"If somebody asked you "what is 'folk'", where would you direct them?
To record shelves which would range from Seth Lakeman to Cecilia Costello? To a club which could include anything from the occasional folk song mixed in with music hall, Victorian Parlour ballads, early 20th century pop songs... et al., to the evening of Beatles songs put on by a Yorkshire folk club not so long ago?"

THAT is a complicated question, and I daresay that it is one that has ALWAYS been difficult to answer.   It would be like someone asking me where to find the best pizza. I could not simply answer - go over the George Washington Bridge and it is in New York City. The individual would be lost trying to find the building among the thousands of streets and restaurants in the city. They could sample each one they find until they decide for themselves, which might ultimately be the best solution, or I can give additional directions and explanations until they find the pizzaria that I enjoy the most.

As we've all agreed upon, there are numerous folk music traditions around the globe. I also think we are in agreement (or close to it) on what a "traditional" song is. The part that gets complicated, and where there are numerous opinions, is what "tradition" the more contemporary songs play. Here in the United States there is a strong "folk tradition" that can be traced to the 1940's folk revival and the emergence of songs from the political left, which influenced a songwriter tradition during the 1960's folk revival which in turn is influencing a generations of contemporary songwriters. Granted,this is NOT traditional music - but I argue that it comes from a community that has been "settled" in modern times under modern technology and circumstances. The roots can be traced. I also feel that it meets the criteria AND more importantly, the spirit of that infamous 1954 resolution. Granted, there are many people that disagee with me about that - and I accept that.

Jim, there was one section of your recent post that concerns me. I don't think you are giving yourself enough credit!! -

"My dream, along with others I worked with, was not only to popularise the music I love and feel is a vital part of our culture, but to use the musical and poetic forms to create new songs, which may or may not become folk songs, but which reflected the life and experiences of the people I lived and worked with.

I am now further away from that dream than I have ever been - nobody's fault - we all managed to drop the ball somewhere along the way."

First, if you "popularise" the music, the danger of commercialism creeps in - and I feel it is unavoidable. Yet, you say that you wish people to "use the musical and poetic forms to create new songs" - well, isn't that what is happening? It may be a form that differs from the traditions you study and cherish, but the musical and poetic forms are a tradition unto themself. Here in the United States, we can trace a lot of form development coming out of the Greenwich Village "Fast Folk" music scene or the Texas music scene - both of which grew out of the traditional music revival of earlier times.

Please do not think that you "dropped the ball". We owe you and others whose work has preserved, educated and created a body of work that will be studied for many generations to come.

It is a vital part of your culture, as our folk traditions are a vital part of ours. The problem that I see - you cannot force culture down the throats of the masses. Everyone on Mudcat who has an interest in traditional music came to this for specific reasons that related to our needs. We cannot expect the needs that we had are the same for others.

The well has been dug and the water tapped. When people are thirsty, they will drink from it.