Travelling troubadour.

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I have been cast in a madrigal dinner play as travelling troubadour. It is a renaissance Christmas Holiday thing. As everyone here probably knows, I like to busk. I feel like I've achieved something with this, I don't know what though. A travelling troubadour, does it get any buskier? Anyway, my favourite line in the play is when, after telling the king that I seek fame, fortune, and love, and he asks me how a lowly travelling troubadour such as myself propose to do so in the King's court, especially find love. And then I get to say, "a king is a king, but a travelling troubadour, your highhorse, is irresistible to the ladies." At which time I play my lutulele and sing a song. Then all the ladies of the court give me coins and candy and make me sit with them at the royal table, much to the king's consternation. This is going to be both scary and fun. Two performances and they are already sold out. Prior to the dinner the guests are outside the great hall and there is a grand entrance. While they wait I will be playing, singing, and mingling for their entertainment. I am a little worried about the costume.
 
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Sounds like you are having fun.
 
I am a little worried about the costume.

How tight are your tights? I hope you don't have to wear a codpiece...

You'll be great. Ham it up and have fun.

Wish I had a troubadour a-sittin' by my knee,
Playin' stately rhythms of the ancient balladry.
If I had a troubadour, I'd signal with my hand
And he would sing for you.
He would sing for you until you smile.

—Tom Paxton
 
Sounds great! Send pics!

And if all else fails: channel Danny Kaye!
 
There must be at least a partial video of this, right?

I had not thought about that. I'll bet there will be. There is much singing and several skits that go along with it. I just have a small bit. A half dozen lines and a song. Then later I tell a story. The main attraction is a chorus that sings a number of songs. They are very good. I was at rehearsal Wednesday night and the chorus is the real draw. The rest is just comic relief. Anyway, at certain times during the dinner I strum my uke for the ladies at the end of the table and maybe sing a little ditty of some sort. The king isn't happy with me at the royal table as it is, and he gives us the stink eye. The ladies giggle. In the script there are just yellow highlights over "troubadour". The director said just to do whatever feels spontaneous and natural. Something a little bawdy. Not too loud, just loud enough to get the King's attention. I'll have some fun with that.

I'm writing this and my spell check is changing king to kong. What's with that?
 
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Have you seen the song 'Chastity Belt'? We do that sometimes for medieval banquets, getting 'volunteers' from the audience to join in. We're lucky in having quite a few castles and stately homes in the area, so opportunities for 'tights and feathery hats' gigs.
 
Have you seen the song 'Chastity Belt'? We do that sometimes for medieval banquets, getting 'volunteers' from the audience to join in. We're lucky in having quite a few castles and stately homes in the area, so opportunities for 'tights and feathery hats' gigs.
I will try and find it, thanks. I can do a lot of stuff, but absolutely none of it is renaissance. But they asked me to do an amusing parody, so I worked up a song for that. I played it on Wednesday, and they liked it. So at least I have my big number out of the way. We do not have castles or stately homes in our neck of the woods. We have barns, machine sheds and farm houses. This dinner play is in a church. They do it every year. My wife has done them before. This is my first. I'm scared to death, but that's okay.
 
PM me if you get stuck and I'll ask a friend for a copy. Sounds like you won't have the challenges we have from rowdy audiences, but I can pass on some ideas that have worked for us if you like. I'm sure 'Dr Gig' will cut in, and you'll have a great time!
 
PM me if you get stuck and I'll ask a friend for a copy. Sounds like you won't have the challenges we have from rowdy audiences, but I can pass on some ideas that have worked for us if you like. I'm sure 'Dr Gig' will cut in, and you'll have a great time!

Like I said, my role is a minor one. The director of the production and the chorus leader are the ones, and they have already scripted it. They have left room for the individual actors to venture off script a little if they wish, but I'm thinking that except for re-phrasing some of my lines, I'll be staying on script.
 
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The Chastity Belt song seems like it might be a perfect fit. (No, I didn't say that.) I'd love to find that for an open mic song.

But if it doesn't work for you, Fairport Convention did a lot of updated traditional English songs to more of a folk Rock sound. I always liked "Misty Moisty Morning." Lots of their songs' music are online. Maddy Prior has continued in that vein with some solo or duet albums. Some can be quite suggestive.

Oscar Brand collected "bawdy" songs and released a couple of album collections of them. More American folk-ish.

The Baltimore Consort and The Merry Companions released a CD of Renaissance songs called: "The Art of the Bawdy Song". Very authentic, but they may be too difficult for the audience to understand easily. Much like singing the songs in a Shakespeare production.


PS: I hope your friends and relatives fared okay with the earthquake in Puerto Rico. PR has been through a lot.
 
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The Chastity Belt song seems like it might be a perfect fit. (No, I didn't say that.) I'd love to find that for an open mic song.

But if it doesn't work for you, Fairport Convention did a lot of updated traditional English songs to more of a folk Rock sound. I always liked "Misty Moisty Morning." Lots of their songs' music are online. Maddy Prior has continued in that vein with some solo or duet albums. Some can be quite suggestive.

Oscar Brand collected "bawdy" songs and released a couple of album collections of them. More American folk-ish.

The Baltimore Consort and The Merry Companions released a CD of Renaissance songs called: "The Art of the Bawdy Song". Very authentic, but they may be too difficult for the audience to understand easily. Much like singing the songs in a Shakespeare production.


PS: I hope your friends and relatives fared okay with the earthquake in Puerto Rico. PR has been through a lot.

Beyond my main song, the king is going to cut me short with a glare when I start in, so I only need to remember a few lines.
I'm only supposed to be an annoyance, and then only when the script calls for it.

Thanks for the thoughts about PR. All of our friends are safe and accounted for. San Juan just got the shakes. They are on the north. The southern coast got hit hard.
 
I am happy to say that I can add travelling troubadour to my resume. That, and they had a story telling part that they needed someone to step into at the last minute and I got that too at the dress rehearsal, so that was fun as well. All I had to do is read it with expression. There were forty eight tickets sold for the Saturday evening performance and sixty some for the Sunday one. No video, dang. But I do have a picture of a lady of the court and myself. It was great fun and quite the experience.

Mad 1.jpg
 
Wow! Nice picture, Sir Troubadour! You and your good lady look just like people in one of my medieval literature tomes. Congratulations for the look anyhow. I’ll wager you both had a royal time at the fest. :eek:ld:
 
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