gathered as one in this Hall
He would never suspect when we look at him,
We feel those constellations burning within.
That light he reflects on both pauper and queen,
And casts out the shadows so we can be seen.
This boast with no boasting, I fear is in vain
So proudly I boast SEE OUR FRIEND Brenden Crane.

Silver Tiger for Finan

Finan mac Bressail, Silver Tyger

A tale I have for you!

Here is Finan mac Bressail of the north-east for whom we should feel grateful.

Read more: Silver Tiger for Finan

Much of battles he broke, with his fellows he poured, the son of Poplyr. With continuous patience he seeks truth, so that he might give his full benefit to every one. He is skilful of conversations, in learning and explaining the movements of battle. He is an abounding benefit of guests. He is avid. 

He nourishes those of good intention and joy. He expounds on every noble thing he has learned. With his sword in his good grip he fulfills in deeds what he speaks in words.  He takes no amusement which is not in the royal law. He is a rock in battle, a stone of subduing, a tyger of silver.

We, Matthias Rex and Feilinn Regina, make this praise at the Kingdom Arts and Sciences Competition A.S. LVIII.


Words by Læri-Sǫngr Aneleda Falconbridge based on the 6th c. eulogy of Choluim Chille, Calligraphy & Illumination by Vrouwe Lijsbet van Catwiic

Text based on the eulogy of Choluim Chille, believed to be the oldest text in Irish, having been written shortly after his death in 597. It appears in “The Amra Choluim Chilli of Dallan Forgaill” by Dallan Forgaill, Saint, 6th cent. (However, the text is believed to have been written in the 9th century.) As translated by John O’Beirne Crowe in 1871.

Read the full text with footnotes.

Master Liam’s Thirty Essential SCA songs and Favorite SCA Singers

From What Master Liam Meant To Say.

I made a playlist on YouTube, here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_AGpqxzmAWrZye0dqMgyPIDVdB15reVS

Thirty Essential SCA songs

Important note: Again, this is a list of personal preference, and I likely could have doubled it. I am always open to suggestions for new ideas.

All-time Favorites

“Born on the Listfield”
Master Ivar Battleskald
“Song of the Shield Wall”
Malkin Gray/Peregrynne Windrider
“The Peasant Knight”
Mistress Rosalind Jehanne’Allen Garretson
“One of Us”
Heather Dale
“Undefeated”
Lucia Elena Braganza

Kingdom

“Flower of the Desert”
Baldwin of Erebor
“Rise”
Hector of the Black Height
“Stand Brother, Stand”
Truly Carmichael
“I Am of the North”
Aneleda Falconbridge
“Sons of the Dragon”
Garraed Gailbraith
“Shield My Kinsman”
Wyndreth Berginsdottir

History

“Hotspur”
Andrew of Wolvenwood
“Song of Roland”
Mistress Rosalind Jehanne
“Band of Brothers”
Ken Theriot
“Crusader Song”
Conn MacNall

Funny

“The Feast Song”
Ken Theriot
“Ban The Fencers”
Thomas Bordeaux
“Death, Doom and Gloom”
Cerian Cantwyr
“I’m a Duke, and You’re Not”
Thomas Bordeaux
“Seven Old Laurels”
Efenwealt Whystle/David Gunther

More Favorites

“InDUCKtion Song”
John Inchingham

“Non Nobis”
Psalm 115:1/ Patrick Doyle

“Burden of the Crown”
Baldwin of Erebor

“Stone Soup”
Heather Dale

“Drums Over Pennsic”
Lorelei Skye

“Fruit of the Yew”
James Treebull The Stubborn

“Compact Between Horse and Man
Dorcas Whitecastle

“Knight’s Leap”
Charles Kingsley/Leslie Fish

“My Old Man’s A . . .”
Valentine Warner/Efenwealt Whystle

“The Leaving Song”
Andrixos Seljukroctonis


Master Liam’s Favorite SCA Singers

Important note: This is not meant to be a definitive list of singers of the style of SCA folk  music (I call it SCA filk, but some of the musicians disagree), It’s not even a definitive list of  my favorites. If your favorite artist is not on here, please do not take it the wrong way. There will be time for sharing at the end of class.

