My bard template is similiar to Capt. E's.
120 Music
120 Provo
120 Disco
120 SW
115 Magery
115 Med
(710 cap, 715 in 3 months.)
All real skill. I'd like to point out that I consider this my main character as well, as it's the one I have the most fun with. (Ninja/archer being second, mage/tamer third.)
Since the introduction of Vollems, I see them as part of my standard "gear". They do wonders when solo, and do dish out at least some additional damages to bosses if something else occupies the boss' attention.
Disco and provo - I don't think I have to point out the benefits from these skills.
SW I find very handy. Nowadays, there's always someone outside Brit bank (on Europa at least) for arcane circle, and it's usually not hard to get max number of SWs if you play during prime time hours.
For bosses, WoD is a very nice feature.
For someone like me, who sees every death as a major personal defeat, Gift of Life is almost reason enough to keep.
Most (not all though) other SW spells have their uses for me, some more often than others, and I do enjoy playing a not too common template.
I'm not a PVP:er, but when raided on champs, Summon Fey really seems to annoy the agressors. I'm not killing anyone with it, but feels good to at least annoy them. Also, the vollems are at least half-decent body guards, even though not very fearsome.
Cons:
What I miss the most - paralyze. I miss crowd-control abilities, provo just isn't enough. Occasionally I swap SW for peacemaking, or either SW or med for Eval Int, but it doesn't suit my play-style. I don't do much direct damage, so I have to rely on pets/provo/party, but that's fine with me.
Also, I can't take down any big-game solo. I don't have the solo-power of a tamer or sampire, but I'm fine with that, I can still do quite alot on my own, and feel like I'm really contributing to most guild events.
I'll edit this post when I've decided on the mastery that'll suit me the best.