"What most people sing in folk clubs - are songs??"
Then why not just call them song clubs and stop misrepresenting what you do?
"On a related front - While I had the mind and body to do it - for most of my life I was a Morris Dancer."
Did your morris side go in for ballet or hip-hop - if not, why not?
"I am astounded by your arrogance Mr Carroll."
Mr Carroll now Raggy - next stop "Jom" - I have argued my case - you have made it personal - I expected better
"You are an utterly insufferable boring, tedious, belligerent, bragging, bigotted old man."
Ageism again - pity I'm not black, you could have added "uppity nigger"
The rest of your posting is a diatribe of personal hate and abuse
Bryan
Most of those responses were aimed at you and all were latecomers to this thread when the abuse was flying thick and fast from all sides
You have been personally abusive to me from the early days - you have been permamently so here - you sneer, you insult and you bully and bluster
Nothing I have said here comes anywhere near to this Bog Brother Hate-fest from people who really should no better
It is a fine explanation why a serious discussion of folk song has never been an option on this forum
For those of you old enough to remember 1984
"Trying to edit your text for readability is a simple matter of consideration for other people:
Somewhat pathetic Jack - others here understand enough of what I have said to scream their hate at the message
Your elitist argument excludes people from this forum every bit as much as people claim my arguments exclude people from folk song
On the other hand, the last refuge of a scoundrel is to claim they don't understand
"I genuinely would like to hear Jim Carroll sing - are there any examples??"
No there aren't and my ability as a singer has no relevence here - I'm sure if I didn't sing what you people regard as folk song it would be yet another stone to throw at an argument you have studiously refused to address and swamped with almost palpable hate
I started as a singer and was persuaded that the songs I loved were worth the effort of work before they were put before an audience - not particularly high, just accessible enough to be emjoyed
Our work with older singers took up so much time that I fel out of practice so I confined my singing to the people who realised my shortcomings as much as I did
I found recently I still remember my 300-+ repertoire (two thirds traditional - one third contemporary, and having having found a limited venue to sing, have worked up my favourites
I find I enjoy singing more than I ever did, thanks to the people we have met and recorded down the years and, surprisingly, people here seem to enjoy listening to my songs
We have a regular singing/music session that fills up with mainly elderly farmers, mostly who come for the music
A high point happened last year when I was singing MacColl's Tenant Farmer (one of the best compositions of Britain's finest songwriter, who still attracts the type of hate displayed here nearly thirty years after his death).
When I reached the verse where the Farmer and his family are evicted for not paying the bank, an elderly farmer standing next to me roared in my ear "THE BASTARDS"
I would rather have had that than a thousand standing ovations.
As I said, no I don't sing as often as I would like to - I respect the songs too much to not put the work in - unlile the clubs where anything goes anyhow and you can't hear the words for the rattle of crib sheets or see the singer for the glare of mobile phones used to read the words.
You want me on line Tim 'YR 'TIS AGAIN
I don't go in for self promotion - I'm happy to let our singers tell others what we are about
Hopefully there'll be much more next year - maybe we can get them to squeeze Walter Pardon in somewhere as he has found no place in his native England
I did my best to answer the OP's question - as it happens, you people have done that far better than I possibly could
The clubs have fallen into the hands of people who don't know what folk music is, and don't like what little they do know
When you were offered examples of the best of Bitish and International folk song proper, you scattered like frightened sheep before a rottweiler - that is proof positive of the hands our music has fallen into
I only hope that the research side of things have sunk to the level displayed here where folk song is what happens in such clubs
I will continue to respond with my opinions as long as I see ft or until somebody closes this thread - the importance of our music is far important than this display of hate and bad manners