Welcome
Starsong is currently in self-imposed exile for the good of the realm.
We hope to resume appearances in less plague-ridden times.Starsong is a musical group based in central Missouri that performs original music at Renaissance festivals and similar venues. Members include Emrys (singer/songwriter/guitarist) and Nia (singer/songwriter/percussionist), with occasional guest appearances by other family members.We have experience in both lane and stage, and are comfortable with either. Starsong's music is primarily folk or romantic in style, with dalliances in filk and parody.If you have a favorite faire and would like to see us there, feel free to contact us!
Experience and Schedule
Hello, Entertainment Directors.Look at your Faire, now back to me, now back to your Faire, now back to me.Sadly, your Faire has no contract with me, but if you contacted me through my website or on Facebook, it could.Look down, back up, where are you? You're in the lanes with the bard your Faire could hire.Anything is possible when your Faire books Starsong.I'm on a stage.
Upcoming EventsStarsong is currently in self-imposed exile for the good of the realm.
We hope to resume appearances in less plague-ridden times.
Past ExperienceOur home faire is the Central Missouri Renaissance Festival, held in Kingdom City, MO, where Starsong performed annually from 2013 through 2019 (until the Plague hit), but we have also performed at the Greater St. Louis Renaissance Festival (2013-14) and the Renaissance Faire of the Ozarks (2016-18).Emrys composed original music for Arts for All, Inc.'s 2013 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, held in Omaha, NE.Emrys has also performed with Elvendrums from 2010-13 (guitar/vocals), and with Pirates, Inc. from 2015-16 (percussion/vocals).
Why Starsong?
"I'd swear he's Elvish..."
I settled on the name Emrys Starsong while I was actively performing with the group Elvendrums. Those of you unfamiliar with Elvendrums, the concept is simple: elves who play drums. I retained the name for my solo act despite the fact that my solo persona was not overtly elven, partly due to continuity and familiarity, and partly because I just like the name. When my wife Nia joined me on stage in 2017, we began using just "Starsong" for the group's name. - Emrys
Origins
A long-time friend of mine is a skilled woodworker, focusing on wooden weaponry. While visiting one day, he and I collaborated on a design for a new sword, which he carved and then gave to me. I took it outside to swing it around and, despite being made of wood, it sang as it sliced through the air. I held it up to the sky, and a shooting star passed through the space framed by the curved back half of the guard. I knew I had to name it. After entertaining various possibilities, I turned to my friends for help. As it turns out, the woman who would become my wife ended up suggesting the one that stuck: Starsong. - Emrys
What's with the gold cord?
My parents were involved in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) when I was very young (I guess you could say I've been Middle-Aged my whole life). The bardic guild for our particular chapter actually wrote to Anne McCaffrey to request permission to model the guild after her Harper Hall - and received it! Thus, the guild took up the practice of ranking its members as Apprentices, Journeymen, and Masters, with each rank being signified by a different color cord, or "knot" in Pernese parlance. Apprentices wore blue, Journeymen had silver, and gold was reserved for those who had proven themselves to be Master Harpers. - Emrys
Contact
Are you troubled by a strange silence in the middle of your site?Do you experience feelings of longing in your lanes or fae realm?Has your Faire or Festival ever lacked a singer/songwriter/guitarist?If the answer is "yes" then don't wait another minute! Pick up the phone and call a professional: Starsong!Our courteous and efficient staff is on call to serve all your Renaissance entertainment needs.We're ready to make-believe with you!
"... I really enjoyed it as a breath of fresh air. Which all Starsong material is - there isn't a whole circuit of people doing these songs." - Ash B., CMRF 2016
Starsong is a musical group based in central Missouri which performs primarily original songs. Their current members include Emrys (singer/songwriter/guitarist) and Nia (singer/percussionist). Their music is a blend of folk and romantic styles, along with some parodied tunes.Nia became involved in RenFaires in 1998 when she signed on as a cast member with the Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire. She continued to volunteer from the faire's opening year until the end of their 2005 season, and could often be found in the Scots Guild and on the Court.A long-time "playtron" of faires, Emrys became an official performer on the circuit when he joined up with the established group Elvendrums as a guitarist and accompanying vocalist in 2010. When Elvendrums went on hiatus at the end of 2011, Emrys decided he hadn't had quite enough of the faire performer's life and struck out on his own as a solo act under the name "Emrys Starsong." In 2015 he began lending his talents to Pirates, Inc. as percussionist and background vocalist, but withdrew from that group in March of 2017 to focus on his own music and goals. In the Fall of 2017, his wife Nia joined him on stage, and the group's name was changed to "Starsong."Starsong's most frequently recorded piece, "Raven's Fall," was written by Emrys's father. "Raven's Fall" was inspired by the novel Windhaven, published in 1981 and co-written by George R. R. Martin and Lisa Tuttle.
While many of their songs are inspired by fantasy and fiction, they are often interwoven with deeper, sometimes personal meaning. "Story Man," a parodied version of Billy Joel's "Piano Man," tells the story of a group of Dungeons & Dragons players from the perspective of the Dungeon Master, and in humorous fashion relates the bond they share as cooperative storytellers in the mundane age of digital media and television. "Shield of Words" is a romantic piece that draws upon the vivid imagery of ancient Spartan warfare in its chorus, but was actually written as an autobiographical account of how Emrys met Nia.Starsong has performed most frequently at the Central Missouri Renaissance Festival held in Kingdom City, MO, but has also been seen in Kansas, Iowa, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Illinois at various RenFaires across the South and Midwest.
What People are Saying
"I LOVED your Closing Gate! Seriously, you are a Ren star waiting to happen." - Ash B., CMRF 2016"Your Closing Gate was very well received out in the middle of the crowd and fit in perfectly to the rest of the Pub Sing." - Doug Wilson (Entertainment Coordinator), CMRF 2016"The last (and first) time I ever saw you, you were wandering the fae forest at STLRF and entertaining us fairies with your wonderful music several years ago. I am so glad you were at CMRF this year. I really enjoy your music." - Charlotte C., CMRF 2015"'Story Man' definitely made me laugh." - Goody Bronwen (TwoFaireWenches Blog), CMRF 2015"This music is wonderful, in every sense of the word. Seeing the show would be worth it for that alone..." - Jerry Abels (Catwalk Muse Theatre Troupe), regarding the compositions for Arts for All, Inc.'s 2013 production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream"