it is true that the local folk club in my local English town has closed. Pure trad music and song is not what every acoustic player wants to play. Reflecting that, we have a thriving Acoustic Club which encourages anybody and anything that is acoustic. Some of it is folk, and if anyone is tempted to try a folk song, that’s good news.

The guy who used to run the folk club said that the Acoustic Club is the new “folk” club. Folk song evolves and acoustic versions of popular songs are acceptable to me if they are from real life. And some folk song “dirges” are best forgotten. A lot of young people also write their own song, from life experience, that’s even better news - the folk music of tomorrow. Political or not, it doesn’t matter, as long as it gets you in the heart.

Brian, Hertfordshire, UK