Haggis Rampant

My favorite part of a Renaissance Faire is the music.  As Patricia Wrede said, “Music and magic are brother and sister.”

Haggis Rampant and Frieman the Minstrel leading the queen and her court to the main gate.

At the third annual Mid-South Renaissance Faire,  we are fortunate in having excellent musicians.

• Haggis Rampant
• Frieman the Minstrel
• Melandra of the Woods
•  Wind, Wood, and Wire
• Roger Awesome
• Donal Hinely
• John Ross and Jeremy Wessel

Haggis Rampant is not only one of my favorite RenFaire bands, but they include two of my three favorite pipers, Steve and Gillian Brownlee.  (The third is Eric Rigler of Bad Haggis.) Naturally, with a name like Susan Murrie Macdonald, a member of Clan Murray by birth and Clan Donald by marriage, it’s no surprise I like the bagpipes.

Steve Brownlee

Who are Haggis Rampant?  They’re a bagpipe and bodhrán trio.  They’re a family playing together.  They’re music with an attitude.  And Heaven have mercy, are they loud!

Haggis Rampant:  Pam, Steve, and Gillian Brownlee

Normally, Haggis Rampant is a trio consisting of father Steve Brownlee and daughter Gillian Brownlee on the bagpipes and mother Pam Brownlee on the drums, both bodhrán and big bass drum.  Daughter Morgan Brownlee sometimes accompanies them; Morgan is a dancer, a drummer, and a fiddler.

Pam and Gillian Brownlee

They’ve been at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival since 2000, and at the Mid-South Renaissance Faire since 2015.  They have CDs for sale if you want to hear their music, and appear in the ABC book R is for Renaissance Faire if you want a pictorial souvenir.   They also perform at Highland Games, Celtic festivals, music competitions, weddings, funerals, boat christenings, inaugurations, etc.  They did an impromptu performance at the Parthenon in Nashville, TN after the eclipse., which led the crowd of eclipse-watchers into spontaneous dancing.

Morgan, Pam, and Gillian Brownlee at the second annual Mid-South Renaissance Faire.

Steve Brownlee, an award winning piper,  has been playing bagpipes since 1996.  He has a wicked sense of humor, such as playing “Scotland the Brave” as he pipes the actress playing Queen Elizabeth of England to the front gate of the RenFaire, or playing “Rain, Rain, Go Away” during a shower.  (I’ve never heard that song on the bagpipes before, and I probably never will again.)  Pam Brownlee is an award winning bass drummer, who took up playing the bodhrán because accompanying Steve was the easiest way to spend time with her husband.  Gillian Brownlee has been a piper since 2003, when she was only a “wee beastie.” She plays the fiddle as well as the Great Highland Bagpipe, although her competition victories have been as a piper, not a fiddler.  Morgan Brownlee plays bodhrán, tenor drum, and violin, as well as dancing.  She’s won a competition or two herself for her solo drumming.  (What can I say?  They’re a family of overachievers, with talent to spare.)  Their shows include joking and teasing between the family members as well as great music.  Most of their music is traditional, but they do a bit of contemporary now and again.

Morgan Brownlee on the tenor drum, accompanied by Steve Brownlee on the bagpipes

Their first album, Haggis Rampant (hard to find, may be out of print), is traditional, as is their third album, Trì.  Their second album, Wee Beastie, includes some of Steve’s own compositions as well as traditional Celtic music.  Their fourth album, The Silver Glens, is what they call their “quiet album” (or as quiet as a bagpipe CD can be).  “This album is a different mix for us. We’re usually playing music that makes our audiences want to jump up and shout “Freedom!” This time, to heck with creating energy; we wanted to record the music that stirs our souls.” Their fifth album, Burly!, includes Ken Petrie on the electric guitar and bass for a wild musical extravaganza.  Their sixth album is still in the planning stages, and they’ve not yet announced the theme of it.

