Conrad, I am happy fpr you that you have managed to steep yourself so much in the tradition. I won't bore you with any pedigree but consider this. As I understand your argument in its simplest traditional players and singers should learn and perform music and song from as wide a source as possible. Surely the opposite is true. What led to such a vibrant diversity of music in Ireland was localised syles and songs. Your proposition would eventually lead to a bland mush of all styles and songs. I would say that with the popularisation of Irish Music there has had a devestating effect on diversity. For instance we had the spectacle of Munster Rugby supporters singing The Fields of Athenry, a Connaught song, in Twickenham when really they should have been singing 'The Aisle.' Are we to lose the music of 'Sliabh Luachra' or Donegal fiddling on the altar of 'the whole'. Must every person in the Orange tradition learn a green song and vice versa just to protect the sensitivities of others. In my view the whole would be reduced and suffer. Each musician receives a tradition from the collective memory of his/her teachers. Hopefully we each have an opportunity to add something of worth. My belief is that the good survives and the bad is lost. Unfortunately in this era of mass popularity and recording a lot more is surviving which may be of dubious quality.