Aneleda Falconbridge

February 25, 2023March 16, 2024

Neuer Ne Yeve Away – The Lay of Richard Rollings of Astley

This performance was recorded at the East Kingdom Bardic Championship in February 2023 as my final round offering, as His Majesty had requested that I include an instrument in my performance, and that maybe a love song would be good if I had one.

The story our poet tells is one of great and enduring love. He speaks of faithfulness, loyalty, and perseverance–among the best of the chivalric virtues.

I’d long wanted to perform this piece, which I translated to Middle English many years ago. It was only very recently, however, that I discovered how I would finally set it to harp. This recording is its debut performance. Probably it’s worth mentioning that I realized the setting roughly 36 hours prior to the performance and didn’t plan on performing it it, really, but the request from His Majesty made it clear that this piece was the only possible choice.

I don’t know how I managed to keep a straight face. There were only a couple of people who knew of this song’s existence, and when I started the introduction, my boon companion, who was standing in the back of the hall, suddenly made an elated football touchdown motion that threatened to undo my composure. (My expression at 00:22 is when I made eye contact with said companion for the first and only time during the performance, for self-preservation.)

Those who were in the know started quietly snickering early at the first chorus. Those who understood Middle English started to get it as it went along. That began the giggling and a little whispering. When the ever-composed Mistress Ana deGuzman, a poetess and performer who I greatly admire, suddenly put her head down on the table and transformed to a pile of shaking veil, it was all I could do to not leap up and make a touchdown gesture in delight. That alone was worth the whole adventure.

Ultimately, this closed out a great day. I dusted off my prowess, had well-received performances, and Rickrolled the East Kingdom during the finals.

The Lay of Richard Rollings of Astley

(as told in Middle English by Aneleda Falconbridge)

Forswear thy pledge, myn weneth
nat everich oon yeven thilke
I but mine thoughts unbinden
ant thou understandan mak.

Neuer ic the ne yeve away
Neuer ic the nolde na doun
Neuer ic sette forth and forsake thee
Neuer ic yelde wepen mak
Neuer ic farewell spake
Neuer ic thee disceyve and peyne

We ken our leman mony a day
achen thou hart, thou fain would ne hit spake
we ken wot is now befalle
we wyste the sport and we wolde it play
Ant shoud thou ask mine heart,
are thee ne blind to ken?

Neuer ic the ne yeve away
Neuer ic the nolde na doun
Neuer ic sette forth and forsake thee
Neuer ic yelde wepen mak
Neuer ic farewell spake
Neuer ic thee disceyve and peyne

Neuer ic the ne yeve thou.

This post was called “A work in progress” back in Sept. 2013, when I first thought it would be funny to do. I was trying to set it to a number of historic works, none of which were a good fit. This is the first draft.

Forswear thy pledge, myn weneth
nat everich oon yeven thilke
I but mine thoughts unbinden
ant thou understandan mak.

Neuer ne thou yeveth forth
Neuer thou nolde na doun drede
Neuer ne sette forth awa y thou forsake
Neuer ne thou yeven soregh mak
Neuer ne spake adeiu
Neuer ne thou disceyve y pyne thee

We ken our leman mony a day
achen thou hart, thou fain would ne hit spake
we ken wot is now befalle
we wyste the sport and we wolde it play
Ant shoud thou ask mine heart,
are thee ne blind to ken?

Neuer ne thou yeveth forth
Neuer thou nolde na doun drede
Neuer ne sette forth awa y thou forsake
Neuer ne thou yeven soregh mak
Neuer ne spake adeiu
Neuer ne thou disceyve y pyne thee

Neuer ne yeveth forth
Ne yeveth forth.

Extra bonus points from Aneleda if you can figure out the inspiration for this piece. 😉

November 22, 2022November 22, 2022

My Mother’s Savage Daughter

This is a cover of a legendary work in the Society for Creative Anachronism, written in the 1990s by Wyndrith Berginsdottir, modernly known as Karen LU Kahan.

I recorded it because a young girl told her dad that I am a singer who knows “all the event songs” and therefore I must have a recording of this one, which is a favorite. I indeed did not, but how could I not oblige?

