I went to see Máire Ní Chathasaigh & Chris Newman last year and, if my memory serves me right, they sang perhaps a couple of songs at most during the set that they played. If anything they were the parts of their show that I least enjoyed.

But the range of music they played was so wide and their level of virtuosity / musicianship was so high that I never missed the singing and yearned to hear more of the playing. And wow what a guitar player.

Going to see them in Helmsley at the beginning of July and am not in the least bit bothered if not a single word is sung.

On the other hand I saw the Tabbush sisters at Whitby last year where not a note was played on an instrument and the experience was similarly magical for very different reasons. (As an aside does anyone know if they are due to play anywhere near Yorkshire this year as it would be really good to see them again?)