"……….pressurising the aforementioned TV channels to give us more"
More what Jim?
It was proposed on a recent thread that 'folk' should be defined as anything that takes place within the confines of a 'designated folk context' – i.e. a folk club. The proposer proudly told us that "Blues, Shanties, Kipling, Cicely Fox Smith, Musical Hall, George Formby, Pop, County, Dylan, Cohen, Cash, Medieval Latin, Beatles, Irish Jigs and Reels, Scottish Strathspeys, Gospel, Rock, Classical Guitar, Native American Chants, Operatic Arias and even the occasional Traditional Song and Ballad" all performed "irrespective of ability" were what passed for folk music at his club.
It has been consistently argued on this forum that standards of performance are not required for the playing and singing of song and music at folk clubs; on one occasion it was suggested that by raising standards you risked driving singers of lesser ability away; 'long live mediocrity' were the words used.
Is that how you see our music – is that what you want to offer the public as representing folk music and song? It's certainly not mine.
Can you imagine the 'Geantraí' format being used to present such clubs? Do you think that any responsible television or radio producer would be prepared to venture his or her arm by presenting programmes of such standard and content – and even if they did, how would that benefit folk music as a whole?
The sea change in the fortunes of Irish music came from within the music scene itself, via events such as The Willie Clancy Summer School, the tribute weekends (Micho Russell, Joe Heaney, Mrs Crotty, Diarmuid O Súilleabháin… et al), the setting up of The Irish Traditional Music Archive, teachers such as Bríd O Donoghue's music classes...... etc. It was though these and many more events and actions that standards were raised to the level where the music was taken seriously and the media (and the Irish arts establishment as a whole) were presented with an offer they could not refuse.
I believe that a serious cleaning out of the Augean stables has to take place in Britain before such a change can take place there.
Jim Carroll