If you love this song as much as I do, please consider buying a copy in support of the original artist at her Bandcamp site!

https://wyndrethsavagedaughtershieldmaid.bandcamp.com/track/my-mothers-savage-daughter-studio-2

September 9, 2022September 9, 2022

The Duelist

About this piece

This song was written for swordfighters, particularly the duelist who challenge each other to single tournament combat with schlagers and fencing foils. It was inspired by a conversation in which the evocative words, “It’s for the love of the blade,” were uttered. I’ve been carrying that thought for weeks now, and am glad to finally give it its due. Dedicated to Duelist Devillin MacPherson.

September 8, 2022September 9, 2022

Rise Up My King

This was written for Brennan (and Caiolfhionn) just before their first reign, a Pennsic reign, and meant that it would be all kinds of frantic craziness. That was in 2014. This was originally posted in June of that year.

It was finally recorded for Brennan’s birthday in September 2022.

Oh Rise up my King
Rise up it’s the morning
Rise up my King
The day hath begun!
There is so much to do here,
There are people to meet now,
And there aren’t enough hours
before the setting sun.

Your steward has scheduled
the first of your meetings –
Three Barons disputing
four acres of land.
The King of our rivals
then wishes to fight you,
your armor’s been carried
at our Queen’s command.

Here is your breakfast,
Come, eat it, we’re walking,
Here is a towel,
the hot water is on
I’ll speak the agenda
as you’re in there bathing
then I’ll wait by the restroom
but don’t take too long.

Here come five retainers
to hold your belongings
Now put on the crown
and let’s hit the road.
Limit conversation
to under three minutes
and have some more water,
I don’t mean to goad.

Now that fight went well,
it’s time to try fencing,
I know it feels strange
to have such a light sword.
Now off to the range
to shoot with the yeomen,
then to the encampment
of the great Mongol horde.

Dinner tonight’s
at an important dutchy.
Their cooks are preparing
Pre-Colombian food.
Poc chuc and tamales
with goat and cassava.
We’ll bring no beer
for to drink would be rude.

There goes your Queen,
with her ladies in waiting.
Not that there’s waiting
when there’s so much to do.
It would be nice to see her,
and yes she looks lovely
but she has a schedule
that mirrors yours too…

It’s quarter-past two
and at last you’ve arrived home.
The kids are in bed,
and your Queen is alone.
There are truffles and wine
that you were just given,
but you’re too damn tired
to give her a…

…O Rise up my King
Rise up it’s the morning
Rise up my King
The day hath begun!
There is so much to do here,
There are people to meet now,
And there aren’t enough hours
before the setting sun.

There is so much to do here,
There are people to meet now,
But stick to the schedule and
We’ll get the job done!

November 15, 2020November 15, 2020

Pelican, Applique for Syr Cedric

Cedric of Thanet already had a coat that represented his recognitions as knight and laurel, and this cloak would also represent the pelican. I was given the opportunity to create the medallion to recognize his inclusion in the order. (It represents a true labor of love since string is not my thing and my lack of love for sewing is broadly known.)

Pelican medallion for Cedric of Thanet designed and sewn by Aneleda Falconbridge / M.Bouchard.

The materials are wool, linen, cotton and metallic thread, and the ever-helpful wonder-under. The completed size is roughly four inches across. (In the photo, my leg is a good reference for size.)

The size was dictated by the existing white belt applique and embroidery. Sylvia du Vey provided size information and the green base that would be sewn to the cloak. The roundel uses a remnant of wool from the first dress I completed by hand (and which netted me the baronial A&S championship!) The green linen cloth is a remnant of my laurel elevation dress. The yellow beak and red blood drop were scavenged linen from one of the trilliums we had to remove from the cloak before we could add this. The chain stitch uses metallic threads (which are terrible to work with!) which bind it to the green base.

Sylvia du Vey sewed the finished piece to the cloak and took this picture.

The design of the piece is inspired by English roof bosses, particularly one from Devon. I fell in love with the oak leaf motif for multiple reasons – it’s unique, our region has many oaks, and, especially, because Cedric has a leather oak leaf on his key chain — it was a site token for the first event for which I was the autocrat, I believe, an early Endewerade Hunt.

I wanted the piece to fall “outside” the roundel, and so included an extra oak and lengthened the tail of the pelican (which is longer in other roof boss examples.)

This is the inspiration work.

If one is seeking unique pelicans, looking at architectural detail provides some truly lovely examples that are not often seen in the SCA. I was delighted to find a few that I’ll consider should the need arise again for a similar project!