Jim: I have lived in 3 of the largest cities in Britain (Liverpool, Manchester and London) and know the problems of presenting folk music in an urban setting, but please don't make it an excuse for compromising our traditional music out of existance.

Well in one of those big cities - Manchester - I don't think our 'mainly but not exclusively' traditional singaround is compromising our traditional music out of existence. It's a rather good night. I also think nights like Folk Threads - where the organisers chose a theme and traditional songs rub shoulders with new songs that fit the theme - is doing that either. Nor is the steady stream of traditional music coming out of Swinton Folk Club over the border in Salford. Nor even are the traditional songs that poke their head up between the singer songwriter fayre at Chorlton Folk Club. And there are plenty more examples. I think its A GOOD THING that traditional songs are sung in places that other stuff is sung. It might even bring them to new audiences.

Enjoyed you Bonnie George Campbell, by the way, John. Thanks for posting the link. Elle Osborne also does a lovely version on her album I put out earlier this year. Here she is tackling one of those long ballads: Fair Annie