Al, I'm a huge supporter of the role of the singer/songwriter in folk music – to my mind it really is the continuation of the traditional craft put in a contemporary context – but I don't recognise the situation that you're citing. Have you watched the excellent singer/songwriter series on BBC4, for instance? Think how often you hear Mumfords or Martin Simpson as backing tracks on TV programmes. And, as far as theatre is concerned, the multi-talented John Tams is a master at producing songs for plays. Plus you frequently hear songs written by the likes of Mike Waterson et al performed alongside traditional material – as indeed they should be.

Splitting into 'sides' merely dilutes an already thinly spread audience for our music. Ad that's to nobody's benefit.