I sing Irish traditional music, and knowing the history of a song greatly enhanses my experience. So, for me, knowing the historical context of the song has huge value. It affects my interpretation of the lyrics, my introduction of the song on stage, the way I pace the song. I have to confine my research to the internet (thank you mudcat and other sources) and to the various books that I have, because of where I live and the time pressures from the rest of my life.   

Getting to know a song is a long process. For an intricate song, the process generally takes me several months even though I may learn the song in a week or two. There is a point in the process when I find myself obsessed with finding out about the history of the song. It has nothing to do with feeling I Have to do it to be a valid singer. It is totally because I MUST know. Yes, it does affect the way I sing the song.

For example, I was singing a gaelic song in a dark mysterious way, until I asked a gaelic speaker from that region to read through the lyrics with me. He thought it was a mischevous song rather than mysterious. My final interpretation is somewhere between the two.

I like to hear several versions of a song, if availabe, but after I have the feeling for the breadth of interpretation, I don't feel compelled to listen to all the interpretations.

This is just my point of view, at this point in my development as a singer. It is very interesting to hear how the rest of you approach this subject.

Claire