Thanks for the reminder, Jim. Reviewing CDs was always a good way of getting them for nothing, of course. John Howson always used to make sure Veteran releases came my way, and I managed to blag an entire set of the original 20 'Voice of the People' CDs having turned up quite by chance to the launch event at Cecil Sharp House in the hope of free wine. Mind you, working my way through all that music was a daunting, if pleasurable, task!

As for 'The Wild Rover', it had its origins in a lengthy 17th-century English temperance ballad, went through several edits and printings, and was common in oral tradition in England, Scotland and Australia. Not so much of a footprint in Ireland until Luke Kelly got hold of it from Lou Killen (who'd learned it off a version of uncertain origin - possibly Nova Scotia - used in BBC Radio's 'Country Magazine') but then collated Lou's version with a set of words from Australia, possibly accessed through Burl Ives recording. I reckon Banjo Patterson wrote the line about "returning with gold in great store" but never managed to confirm that definitely. I also found a version from Australia strikingly similar to the wonderful recording by Pat Usher of Co. Louth that Jim was kind enough to send me. I should also add that both Steve Gardham and Jack Campin helped me out with the broadside versions, and it was a Mudcat discussion that inspired my research. The power of The 'Cat, eh?

jag: "There is a tendency for the modal tunes to get talked about more (including by Sharp) because they are uncommon in art music and for them to be favoured by players because they are cool and different from a lot of what we hear. In the few dozen dance tunes from mainland Europe that I play (because others locally do) there is a suspicious predominance of those in a minor key."

Indeed - there was a period when everyone in my melodeon tutorial group wanted to learn nothing but French tunes in E minor (more correctly, Dorian). Modal tunes are over-represented in my own song repertoire, and when I had to write tunes for four Peterloo ballads I ended up - not through any conscious choice - with one major, one mixolydian, one Dorian and one Hexatonic Dorian/Aeolian. As my American friends say, go figure.

Sorry, that whole post was miles off-topic.