George, that was a beautiful post and words that we need to remember. You are right about Utah and how his life was lead to pass the message on to others.   I think it is because of that message that some of us feel that Kendall belonged on the stage as well. I don't know Kendall other than through the few recordings I have of him and reading his insightful posts here on Mudcat.   The image I glean from all of that is that Kendall is also one of the "disciples" and his message is also about passing it along.

However, your point is well taken about the short time you had to produce the tribute and how it was impossible to include everyone. I completely respect and understand that, and again I thank you for your post to give those of us watching from the outside some insight.   A few years ago I produced a re-creation of the Woody Guthrie "Bound For Glory" revue that was originally created by Millard Lampell in 1955. I produced this at NERFA, which is a gathering of several hundred musicians. You can imagine how difficult it is to repeatedly explain why only a handful of musicians participated. It was nothing personal, but as producer you have to make choices.   I can appreciate the fact that an artistic director or producer needs to make decisions that won't always be popular - but it is the only way that they can create their vision. Aside from this one issue, I've only heard wonderful things about the tribute. Unfortunately I was unable to see it - always a problem with festivals!


Peter made a comment - "Festivals walk a tightrope between becoming too democratized and collapsing into chaos, and becoming so controlled by those few people that they crawl up their own butthole and die, culturally speaking."   

I would never want to attend a festival that is truly "democratic". You need control whether it is from one person, a committee, or individuals with designated responsibities - just as a recording is a statement created by an artist and producer, or a book is a reflection of the author, or a movie the vision of a director.   I attend a number of festivals each year, and each one is unique and a reflection of the festival staff. The more successful ones are the ones that have tighter control. They may not please everyone, but you can see that the attendance is increased and the performers respond by giving "something extra". I've attended some festivals that were so loose and chaotic and ended with the producers scratching their heads wondering why they lost money and the performances were drab.

I know there has been a number of complaints registered here on Mudcat about Old Songs.   With all due respect, it might be that we are growing older and the inconvenieces of rain and mosquitoes and dirty shower stalls make us grumpy. We are of an age where we no longer suffer fools. We are becoming the image of the angry old neighbor who stands on the doorstep yelling "hey you kids, get off my lawn!".

But we need complaints. Complaints lead to improvements. At the same time, we can't expect all of our individual needs to be met - and even a collective group of the same mindset does not always speak for the entire audience. Let's hope we can find the middle ground.

I, for one, left Old Songs on Sunday with a wonderful glow (okay, the glow might have partially been caused by the Calamine lotion covering my bug bites)and I am already counting the days until next year's fest.

For me, Old Songs is a booster shot for folk music and community. Old Songs is a reminder of the wonderful diversity and sharing of cultures that occur in our traditions. We get an opportunity to see some old familiar faces and meet new ones that show us the traditions are alive and well - and will carry on.

While I am the proud owner of two left feet, I enjoy watching the after concert dances. I find it comforting that the dances are attended by so many young people - teenagers and young adults who are starting their own traditions. (Not being a dancer, I'm curious about contra dances in other parts of the country - are young people responding and turning out?)

I enjoy the after concert sings in the Dutch Barn and all the wonderful songs that are shared. The various workshops and informal jams that result in some of the finest music of the weekend. While it may seem spontaneous, these spur of the moment events are the result of the planning and foresight that put all the ingredients together to make it work.

I realize that my view of Old Songs differs from others, and perhaps I am too optomistic and need to work on my crankiness a bit more (I'll be 51 in two weeks and I am already getting irritated about minor things!!!). I believe that Old Songs has created a community that will not become a ghost town - we will say goodbye to old friends and welcome new ones in their place, just as we do in all the healthy towns we live in.

I for one will continue to spread the word about this magnificent festival and I hope others who have not yet experienced it won't be turned off by what is really minor issues that have been raised - and issues that can be fixed or dealt with. I'm looking forward to all the wonderful surprises that I am sure will be in store at next years event!!   Kudos to everyone who put this together, and my sincre thanks for creating such a unique event - a festival that stands out among all the wonderful events that I attend.