I have a friend who is keen to recruit me into collecting oral histories and songs from the aging population around here. He sends me video tapes of people he has collected. Of course they are not as isolated as they once were but there is an old lady he has found who sings in the manner of the mountain singers in America. She shows no emotion and she uses a high closed-throat style that she said she got from her Scottish grandmother. There are subtle changes that you don't notice particularly but work on you all the same. My true-love and I found ourselves crying through "Barb'ry Allen" even though we know the song so well.
And Steve, yes I wondered about the compliment but my dear one just loves fish so I think it's ok.