The Bardic Seat of Caer Dur has a winner...
What a wonderful month with a lot of community events and wonderful weather. I’m pretty sure my son Tim brought it with him from Australia 😀
We have the wonderful news that Molly Dunne, one of our open mic regulars, will be serving as the 3rd Bard of Caer Dur for a year and a day.
We hope to see some of you at the Poet Laureate, Poundbury this coming Tuesday. You will have the opportunity to congratulate Molly and see her perform, she will be the feature poet of the night.
Forty people attended an event at Pummery Square in Poundbury to witness six aspirants compete for The Bardic Seat of Dorchester. Molly Dunne, aged 22, of Upwey was selected by the five judges to be the overall winner and awarded the title of The Bard of Caer Dur.
The judges and the audience were spellbound by her reinterpretation of the Thomas Hardy poem ‘The Shadow on The Stone’ from the point of view of Emma Gifford, an English writer and suffragist, best known as the first wife of novelist and poet Thomas Hardy. Her other piece was a celebratory monologue on the charms of Dorset. Molly will hold the title of The Bard of Caer Dur for 1 year and 1 day, she will set the theme for next years competition and compere the event in 2025.
Singer-songwriter Aidan Simpson, aged 30, from Bridport was awarded the Hardy Prize by the Chair of The Thomas Hardy Society for the best Hardy piece, his interpretation of the Thomas Hardy poem ‘The Late Autumn’ as a song with acoustic guitar.
Jerry Bird who founded the Bardic Seat in 2010 and Simon Emmerson (Imagined Village and Afro-Celt Sound System) both passed in 2023 and were awarded the status of Honorary Bards of Caer Dur for their contributions to music and poetry.
Peter Roe the former Bard of Caer Dur was honoured with the title of Grand Bard and he will continue to work with the successive Bards of Dorchester to administer the competition for Dorchester and West Dorset for the next five years.
Grand Bard, Peter Roe said “We were absolutely delighted with the quality of all the contestants who made it to the final. Each of them brought their own interpretation of the theme ‘Celebrating Dorchester or West Dorset’, an interpretation of a Thomas Hardy poem as poem, song or story and their Bardic Manifesto… What they would bring to the role. Molly has big ideas for her year in the role, she is a worthy winner and you can follow her Bardic year on The Bard of Dorchester Substack.”
The Third Bard of Caer Dur - Molly Dunne
Molly is a regular at our Open Mic Nights @ The Poet Laurate.
This is an extract of Molly’s Manifesto. As a Bard, I dream of connecting with my community through storytelling. I want to honor Dorchester's history, celebrate its diversity, and inspire others to share their stories. Through poetry, song, and collaboration, I aim to create a vibrant cultural tapestry. I'll use digital media to reach a wider audience and foster a deeper understanding of our community. This role would allow me to be myself, make a difference, and pursue my passion for storytelling.
We are looking forward to seeing what wonderful creative contribution Molly brings to West Dorset. She will be supported by The Jawbone Collective CIC and the Grand Bard - Peter Roe.
An assortment of photos of the day.
