That's pretty definitive. At this stage I just feel like stating the bleeding obvious. Without songwriters there would be no songs; traditional, contemporary, pop, classical, anything. If there were no songwriters (past or present) there would be no folk clubs.   

Similarly I find this apparent division between "traditional" and "contemporary" songs completely illogical. I've always understood a tradition as being something that doesn't stand still. It evolves as 'ancestral memory' handed down from generation to generation. OK some songs may stand as reference points, but I've always considered there is an absolute need for new songwriters to nourish and carry the tradition forward, otherwise it atrophies and dies. If I may quote Harvey: "I see the job of the songwriter in the modern folk world to be that of Anon..a chronicler of the times and passions, anxieties, hopes and fears of the generation they represent, so a body of work can be seen to belong to a time and a place that the "pop" songs of the time cannot replicate."         

Over my lifetime I have heard superb contemporary songs performed with passion by, amongst others, contributors to this discussion, and I am very aware the effect they have had on the audiences they sing to. I've been in them.

Maybe aspiring singer songwriters should look more closely at those who set the standards for their generation. These are the standards against which they are judged. The same can be said for aspiring writers, actors, dancers, musicians, opera singers. I can't see that folk singer/songwriters are any different. They have to relate to and perform for their respective audiences, not for themselves.   

Over thirty odd years, I've worked with all sorts of performing artists from all over the world in Opera Houses and at folk festivals. For what it's worth those at the top of their particular metier seem to me to have similar things in common. They are continually watching and absorbing, they are completely dedicated to every aspect of their craft, and are never ever satisfied with the standard of their own work. If the audience doesn't respond the way they'd hoped, they blame nobody else but themselves.

Whingers? they appeared occasionally. By and large whinge once and you might be lucky enough to get laughed at. Whinge twice and you don't get asked again. There's always someone else around who is a bit better than you are, probably because they've worked that bit harder at what you both do.   


SM