Darowyn,

I can see where you're coming from when you write:

"For better or worse, the traditional style has gone and cannot be recovered, not should it be. Sing and play ther way that sounds good to you and forget about who did it that way before or where it comes from. You have thousands of ancestors, they are all your history. We're all mongrels. Enjoy the diverse opportunities.
Enjoy the present, it's the only time you've got."

..but I think you're in danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

If we only take forward the naturally absorbed influences then we lose a lot of detail of style and consequently a lot of skill.

Chris Coe ran a workshop last weekend where the participants listened to recordings of people as far back as Joseph Taylor and picked out bits of style that were particularly interesting. They then learned how to reporduce those things in their own singing, NOT with a view to slavishly copying style or repertoire but just to add to their stock of 'tricks', for want of a better word.

I know fiddle players who do a similar thing with whatever music they are studying.

If we absorb these things and then let them inform our future performing, whatever the repertoire, then traditional style pertains for a lot longer or evolves more slowly, whichever way you want to look at it.

Northumbrian fiddelr Willie Taylor used to learn a lot of tunes off RTE which he could pick up on his radio. The tunes never sounded Irish when he replayed them.

As with songs, I don't think the content is all important - the "Succcessors" are probably carrying the style more than anything. OK it's presently only 4 generations back and relies on recording technology (cylinders in some cases), but it's important.

Johnny Adams