Harpgirl's comments are on target. i know the seisiun of which she speaks. my experiences from many a seisiun in ireland tell me that, there, at least, a seisiun is a social event where the comon denominators are enjoyment of the music and conviviality. there is no other apparent standard. musicianship varies widely, as does instrument mix and tune/song mix, from place to place and from nite to nite in the same place. variety.

an issue i've not seen discussed here yet is the publican's view. The free beer for players is made possible by the listeners who buy their own beer. when a seisiun becomes overly anal retentive, beer sales go done. when they go down far enough, the party's over. thus, lighten up and enjoy the music AND the people. it's only in your own self interest.