Frieman the Minstrel, with Haggis Rampant, at the 2nd annual Mid-South Renaissance Faire

If you’re lucky enough be to able to catch one of their performances, by all means do so.  If you live too far away to be able to hear them in person, check out their CDs. Remember, they’re the letter R in my alphabet book R is for Renaissance Faire, autographed copies available for sale at the Mid-South Renaissance Faire, unautographed copies available through Amazon.

Susan Murrie Macdonald with R IS FOR RENAISSANCE FAIRE.

 

Photos by Tom Sweeney, R. B. Macdonald, Reggie V. Miller, and Susan Murrie Macdonald

The Mid-South Renaissance Faire Is Coming To Millington!

If you live in Millington, TN, West Memphis, AR, Horn Lake, MS, Memphis, TN, or even Jonesboro, AR, you’ve probably seen the posters scattered around town. Maybe you picked up one of the discount postcards at the Millington Public Library. The third annual Mid-South Renaissance Faire is coming to Millington.

       

The Mid-South Renaissance Faire has changed venue, and is moving from Shelby Farms Park in Memphis to USA Stadium in Millington. It will be here the last two weekends of August: 8/19, 8/20, 8/26, and 8/27. Hours are from 10:00 in the morning to 6:00 in the evening.

What is a Renaissance Faire? Why should you go, and what do you do there?

         A A Renaissance Faire, or RenFaire, is a chance to go time traveling without a DeLorean or a blue police call box. It’s a public, family-friendly, outdoor gathering that recreates the Renaissance era to entertain its guests. Part county fair, part living history display, and part fairy tale come to life, it’s an improvisational theater where the audience is invited, indeed, encouraged to participate.

Why should you come to the Mid-South Renaissance Faire? It’s fun and educational for the whole family, and less expensive than a trip to Discovery Park of America in Union City. It’s far less expensive than a trip to Six Flags in St. Louis. It’s also a chance to make new friends, as visitors will be coming to the Mid-South Renaissance Faire from Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Missouri. The entertainers and merchants are coming from all over the US: Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and more.

    

Why is the RenFaire coming to Millington a good thing?  Guests to the faire are coming from the entire Mid-South area. Entertainers are coming from the East Coast, Texas, and Louisiana. These people will sleep in Millington hotels and motels. They will eat in Millington restaurants. They will buy things at Millington stores. This will be good for the local economy.

         

If you’ve never been to a RenFaire (and the next nearest RenFaire is a four-hour drive away), you may not know what to expect. What do you do at a Renaissance Faire? Meet the queen and her court, and shout huzzah as Good Queen Bess parades through the village. Watch the knights jousting on horseback. Enjoy demonstrations of swordsmanship and archery, and maybe try it for yourself. Eat a turkey leg.

     

Play games like Giant Chess, Dunk the Dunce, Veggie Revenge, and Mini Tug of War. Climb Jacob’s Ladder. Listen to the minstrels: Haggis Rampant, John Ross, Melandra of the Woods, Frieman the Minstrel, Donal Hinely, and Memphis’ own Wood, Wind, and Wire. Watch the daring feats of aerialist Shelli Buttons and laugh at the comedy swordplay of the Lords of Adventure. The Mid-South Renaissance Faire also has a touch of magic: the Faerie Queen and her court, trolls, a leprechaun, and a dragon. There’s plenty of dancing, both dance troupes to amuse you and Elizabethan dance lessons where you can join in. Try your hand at brass rubbing. There are costume contests for dogs on Saturdays and humans and elves on Sundays. The pirates, alas, will only be there the second weekend.

If you enjoy shopping, the RenFaire has plenty to tempt you: toys, clothing, goblets, fans, parasols, weaponry, leatherwork, autographed copies of R is for Renaissance Faire by local author Susan Macdonald, hats, baking mixes, jewelry, jam, candles, artwork, and more. If you come in 21^st century clothing and decide you’d like to join into the fun, you can buy or rent RenFaire garb at the faire.

There’s plenty to amuse the youngsters. In addition to the games and shows, there are two children’s quests. Boys and girls who complete either quest can be knighted by the queen. Listen to the storytellers. Meet the trolls. Buy ice cream from the Ice Cream Dragon.

