| The Official Newsletter of Das TeufelsAlpdrücken Fähnlein. Published monthly, or whenever I get around to it. Any opinions contained herein are strictly my own, unless they're someone else's, as are any typographical errors. Entire contents copyright 1998 by Paula Peterka, unless otherwise noted or authored. Yeah, like you'd WANT to steal anything out of here! It goes down stairs, alone or in pairs. . . |
| Volume 5 | Issue 3 |
April 23, 1998 | |
We have once again been offered a contract to perform at the Maryland Renaissance Festival, as guards for King Henry VIII and his court. Carolyn Spedden, the entertainment director at the festival, also invited us to set up a living history encampment if we wish, provided that it supplies two guards for the court. In return for this, we are being offered a salary of $180.00 per day, up from last year's $120.00 per day. Because soldiers are required to fulfill the contract, and because we are rather soldier-poor right now, at the last meeting it was decided to send a ballot to all members to determine whether we will accept the contract. This ballot includes a sign up sheet for each of the festival weekends. If we don't get coverage of at least two guards per weekend, then we cannot accept the contract, even if the voting approves it's acceptance. Please be realistic, and sign up only for the days you know you can work. It does us no good to accept the contract, set up a camp, and then have to forfeit a day's pay because only one guard showed up. This ballot also contains questions on the disposition of the money earned, and whether or not to set up an encampment. The ballot is included in this newsletter; please fill it out and return it as soon as possible. If you have not paid your dues yet, please enclose a check for them, because if your dues are overdue, your vote doesn't count!
This year's festival begins August 29, and runs through October 25. The festival year is 1522, Henry and Katherine are in Revel Grove to celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary, and Cardinal Wolsey will use this opportunity to put an end to the burgeoning romance between Henry Percy, heir to the powerful Earldom of Northumberland and little-miss-nobody Anne Boleyn. Revel Grove's Harvest Celebrations will be interrupted by a delegation from the rival town of Tiddington, intent on causing mischief and protesting the court's snubbing of their village in favor of Revel Grove.
The SCA Shire of Eisenthal and Der Sonnen Von Krieg have invited us to return for "a weekend of irreverent fun and mayhem" at their fourth Landsknecht Musterung on June20 & 21, 1998.
The Müsterung will be held at the Ukrainian Homestead in Lehighton, Pennsylvania. This event will include a rattan tournament emphasizing Zweihänder and Polearms, a Brewer's Conference, Arts & Sciences competition, a competition of period codpieces, a merchant's area, scheduled children's activities, at least one period play, archery activities, and a swimming pool on site, which they promise will be open this year, but with no lifeguard on duty, so swimming will be at your own risk, and minors (under 18) MUST be accompanied by an adult.
They have asked us to come teach again, so we will be holding classes in Landsknecht Clothing, German Camp Cooking, Battle Strategy and Tactics, and Pike Drill, and Der Sonnen Von Krieg will teach classes on Artillery and Small Arms of the period.
The site opens at 3:00 PM Friday, and closes at 3:00 PM Sunday. The food plan includes a buffet breakfast and a lunch sideboard Saturday, a feast limited to 125 Saturday evening, and a hot breakfast Sunday morning, all provided by the Shire of Eisenthal. The fee for this event is $20.00 for both nights, and $15.00 for one night or a day-trip. The feast is limited to 125 people, and all alcohol consumed in the hall must be purchased from the bar on site.
Last year's Müsterung was a lot of fun, and included singing circles both nights, very interesting individual combats during the day, and a fabulous feast in the evening. The shopping was nice, and the pool's being open this year will be even nicer!
Our unit's reservations will be sent in as a group, so if you are planning to attend, please let Paula know and give her your money by May 29. If you are interested in helping teach any of the above mentioned classes, please indicate that as well. (They promoted us in their official event announcement, saying thet classes would be tought by "Das Teuffels AlpDrucken Fahnlein, our kamerades from Maryland". It's close! Vive le Drunken Alpine Truffles!)
Takoma Park Parades Its Best (And Weiredst)
Takoma Park's Independence Day Parade has seen the coolest, the neates, the rowdiest, and the oddest that Maryland has to offer, and they have invited us back anyway! (Maybe we're not as odd as we thought!)
