I don't know a lot about the Newcastle degree course, and I haven't time right now to look it up, but I am aware that there is considerable variety in the music and song that is coming out of it.

I also know that the students are being made aware of the traditional performers - song and music - which they may not have had access to or regarded as important before they went on the course.

Having talked to Damien O'Kane of Crosscurrent, before he went on the course he didn't even know that English traditional music existed - he does now!

Vic Gammon is now in charge of the course, and I'm sure that many of the concerns that a great number of us had were concerns which he shared - personally I trust him to do the best for the music as well as for the students and the university.

Barbara