Stage Manager(and others): I was really only discussing the very popular view that the origins of oldtime and bluegrass music can be traced to predominantly "Celtic", Irish, Scottish of "Scots Irish" music from (possibly) Gaelic speakers settling in the Appalachians, and to the influence of black music on this.
I was disagreeing, and saying that I would have thought English traditional singing and fiddling had an equal or greater influence; and I was also suggesting that this downplaying of the English influence is a political thing, at variance with the historical evidence. I totally agree that black music had a huge influence on it. I'm specifically talking about southern American oldtime music here. not Cape Breton, where obviously Scottish settleers had a much more powerful influence. and Gaelic speaking was much more signicant over a substantial period of time.
    The link to a piece about the Scots Gaelic (Outer Hebrides) origins of black gospel singing was interesting, but to me highly unconvincing (except as a minor element in the cultural mix). Students are generally taught something about the dangers of statistical arguments leading to connections where none actually exist. Examples commonly cited are (1) Canadian blanket sales correlate very well with the temperature in London(England). However, you would wrong to assume from this that the temperature in London affects Canadian blanket sales. (2) Having measles is virtually invariably associated with havinf a high temperature. This does not mean that a high temperature is of much use s a diagnostic test for measles.
   I think we have the same thing here with black gospel music and psalm-singing in Lewis and Harris.(I have an excellent recording, which I am listening to at the moment). Yes, they have traits in common. No, I dont think those features necessarily link the two forms of music in a hugely signicant way. I think the professor has got a bee in his bonnet (that's what folk music research does to you, and dont I know it!).