George, you refer to "being entertaining" as if it's a separate attribute, along with diction, presentable appearance and so on.

What I was trying to say earlier was that for me, it isn't anything like that. For me, "entertainment" is the end result of a high-quality performance that keeps people enthralled in what you're doing. Can I do it that well? Not often, I'm afraid, which is why I earn a living as a software engineer. :-) But that's what I go to see, and that's what I aspire to when I play. And if I've not achieved that, I feel that not only have I let myself down, but I've also let down everyone whose songs I've sung, and the genre in general. By failing to entertain your audience (keep them interested in what you're playing), I think you automatically do your chosen genre a disservice.

And why choose to play folk, opera or whatever? You don't, any more than you choose to love your partner - the fact that you find it interesting (entertaining) is an attribute of your personality. And if you don't find that genre interesting (entertaining) then it's almost certain that you won't be able to perform that genre well enough to deliver a performance that'll keep people involved (entertained).

Graham.