'The danger with all of this is that young people will be discouraged from nuturing an interest in traditional music and no one will carry all the fantastic stories and tunes on to the next generation of folk enthusiasts. Potentially, the musical genre that I love so much might die out.

In summary, whether or not you like Show of Hands, they shouldn't be criticised for raising the profile of folk music and reaching out to new audiences. In my humble opinion - Keep up the good work Steve and Phil!'

Guest Laurence - well said, we need to hear young voices. Sorry it has taken so long to get to post but I have had to wade through the above and I don't spend all day every day on Mudcat! I expected the fur to fly on this one a lot sooner.