I sometimes think there are two festivals at NEFFA, three if I count the dance events. But let me focus on the two musical festivals. One is the festival of the inner core, many of whom are Mudcatters, and the other is everyone else. It's impossible to characterize the inner core precisely, but I know them when I see them. They are the long time festival, club, and society regulars, almost all of whom perform the traditional English language music of the British Isles or North America. This group was out in force at the Sunday morning memorial to Tom Gibney.

The everyone else group includes most, if not all, of the foreign language performers, as well as many of the off beat performers, including people who do the stuff for children, who give the educational presentations, and who lead the jams.

I'm not saying this division is bad, I'm just saying it exists, and that I try to make a point out of sampling both festivals. Yes, I saw the Woodchucks, as I always do, but I passed up hearing Judy Cook's Songs of Eating so I could hear Heather Lev do a wonderful workshop on the life and music of Malvina Reynolds And yes, I heard the Animateera Women's Chorus lead Sing for Joy, but I also stuck around for Tom Neilson's Outlaws in History. I believe I was the only one who did so.

Has anyone else had this two festival experience at NEFFA? Or am I barking up the wrong tree?