"It now seems acceptable to get up and speak come warble
from crib sheets, with no instrumental accompaniment..."


Oh no! Singing folk songs without any instrumental accompaniment?! What is the world coming to? Not like in the good old days when singers like Paddy Tunney, Harry Cox, Jumbo Brightwell would... oh hang on...

as for "crib sheets", I really don't care. I'd far rather singers had the words to hand than forgetting multiple verses and having to abandon songs. I can think of some really good singers I've heard at some London folk clubs who often interesting songs I've never heard before but invariably forget the words. I wish they would use crib sheets. Should they memorise the words? I think they probably would have done so if it came easily to them.

In fact, there's a folk band that I really like that are highly rated by all and sundry, and I noticed the singer always has an instrument case open in front of him, but hardly ever actually plays the instrument. It occurred to me that said case might well have a few lyric prompts in it. If that is indeed the case (no pun intended), it certainly doesn't inhibit the performance for me or, by all accounts for anyone else.