Thanks for these comments. I didn't mean to infer that reenactors are playing like children. Yes - they have a genuine interest in the history. Some even go a little overboard - I met one Civil War reenactor who felt he was more historically accurate than others because he actually had fleas. BTW - I am the guitarist on several recording projects of Civil War era music. One is "The Civil War Collection" (volume 1) by Jim Taylor. http://www.amazon.com/music/dp/B000005C28 The other is "Unsung Stories of the Civil War" by Bruce Burnside. http://www.amazon.com/Bruce-Burnsides-Unsung-Stories-Civil/dp/B000V6MF4C http://bruceburnside.com/civil-war.html Tom
OK - I'll agree that a lot of folks who get into SCA and go to "Renaissance Festivals" have a very non-HIP viewpoint on what it's all about. For them it's basically play-acting, in the same way as those who attend Civil War Re-enactments, or Rendezvous Re-enactments. It creates for them "warm-fuzzy" feelings and an escape from every day hum-drum. BUT - I think these are people whose hearts are in the right place, and who could be enticed to concerts, and who could be willing open books to learn what life and music REALLY was like. And they spend money like fiends! I may have missed some of this thread but this comment deserves some correction. I have looked at the SCA website in the past and had simmilar views that participants have a non HIP viewpoint and dress up to have a 'warm fuzzy-feeling' was another comment. It looked closer to Disney fantasy than any historical facts. The American Civil War on the other hand, should be spot-on having taken place on American soil and, having many written records, as well as photographs enabling true re-enactments to take place. Here in the UK, I have taken part in English Civil War re-enactments with a group that researches the local history of every place we went. This enables a fair portrayal of events as an educational as well as entertaining spectacle. We did not see it as dressing-up and playing like children. The only way anyone can educate, is by studying the many books on the period (350 years ago). Paintings, woodcuts, models etc. etc. to enable every piece of clothing to be made as accurately as possible. Natural materials only and hand-sewn during the winter months, The men fashion artefacts in wood, pottery and metals in readiness for the next season. Nothing modern must be visible. (Wristwatches, spectacles etc.)even foodstuff that was not authentic to the period. We have known people to live 17thC all year round. But most are regular people with a keen interest on 17thC history. They study and learn, even the language of the time, attend plays and concerts, museums etc. For most, it is not about dressing-up, but dressing-down. Yes, it is escapism from the hum-drum of life. My main point is that true historical re-enactment is not fantasy, but a desire to generate public awareness of our great heritage. - and spend money with friends in order to do so! Ron (UK) To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html Tom Draughon Heartistry Music http://www.heartistrymusic.com/artists/tom.html 714 9th Avenue West Ashland, WI 54806 715-682-9362
