Renfaire observations

[Wareyin]

In my experience at the Georgia Renaissance Festival, I have no idea why anyone would think that is a place to go for authenticity. The vendors, the products, and the ads all make it quite clear that this is just dressing up for fun, not an educational experience. I don't think root beer floats or giant turkey legs were enjoyed by many Europeans in the Renaissance, for instance!

[OC Richard]

Our local Faire did, in the old days, try for at least a tad of authenticity regarding food and drink.

It was supposed to be an Elizabethan village in southern England, as I recall.

No turkey legs or Miller Lite back then! The food concessions served Cornish pasties (which were fantastic) and meat pies and shepherd pies and the like. The beer stands sold only English, Scottish, and Irish ales and stouts.

And as I said there was a significant presence of people who took historical costuming seriously.

Being a musician, I appreciate authenticity, and our Faire has always had official groups which play authentic Renaissance music on authentic instruments. There's the shawm-and-sackbut ensemble, who during the day plays for a group that does authentic Renaissance social dancing. There's a group that features a serpent. There's an a cappella vocal ensemble that sings glorious Renaissance choral music.

About the other musicians, not so much! A constant annoyance to me is Highland pipers playing overtly modern pipes in various historical contexts.

I used to be an American Civil War re-enactor. My flute was made in 1860. I currently have a WWII Black Watch piper's kit. My pipes were made in 1945.

So it stands out like a sore thumb (to me at least) to see these Waterloo Highland re-enactors playing modern plastic-mounted pipes. For the same price you can get a reproduction of The Waterloo Pipes! Why not play a reproduction of a set that was actually played at Waterloo?

Now we don't know what Highland pipes looked like in the Elizabethan period. All we can do is look at our earliest clear image of a set of Highland pipes, the 1714 painting The Piper To The Laird Grant. Or at least get a reproduction of a mid-18th century set, which are widely available. No, people insist on playing plastic-mounted new pipes.

So I was very pleased a couple years ago at our local Faire to see a mock battle between English and Scottish soldiers, with a piper playing a reproduction early set, and playing piobaireachd as he should be! It was great.