I spent a number of years going to folk clubs where it was arranged as stage with audience facing. Even singers nights were of this style, two songs at a time usually and It remains my personal favourite style. I genuinely didn't know any other format. (Singarounds were things I experienced at festivals.)

The standard of entertainment for those wishing to be purely audience was fairly high generally, and young musicians found themselves in an environment where striving to achieve a performance was the norm

However, it isn't the most inclusive way of organising things and is more of a folk concert than a folk club, to be fair. In recent years, singarounds of the "this way round" have become far more prevalent. I can easily enjoy both and I get huge pleasure over seeing somebody's confidence rise and the entertainment value of their contribution increase. I would say though that a singaround is less of a spectator sport and casual onlookers sometimes wonder what the attraction is.

I do have two pet beefs about the singaround format.

Reading or sorting what you are going to do next, shuffling through folders and books whilst somebody is singing. If this is acceptable then singarounds are about self expression rather than entertainment.

I served my apprenticeship introducing songs, giving the provenance of traditional songs or why I decided to write this particular song, or why I like a song. Usually with the odd joke thrown in. I learned at the feet of masters of that art, and that is as much a tradition of the UK folk club scene as fair-isle sweaters. Nobody seems to call order in most singarounds till somebody actually starts singing. It isn't hard and fast rule fodder, but introducing songs is more of the norm at the more concert orientated folk clubs.

I am lucky in that the local clubs I try to get to and support, whilst singaround in nature are nice friendly places with a wide range of musical styles and abilities. They must think it odd that I insist on standing to play and never use a book, but thirty five years of standing to play and practicing till I know the words beforehand is me and something I will always do. (A piece of paper stuck to the guitar with first lines and key of a few songs helps these days though....)

I wrote down just about every song I know from memory and would be happy to sing at a level I considered entertainment recently. Its over 200, with plenty more ready with only a couple of hours working on them. I am sure that was typical years ago?