i'm always fascinated to see the vast regional differences in repertiore. i sang "lovely agnes" at the local jam (in suquamish; a reservation in rural nw washington), and people were so charmed they requested it over and over again for weeks. they're just now beginning to get the hang of the chorus so they can sing along. and all the songs i learned to avoid at the minnesota renaissance festival seem to be new to everyone out here. and of course their tired old favorites are completely unfamiliar to me.

i used to be confused when fiddlers would say "i'm going to play a traditional tune from county cork"... i didn't understand how they could possibly know where in ireland it was from. surely once it caught on it spread like wildfire and was played all over? ah, but now i know better. even with cd's and the internet, songs still manage to have strong regional roots.