The two hour parade will begin at 10:00 am on Saturday, July 4. We will receive information about where to form up and at what time once we send in our registration. Trophies will be awarded in a number of categories, and this parade offers a prize of $100.00 for first place in the costumed group category. This is a very big parade, and is always a great deal of fun to march in, even with fire trucks' sirens behind us, and horse groups in front of us!
If you would like to march with the unit, please call Paula, so that we can get an accurate head count. If you know of any community historic or heritage events in your area that would be good opportunities for publicity and recruiting (especially recruiting), please let the officers know about them. The unit is always in need of new
Marching Through Time at Marietta Mansion took place on April 18 & 19, 1998. Like Jamestown, this was a timeline event, and many of the groups who were at MTA also made an appearance at MTT. MTT is not a judged event, and is therefore a little more relaxed. MTT also boasts the Sunday Morning Mayhem, also known as the Battle at the End of Time, in which two opposing commanders are chosen by lot, and then choose their teams from the units present. This year, our team included the Wars of the Roses, the Vikings, and several WWI guys with automatic weapons. This put the entire American Civil War (North and South) and the English Civil War on the other side. Highlights from this year's battle included a "mustard gas" grenade attack from the WWI group (actually a yellow smoke canister - very inventive and impressive), Anjabeth's being shot in the back by a punk Yankee kid, and the spiral sash-unwrapping of an ECW officer who had the audacity to try to instruct the campfollowers in how to body-loot!
The event was also marked by rainy weather, and closed down two hours early on Sunday to give people enough time to get their gear packed before the skies opened up. Our unit fielded twenty people over both days: Mike Amos, Justin Briley, Michael Denz, Kender Green, Kellie Hendley, Anna Hoppmann, Charlie Jones, Drew Jones, TJ Kirchner, Bob Kriner, Elizabeth and Janice Partenheimer, Larry and Paula Peterka, Linda Shertzer, Rob Spencer, Linda Taggart, Jennifer and Lauren Wadford, and Kim White. We were a little light on soldiers on Sunday, but acquitted ourselves bravely nonetheless. Thanks again to everyone who helped make the event such a success!
This is it! This is the last newsletter you will receive if your dues are not paid! Yearly dues were due by April 30, and by the time the next issue is mailed, the membership lists will be revised. Anyone who hasn't paid their dues will be dropped from membership, unless other arrangements have been made. How do you know if you are in arrears? Look at the date to the right of your name on your Landskonnections mailing label. This indicates when your subscription or membership will expire ("N" stands for "Newsletter subscription"). If you see a date that is past, like "4/97", for example, it means that your membership has expired, and you are going to be dropped unless you get a check to Drew, fast. This will be your last issue. How will you live without us?!? Paying your dues keeps your membership current, supports the unit, helps pay for newsletter postage, and entitles you to all rights and privileges of membership. It's the responsible thing to do, and keeps the Board from yelling at you. Dues are $20.00 for individuals, $30.00 for families, and $5.00 for newsletter subscriptions.
No, it's not a new investment opportunity, it's music! After a ten-year search, Paula's quest is over; she found a commercial source for the Landsknecht music on her badly warped and warbled cassette! There are two albums of Landsknecht music available, titled Die Landsknecht Kommen! and Die Landsknechtstrommel, and subtitled Der Botho Lucas Chor singt Landsknechtslieder. They are available on Cassette and Compact Disc, and are produced by Fröhlich-Tonträger, in Wilhelmshorst, Germany. They are available through the wonderful people at Brandenburg Historica, in Keene, New Hampshire.
These CDS contain lyric sheets and some historical notes for such songs as "Wir zogen in das Feld" (The Road to Rome), "Georg von Frundsberg Furht Uns An" (Landsknechts from Pavia), and "Vom Barette schwankt die Feder" (Landsknechts Like Us). While the Landskonnections still plans to print lyrics and singable English translations, we may have to write to Fröhlich-Tonträger to get permission to print their versions of the songs. The versions printed thus far in the Landskonnections have been taken from a variety of sources, including old library books, song sheets, web pages, and aural transcriptions from the above mentioned warped-and-warbled cassette. Members are strongly encouraged, however, to secure their own copies, so that they can learn the music as well as the words.
