A Chat with Moyrel

Who: Moyrel and Zorya
What: Moyrel has a chat with one of the new apprentices.
When: September 7, 2008


'The World of Pern(tm)' and 'The Dragonriders of Pern(r)' are copyright to Anne McCaffrey (c) l967, 2000. This is a recorded online session, by permission of the author but generated on PernWorld MUSH for the benefit of people unable to attend.


Harper Hall - Dining Hall
This is a large room, with space for everyone in the Hall to assemble at mealtimes. Long tables with benches are provided for the Apprentices, oval tables for the Journeymen and a single round table at the head of the room for the Masters.
On the inner wall is a huge fireplace with a wide mantelpiece, a convenient perch for the Hall's firelizard population nearby. Opposite, tall shuttered windows overlook the courtyard, and in a corner are the moving shelves bring dishes from the kitchen.
At mealtimes, the room is a hubbub of conversation, and even between meals there's activity with places being set and cleared while the appetising savour of meals to come drifts in from the kitchen.

Moyrel is here, with a half-eaten bowl of stew on the table beside her, she playing her little lap harp according to a score on an old scroll lying on the table.

Zorya makes her way into the dining hall, picking a roll from a basket left for those in search of a bite to eat between meals. Its then that the sound of the harp catches her ear and draws her towards its source. "What's that?" she inquires softly so as hopefully not interrupt too much.

Moyrel continues playing, a bright allegro piece in six-eight time. "Hm, just something I found in the archives. I like to dig up old music from time to time, just to see if there's anything worth rediscovering."

Zorya ohs and nods. "It's pretty." she replies, her voice still quiet. "I'd think there must be all kinds of interesting things in the archives here."

Moyrel says, "Well, you did decide to concentrate on record-keeping, so record-researching shouldn't be too much of a reach, right? There's bound to be something of interest to you, yes. We've got records back to the founding of the craft, though some of them are not well-preserved." She sighs. "Alas."

"No.. I suppose not." Zorya agrees after a moment's thought. "It seems to be like that anywhere there are records." she says with a bit of a sigh herself. "Even at home and we didn't even have close to half of what there is here or at the weyr." Its a big job keeping track and up to date with all of that, but someone has to do it.

Moyrel sighs, and shakes her head. "The irony is that the earliest records are almost as well preserved as recent ones, but we lost a lot of technology for a while due mostly to elitism among craftmasters. Bah."

Zorya nods, "Well, what's done is done." she starts, sinking into a seat nearby. "But that doesn't mean we can't do the best we can to preserve what's left…" Right? There's got to be at least a few things they can do.

Moyrel puts the harp aside and picks up a klah mug nearby, and pulls a face as she swigs from it. Apparently the stuff got cold. "We can. I think the Craft elite have learned not to be so—well, elite. Knowledge is for sharing."

Zorya nods again, letting a bit of a giggle escape. "That's a step I suppose. I mean it'd be harder to keep up with new things, much less take care of older stuff if they weren't willing to share.." That made sense in her head at least, though whether it continued to when she said it…

Moyrel picks up a fork, dabbles a little in the stew, which undoubably is as cold as the klah, and takes a bite. "That's another reason for me to try not to seem as aloof as people think I am. A craftmaster needs to listen to the needs of the people, y'know, especially the Masterharper in my opinion. I have all of Pern's history, y'know, down in those archives, and we harpers are educators in addition to all else that we do."

"I suppose…" Zorya replies, though the inflection in her voice gives up that the girl doesn't quite understand even though she doesn't voice it outright just yet.

Moyrel says, "You'll grasp it eventually. Of course, every craft will expound on its importants, and all crafts are important, each in its way, but Harpercraft is a /personal/ craft, I think. We have to /know/ people." She looks at the old scroll for a moment. "And we have to know where we've been. There are a lot of great things stashed in those vaults, y'know. Music, poetry, history, whatever you like, it's in there."

"It takes time I guess." Zorya agrees with a solemn nod of her head. Just like everything it takes time to learn. "I've looked a little when I've had time." That's okay, right? "Between lessons and practicing and all there's not much of it, and I don't even know where to start." She's like a sponge, but there's so much there.

Moyrel smiles. "An eager one, are you? Good. Start with whatever piques your interest. Old teaching ballads, old event records, Journeyman and Master theses, geneology, whatever you like. Go from there."

Zorya nods, perhaps a bit over excited at the prospect. "There.. well there wasn't much teaching back home. Not about anything much outside the cothold anyway. And there's -so- much more to know about." And now she has the chance. "Is there anything you'd suggest?" the girl asks.

Moyrel thinks for a brief moment. "Hm, for you, maybe some old songs, some not too easy ones, considering that you're also concentrating on voice work. Bring back some old traditional songs or other songs that got lost."

"Songs..," the girl repeats. Yes, that would be a good place to start wouldn't it. Zorya pauses for a moment before her next question is voiced, "Anything in particular you think I should try?" She's just trying to find a god jumping off point perhaps.

Moyrel shrugs. "Something that looks like a decent challenge, but still being the kind of song that you like. As long as the words and score are preserved well enough for you to read."

Zorya thinks for a moment before simply nodding. "I'll see what I can find then." she says, noting the suggestions for later. "I just, I'm still learning to read the notes." The words are no problem, and if she's heard the song before then its easier, but something completely new… that takes far more.

Moyrel says, "You'll get the hang of it. It'll be second nature before you know it if you're as good a student as you are an eager one. If nothing else, start with something without too many sharps and flats on the score. Such melodies will be C major or A minor."

"C and A.." Zorya repeats, mostly to herself before looking back to the woman in front of her. "You really think so?" she asks hopefully, "I'm trying my best, but still there's times I…" the girl pauses for a second, "Sometimes I feel like I'm trying to catch up."

Moyrel says, "C major, and A minor, specifically." A pause, with a slight frown, then: "Something holding you back?"

Zorya hesitates at the question. "Well Ah… I didn't have much learnin' back home." she admits after a long moment, taking the short bit of extra time to slow down her thought and form the words. "Some a the songs and such that everyone seems ta know, I didn't hear them before comin' here."

Moyrel says, "Well, there's nothing wrong with the ones that everyone knows. There's nothing wrong with the traditional songs. On the other hand, if you want to expand your repertoire, the opportunity awaits. If you can learn the songs that you learned, you can learn more."

A smile pulls across Zorya's lips as the woman replies, "I suppose you're right. If I learned what I have, I can learn more. I just have to work hard on my lessons. Speaking of which… I should probably be going. Thank you so much Master Moyrel." Perhaps that's all she needed, a bit of encouragement.

Moyrel nods. "A different learning technique, and new techniques to learn, but you'll learn new songs—and old ones. And you have a good day." She gives a sort of sitting bow where she sits.

Zorya nods, giving a quick bit of a bow in return before she turns to head off. "Thank you!" she calls back over her shoulder once more.

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