Wine is nice to drink and so is whisky. The mixing the two in the same glass would always be a minority taste - and as such perhaps the attempt to impose this upon those who go into a wine bar - to drink wine - should not be made and the wishes of those who like wine or whisky - should be respected?

Whatever the billing - I think it would be fair to say that the majority of those who attend Steve's sessions would not feel themselves deprived if there was not even one song in that session during the whole weekend. Some of these players travel a long way to attend this session and may not be prepared to do this in future.

If you should then walk in to this session and see 2 pipers, 3 banjo players 3 fiddlers, 2 box players, 2 flute/whistles players and assorted bodhrans - in would be reasonable to think that they may have attended because they wish to play their instruments together - rather than have to put them down in order to allow you to sing........

If that is not enough convince the singer who wished to have their cake and eat it - or who wished to impose their chosen tipple of wine and whisky upon others - that insisting on imposing this taste upon others was not generally thought desirable - a guide could be taken from the example set by the playing of the leader of the session?

Perhaps the answer is (as has been the case until recent years) that a singer at some point - makes in known to the session leader - that they wish to sing - and the session leader can decide when (or indeed if) this song is introduced?

Now if I were to sing at the local session that I lead - I would be hardly surprised if others followed this example. I don't choose to set this example because there are two other sessions locally where singing is the sole object and this session is the only local session where tunes are the sole object.

As I have said - this is not a matter of what is right or wrong. It is a matter of practical realities and the recognition that every action has an effect. It is always sad when the wishes of one or two individuals affect or place at risk the enjoyment of the majority. If it (this session) is not broken - there is no need to fix it - especially where there are other festival sessions where singing is the sole object.