I echo your sentiments John

I haven't been on Mudcat for a long time, due to having such a busy life at the moment. But I feel so excited by the weekend that I cannot get through today without expressing it.

I was there from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon, when (reluctantly) I had to leave to catch a train.

This was one of the most exciting folk weekends I have ever attended. Words fail me. And I was one of the 'victims' of the vocal technique workshop, run along the same lines as the critics group. This involved singing a song and then have people make suggestions as to how it might be sung better. "Try singing it twice as fast" "try talking the first verse and then sliding into the melody" "try singing each verse higher than the previous one" "play with the song when you get home, see how high/fast you can get it." "try varying the way you sing it. Push your voice to its limits, shout it, whisper it, sing it like a gallop, sing it like a love song" "If it's a scottish song it should either be sung in a true scottish accent or anglicised completely - you can't do a bit of both, it's unconvincing" "Understand the history of the song - you have to know it inside out and feel it as if you were really there"

(By the way, the song I chose was 'the fair flower of northumberland')

I have a lot of homework to do.

I also learned a lot about Ewan's life, his politics and his incredibly high standards of himself and of others.

Then to hear the songs sung by people who really do know what they are doing. I was buzzing all weekend

Amazing - and a big thank you to Terry, who worked so hard to organize it, and to all those wonderful singers who were so generous in sharing their knowledge, skills and songs.

Truly amazing.

Catrin