Re: Downeast Bob's comment on "Who's the Fool Now?"--At the Northern California Renaissance Faire, we like to make up appropriately period verses about the people in our guild. Often they are in-jokes, but that just adds to our own enjoyment and the customers are perfectly happy. Example: about a guy who thinks it's funny to run up and down the parade grabbing everyone's rear--"I thought I saw a six-foot goose--Look out, Martin's on the loose." This fits perfectly with the original verses to the song, and sends all of us into hysterics. (Okay, so we're easily amused.) I really think making up verses IS traditional--after all, somebody did it in the first place.

Everybody plays a lot of 19th century Celtic music at Renaissance Faires, for a couple of reasons--it's generally pretty lively and makes good dance tunes, and they know the tunes already. It's a sad but true fact that the customers haven't a clue, for the most part, and are happy with anything that's fun. Faire participants are generally amateur actors who are there for the love of showing off, and even with the workshop requirements, anachronisms and inaccuracies abound. I have come to the conclusion that the purpose of a Renaissance Faire is to entertain people while hopefully giving them a feel for the period and maybe teaching them the tiniest bit of history--or more if they are receptive--but at the prices they are paying, I think good entertainment is our first obligation.

I know at least one musician who won't play at Faire anymore because they don't do actual 16th century stuff. Unfortunately, a lot of period stuff I have heard is kind of stiff and stilted by comparison to the later tunes. I suspect I need to be further educated it that area.