Heather Dale: Perhaps the only SCA musician making a living with music, Heather has a wonderful voice and an amazingly dynamic stage presence. She and guitarist Ben Deschamps travel frequently, and they are always looking for house parties. Heather has a couple of SCA-specific CDs, including “Call The Names,” and is also distinguished as a singer of Arthurian lullabies. In fact, Mistress Marion of Heatherdale does not have a Laurel for performing music, but rather for her Arthurian research.

Hector of the Black Height: Chalk up another for Ealdormere Laurels. Hector, who also writes the most exquisite scroll texts, has done what I think of as perhaps the best SCA CD ever – “The Red Album” – which include the Ealdormere anthem “Rise,” the poignant, “Home To Ealdormere,” and some of the funniest songs you have ever heard.

John Inchingham: A Midrealm Laurel, first bard who ever gave me a CD. It was a present. John is also an amazing fencer. His five or so CDs are absolutely hilarious and include a number of other outstanding bards like Master Cerian Cantwyr.

Bryce de Byram: And in this corner, from Atlantia, a triple peer . . . (why is it all these people are peers?). Bryce is the voice of chivalry and honor. IN fact, his CD is called “Songs of Chivalry. “Great stuff from a great guy.

Ken Theriot: Not your average Ansteorran knight. (Is there such a thing?) If Hector’s is the  best SCA CD I own, Ken’s “Human History” is a very close second.

Lisa Theriot: Another Ansteorran bard of high renown , her CD based on the Canterbury Tales ought to be in every high school teacher’s library. She also writes some of Ken’s songs.

Efenwealt Whystle: (He gets to write his) Efenwealt is the alter ego of singer/songwriter Scott Vaughan. In his Efenwealt persona, he is a best described as a modern-day minstrel with a comedic bent. He has been writing and  recording music since 1989. Most of his original work is SCA, but he also does Harry Potter music with “The Blibbering Humdingers.”

Baldwin of Erebor: One of the old-school SCA bards, his “Welcome to the Current Middle Ages” is a must-own CD.

And more: These are eight folks I listen to a lot. I asked my friends for more, and among those they listed were: Joe Bethancourt, Leslie Fish, Samantha Moore, the Whiskey Bards, Rosalind Jehanne, Mateo de Madris, Rosalnd Jehanne, John ap Wynn, Truly Carmichael, Wyndreth Berginsdottir and Aneleda of Falconbridge. There are many more.


Master Liam St. Liam is gone from us, and I want to be sure that a couple of his posts are available to folks, so I’m putting them here, in case his site ever goes away.

Chivalry Recommendation for Micah of Brighton Manor from the Laurel

http://mbouchard.com/misc/MicahsSong.mp3

photo by Mylène Bergeron Francoeur

From a brash and brazen man
To a calm and guiding hand
The stones beneath this path
Are worn from pacing

Once inward looking in
Now finding joy in others win
Seeing their success sets his heart racing
Ever loyal and true
Ever loyal and true
Ever loyal and true
This heart embracing

He used to love the fight
Providing mastery and ight
Nothings changed yet different every way/
He has become more
Like the lighthouse on the shore/
This new lens will lengthen every ray

I recommend to you
I recommend to you
I recommend to you
This brilliant knight today


I had been asked to speak as the Laurel for Micah’s elevation to chivalry. I was deeply moved, as I’ve known Micah since early college, and he’s one of the few people I see regularly (though still not enough.) I was quite surprised however to learn that there was a caveat — he wanted the recommendation to be sung.

I struggled, coming up dry again and again. Finally I threw my hands up and trusted that the muses would do what they do best, which is to bring their gifts to me at the last possible moment, like bread brought fresh to a feast. (Only at least one can smell the bread cooking, which is a comfort!)

Fortunately, my trust was not in vain, and this piece came together literally hours before I was to deliver it. Bonus – he cried. Extra bonus — so did everyone else…including me.