What's coming through loud and clear here is the need for the ground rules to be obvious to everyone right from the start. Then people, whether performing or just listening, can choose whether this is how they'd like to spend their evening.

The problems seem to creep in when you have a well established club or singaround where reading from books has been rare or unheard-of, and gradually you get more books and song-sheets appearing. It's then very difficult for the club organiser to try to prevent this habit from spreading, because it will look as if he's picking on certain people and trying to discourage them. Organisers are often so keen for support nowadays that they tend to say, "Oh anything goes! Yes, folk, blues, pop - it's all good music! Instruments, yes, of course, anything you like! Keyboard or bass guitar plugged in? Fine! Song books? Well, I don't see why not..." and so it goes, to the point where some of the regulars will slowly melt away and go in search of some music with different parameters and standards.

So there you go - the lesson for new or potential organisers of clubs, sessions or singarounds is this: make it clear to everyone what the purpose and ground rules of your event are to be. You'd do this if you were setting up a painting group, a book group, or a French conversation group, so there's no need to feel apologetic about doing the same for a folk club or music/song session. And well done Amberley for being brave enough to be up-front about this.

Marje