Paula has already been approached by members wanting to get taped copies of her CDS, and her unequivocal answer is "NO!". This is not because she is mean and wants to keep the music to herself, so she can be "special", nor is it printed here with a "wink, wink" because Brandenburg Historica has asked to subscribe to our newsletter. This is because to make pirate copies is a violation of copyright and therefore highly illegal, and because to buy one set of CDS and copy them for everyone does nothing to create a demand for Landsknecht-related materials.
If Brandenburg receives an order for 40 CDS, they will say "Hmm, there is a market for this kind of music". They will then write to Fröhlich-Tonträger, who will say "Hmm, es gibt ein Markt fur diese Musik", and who may approach the Botho-Lucas Choir and ask them to record another album of Landsknecht music, or maybe just 16th Century folksongs. If Brandenburg never hears from us again, except for the newsletters, they may say "Hmm, I guess they didn't like it. We probably shouldn't carry any more early music; it doesn't sell". This is market economics at work. This is why the Stuffy Purist and Syke's Sutlering are starting to carry more goods we can use: we have helped create a market for them.
Susan, at Brandenburg Historica, has offered to provide us these albums in quantity, hopefully at a discount. Paula is going to contact her for more information, if she can get a feel for who would be interested in owning their own copies. Brandenburg Historica can be reached directly at 346B Winchester St. Ste 121, Keene, NH 03431, (603) 352-1961, Preussen@monad.net. Their web page was located at http://members.aol.com/Wahnfried/brandenburg4.html, but recent attempts to reach it have been unsuccessful.
Note - The correct address for Brandenburg Historica is http://brandenburghistorica.com/traditional.html. - the Webmistress
Short but sweet, a little song that is not only good to sing by yourself, but sounds fantastic as a round. This is to the traditional tune of the high descant in "Rose, Rose", and works well as a round in that song, too. Its historical accuracy has not been confirmed; it was learned from a casette tape in the German camp at Southern Faire, oh, so many years ago. Any further information about its origin would be welcomed.
| Wir Sind Deutsch Music & Lyrics: Traditional (Your guess is as good as ours.) | |
| German | Non-singable English translation: (Hey if you can't learn this much German, you're in trouble!) |
|
Wir sind Deutsch, Deutschland Wahr, König in dem England, (oder Königen im England) Für immer Jahr |
We are German, Germany is true, To the King in England, (or to the Queen in England) For many years. |
A new date has been set for the clean up day for the Reisterstown Armory. The Armory, run by the Parks and Recreations Council and Bob Kriner, provides most of our weapons and armor, at very low prices. Bob has asked for his students and other unit members to set aside Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24 and help him spend both days doing a thorough shop clean-up and general maintenance. Clean up will begin at 10:00 am, and end whenever the job gets done. Wear your grubbies, bring beverages, and plan on pizza.
Last issue we asked "Who is this man, and why is he important to us?" Congratulations to Kender, who was the first to call with the correct answer. She correctly identified him as Pope Loe X, one of the many de'Medici Popes, as painted by Raphael. Behind him are two of his nephews, both Cardinals. The one on the right will become Pope Clement VIII, who we chase across the bridge to the Castle San' Angelo during the Sack of Rome ("Nyaahh, Nyaahh, the Pope runs like a girl!!")
Leo X is notable to us because he is the man who excommunicated Martin Luther. Kudos also to Stacey Haysler, and Vickie Smith, who called in second and third with the correct answer. They may get something spiffy by mail, depending on what the Landskonnections staff can scrounge up.
| Schedule of Upcoming Events (at least the ones we know about already) | |
| Every Thursday | Landsknecht Open House, Peterka's |
| May 16 & 17, 1998 | Spring Camp-Out, Marietta |
| May 23 & 24, 1998 | Armory Clean-Up, Reisterstown |
| May 30, 1998 | Don and Megan's Wedding, Iselin NJ |
| June 20 & 21, 1998 | Pennsylvania Musterung |
| July 4, 1998 | Takoma Park Parade |
| July 18 & 19, 1998 | Summer Camp-Out & Drill, TBD |
| August 28 - October 25 | Maryland RenFest |
If you are eligible to work at the Maryland Renaissance Festival, you will find a ballot included with this newsletter. Please complete and return them ASAP, even if you are not a full member. We have included a name line for scheduling purposes, and to determine whether we have enough coverage to accept the contract, since we don't gererally have secret ballots anyway. The Board will tally the votes and the make the determination no later than May 29.