i must be hanging around very different singine events. I don't often hear anyone sing out of pitch.

You know what, ollaimh, neither do I. But I think it's because I'm not listening for it. The thing is, there isn't a single pitch that you either hit or don't - there's a whole spectrum, with "grabbing for the note, just about making it but only hanging on by your fingertips" on the outskirts to "pure tone, dead on pitch, I could listen to that all day" in the centre.

But you need to be listening to the pitch to hear the difference - and most people just listen to the song. There's an old cliche about how actors console each other when they mess up - "don't worry, the punters never noticed a thing" - and I think in this case it's actually true. If the high note you hit once, or the passing note you dash over, is on the low end of the acceptable spectrum, never mind: most listeners aren't even going to notice. Your fellow musicians are likely to notice, though. Should they bring your lapse to your attention? Unless it's really obtrusive - which it's unlikely to be - I tend to think, probably not.