Don't get e wrong about Charlie Scamp Vic - I don't dismiss his or anybody's contribution to the magnificent BBC project - I just believe that all the singers who contributed had different things to offer, I don't think his was an example of good singing, that's all.
I have spent the last six months or so digitising 200 tapes of recordings of Critics Group meetings, and have just spent three glorious days in Oxford, recording Peggy Seeger, in preparation for two hour-long radio programmes to be broadcast on Irish radio in January, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Ewan's birth.
To say that Paula Carroll (the producer - no relation) and I returned somewhat gobsmacked at what we got would be putting it mildly.
Ewan wrote very little on his ideas and aims, which has left the field wide open for misunderstanding and sometimes, deliberate misrepresentation
Virtually all the Critics Group meetings ended with a soliloquy by Ewan on one aspect or other of folk song, theatre, art, culture...., often lasting an hour or longer - I have said before that I came away from many of these walking a foot above the ground, inspired to lift the corner and find out more.
The last six months has had just that effect all over again.
I am hoping to persuade someone (maybe a family member) to cut out some of these soliloquies and publish them - they would, I believe, fill a huge gap, and possibly cut through some of the fog surrounding him and his work.
I share Vic's feeling of how we would get on if we ever met - as he says, we haven't met, nor was I part of the organisation of tours, but my partner, Pat Mackenzie was - Vic's club was always one we could co-operate with in booking guests.
Back to the digitisation.
Jim Carroll