"and would hope that you can acknowledge those differing views are also valid?"
Sharing views are dependent on fully understanding what they are and being able to discuss them and compare them with your own
This thread began 12 years ago and this and other threads have shown since that not only do not many people understand MacColl or his work but basically, they are not interested in doing so - the level that many discussions have sunk to indicate that some people are hell-bent on making sure nobody ever will
If you revived this thread you are Jim Bainbridge - your own postings have shown an open hostility towards MacColl and his work
I believe that that work was an important contribution to the understanding of folk song and its performance and needs to be discussed rationally - and laid to rest, if necessary

I have busted a gut trying to get this work discussed - each time, it has become bogged down in irrelevancies and personal antipathy that verges on necrophobia
I'm don't care whether people liked Ewan or his singing - my memories are my own
I do care that there is a mass of work which might or might not improve the fortunes of a very sick revival, lying untouched and unexamined because a few world rather discuss name changes and war records.
The music I've spent so long listening to, performing and researching is far too important to allow pettiness, old jealousies and back-biting to stop serious discussion of half a lifetimes dedicated work by one of Britain's leading exponents of folk song
If someone wants to discuss MacColl, this is what they are going to get from me

I'm not posting off-topic here - my arguments are based on 20 years worth of personal experience of knowing and working with Ewan and Peg
So far I am about half way through my intended description of what we did in The Critics Group - at least two more episodes to come
If you're not interested in reading them - feel feel not to - I live in hope that somebody is and I keep getting messages confirming that 'there is sentient life out there'
Sorry - 'bout that
Jim