To elaborate...I think it is really important for people to know if they are shanty leaders or not. Like they say of a leader, look around occasionally to see if someone is following you. There were some really great assemblies of people at Folklife, but there is a point at which it falls apart if everyone feels obliged to lead when really there are preferential roles for them (and I include myself in this category). There is probably no greater bunch of group singers than shanty singers, and they want to sing and be led well and it is not a task that everyone is up to...which doesn't mean you can't have a perfectly fine time singing anyway..you just don't have to lead if you are not truly a leader. This applies to mostly major events for which people have gone to some trouble to attend..not your ordinary group of friends etc. Perhaps Jon B would care to elaborate..he said something along these lines I believe... mg