What is the setting of the Mid-South Renaissance Faire? The year is 1576.  Queen Elizabeth is on the throne.  Tired of the crowds of London, she and her court have come to the humble Shire of Shelby. The local villagers have organized a festival in the queen’s honor, inviting minstrels and merchants to come as they celebrate the royal visit.

    

Tickets are $10 for adults and teenagers, $5 for children ages 6-12, and $8 for senior citizens, students, and military personnel with proper ID. Children under five are admitted free. Parking is free.

          

If the Mid-South Renaissance Faire does well this year, it may choose Millington as its new home.  That would be a financial and cultural benefit to Millington.

Wilt thou come to the Faire?

Pictures by R. B. Macdonald and R. V. Miller.

 

 

Copy Editor for Hire

ANNOUNCEMENT

I earned the Poynter ACES Certificate in Editing yesterday from Poynter News University and American Copy Editors Society (ACES).   I am a member of ACES and a guest member of Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA).  Would you like to hire me to polish your prose?

I consider myself competent to offer both proofreading and basic copy editing services.  What’s the difference?  Proofreading is looking for SPAG errors (spelling, punctuation, and grammar).  It’s typically done when a story or article is nearly ready for publication.  Copy editing includes finding and correcting SPAG errors, but also checking for jargon, wordiness, awkward transitions, a character who changes the spelling of her name from chapter three to chapter seven, and making sure that the article fits the preferred style of the intended publication.   For an excellent explanation of copy editing vs. proofreading, I recommend this article. 

RATES

For basic copy editing, I charge $25 an hour, at an estimated pace of 5-10 manuscript pages per hour.

For proofreading, I charge $20, at an estimated pace of 10-15 manuscript pages per hour.

According to the Editorial Freelancers Association, the industry standard for a manuscript page is a firm 250 words.

[I do not do heavy copy editing, line editing, or website copy editing at this time.]

For ghostwriting blogs, I charge $10 for the first 250 words, $20 for a 251-500 word article, $30 for 501-750 words, etc.

For assisting an author to format their story into standard manuscript format, my rates are negotiable depending on the length of the story and whether or not I am also copy editing that story.  E-mail me to discuss it in private.

These prices are lower than the EFA suggested industry rates because the ink is barely dry on my certificate.  My prices will be rising to editorial standards once I am no longer a novice, so take advantage of these low rates now.  They won’t last more than a year.

TESTIMONIALS

“I have just gone through and implemented your recommendations, following your advice in all but the very fewest instances — the ones where you said I could get away with it as a matter of personal style. You have a magnificent eye for the errant typo, and your suggestions regarding grammar were spot-on in every instance.  You definitely spotted many places where I *thought* I knew the correct spelling…but didn’t! Dalmatian and monocle and others! As Mark Twain said — I’m sure you know the quote — “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble.  It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”  Thank you again and again and again! You are my hero, and I cannot thank you properly!”  Jefferson P. Swycaffer, author of Warsprite, Web of Futures, and the Concordat of Archive series.

“Thank you so much! And you are a great proofreader! :-)”  Vera Nazarian, author of the Atlantis Grail series, Mansfield Park and Mummies, and Dreams of the Compass Rose.

Susan Murrie Macdonald:  author, freelance journalist, blogger, ghostwriter, and freelance copy editor and proofreader

§  “Erzabet and the Gladiators,” Heroic Fantasy,  published by Flame Tree Publishing, July 2017

§ “Freckles and Long Neck,” Bumples issue #43,  published by Bumples.com, June 2017

§  “As Prophesied of Old,” Alternative Truths, published by B Cubed Press, April 2017

§  “Captain’s Claim,” published by eSpec Books, October, 2016

§  R is for Renaissance Faire, published by Highland Heather Press, May, 201​

§  Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid, published by Highland Heather Press, Jan. 2016

§  “The Piper’s Wife,” Sword & Sorceress #30, published by MZB Literary Trust, Nov. 2015

§  “Two Princes” and “Vixen’s Song,” Barbarian Crowns, published by Horrified Press, July 2015

§  “Thank You, Thad,” Supernatural Colorado, published by WolfSinger Publications, Jan. 2015