Weird how it happens, ain’t it? Someone in another thread brings up King Christian of Denmark, I remember that Peter S. Beagle once sang a song titled “Ballad of King Christian X, King of Denmark, 1912-1945” and that it was on a Bayfilk collection…and the next thing you know I am listening to “Bayfilk III Center Stage”, which I haven’t listened to for almost two decades! I have been attending bardic/filk circles at science fiction and fantasy conventions since about 1983, which can go on from “Well, too late to go elsewhere” to “Hey folks! The sun is up!” and even beyond. I have shared drink, songs and ribald tales with Mercedes Lackey, Leslie Fish, Jordin Kare, Heather Alexander and their successor Alexander James, Frank Hayes and so many others over the years. I cried when Meg Davis sang “Other People’s Children”, and fell apart laughing with “Gimme That Old Time Religion”(25 or so verses back then).
Any other filkers and/or their memories out there…and could someone please the flask of Tully?
I didn’t understand most of this post and the term “filk” means nothing to me. From the title, I initially thought it was a misspelling of folk, but that does not seem the case based on your consistent use throughout the post. BUT, I did want to say that your simple and brief description of camaraderie and acceptance was moving. It made me nostalgic for something I can’t really understand. Maybe it’s just the rain today…
This little Wiki write-up talks about filk music: Filk music - Wikipedia
I came up with songs of Middle-earth by Hob Dylan: “The Age It Is a-Changin’,” “Desolate Mordor,” “Stuck on Top of Orthanc With the Minas Blues Again,”
plus a bonus track by the Dunharrow Dead: “Climbing that pass, high in morass; Caradhras, you better watch your snow”
Lordy, I hope not.
I’ve decided filk must be the answer to my question of some years back: Why does so much science-fiction music use acoustic guitars? (e.g. “Starrider” by Foreigner)
Filk is apparently a genre, previously unknown to me, where people perform songs with science fiction and fantasy themes often Weird Al type parodies of well known regular songs.
Because so much filking happens in a hotel room in a circle of musicians and/or damnfools taking turns leading the group, and someone is using all the available plugins. There will be acoustic guitars, tiny drums, voices and maybe a flask or two.
There are several filk collections, including the Bayfilk concerts, on You Tube, or you can just go to Vintage Filk Preservation.
I only already knew what filk was because of The Big Bang Theory – specifically S9 E4, when Howard and Raj start a filk band called Footprints on the Moon. I’ve never heard any filk music outside of that show.
I haven’t been to a filk sing in a long time. I do still have a few cassettes. But I’d have to figure out where to plug the player in.
“Oh let me tell you all the story of the good ship Bodacious and it’s wonderful journey into space . . .”
Members of the Society for Creative Anachronism call their filks “bardic”, and the sing is a bardic circle. I wish I could remember the words to Beermaids of Valhalla.
So would Weird Al’s song The Saga Begins be considered filk music?
I know, right? I still get a “Thor and Dr. Jones” earworm every once in a while.
I’ve probably heard other filk music and just didn’t recognize it for what it was.
Well, not exactly - bardic circle encompasses all kinds of performance, not just filk. Proper period pieces and period-style original compositions are also part of bardic.
But there is also filk.
Personally, I can take or leave it.
I used to filk every chance I got. My own pieces were generally humorous parodies, and of mediocre quality, but I loved the chance to perform.
My favorite filk piece is Julia Ecklar’s Lullaby for a Weary World.
…and I feel very fortunate to have heard Michael Longcor and Tom Smith going back and forth, and the Childs-Hiltons.