Hi Don,

I've listened to all of the videos you linked. The Corries are nice, I can't say I dislike them, but all of their songs seem to have the same style and I think I might tire of that after a while. They are well polished (maybe too much), both in their singing and in their accompaniment.

The R of A by the Corries does seem to move at a good clip. I like the slightly slower tempo of the Dubliners, but the Dubliners rendition seems too overly orchestrated for my taste - too overproduced for what should be a simple song.

You probably haven't heard our friend Jerry Middaugh sing recently, but he does a very nice version of the R of A. He sings it in 4/4 time (if I recall right) and unaccompanied, in a sort of Appalachian style. The best part of it is his phrasing which puts a lot of feeling into it - not overdone, but in a simple way. I think you would like it if you heard him sing it. I think the Corries' version lacks a bit of that feeling.

Again, I don't dislike the singing of the Corries, but I think I might get a bit tired of it after a while.

Cheers, S. in Seattle