I've really enjoyed following this debate, folks. Lots of good stuff to ponder on. Now here's my 2pennorth.

Duke Ellington (so the legend goes) was once asked what kind of music he liked. He replied "I only know two kinds of music: good and bad. I like good music."

I could produce many instances of musicians and singers who are usually pigeon-holed into a specific genre by the music business and the journalists who service it, but whose actual playing, singing (and listening) transcends these artificial divisions. To avoid sending you all to sleep, I'll mention only a few of them.

To start with Jazz. Ellington himself recorded an outstanding album in collaboration with Louis Armstrong (supposedly light-years behind him in hipness) and another masterpiece with John Coltrane (supposedly light-years ahead of him ditto.) Charlie Parker, king of cool, enjoyed listening to "corny" Country Music, and is reported to have jammed enthusiastically after hours with Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys while touring in the midwest. Parker also adored Stravinsky's music, and recorded original compositions and standards backed by a classical string ensemble.

And what about our own backyard - the world of folk and ...let's call it neo-folk ...music and song. What about Bob Copper's admiration for the blues recordings of Sleepy John Estes, and his own recording of Oscar Brown Jr.'s contemporary composition "Rags and Old Iron"? Or Peter Bellamy's passionate commitment to English traditional song, AND to the works of the Rolling Stones? And don't forget the wonderful results of cross-genre collaboration in Shirley Collins's "Anthems in Eden", or in Yo-Yo Ma's "Appalachian Journey".

In my experience, a great many musicians and singers in the folk world have very broad interests and sympathies in music, and are only too happy to demonstrate these influences in their own performance - in sessions after hours, if not on the concert stage. I've heard many a fine contemporary song sung by a die-hard traddy - and quite a few excellent renditions of traditional songs by singers famous for their own compositions. And where in this categorising system do you locate the likes of Cyril Tawney - one of our greatest singer-song-writers, AND one of our greatest interpreters of traditional songs?

Unfortunately, there are influential people in the music business who believe it is in their interest to package every performer in a tidy box, with a familiar generic label clearly visible on it. These people also see it as being in their interest to encourage the record-buying and concert-going public to adopt a passionate commitment to one particular genre of music - and a passionate contempt for every other kind of music. It's called "encouraging brand loyalty" I believe. Sadly, a considerable number of music fans are caught by this con-trick. Happily, most of them grow out of it eventually.

As to the possibility that singer-songwriters will push revivalist folksingers and musicians off the map entirely - don't worry. It's just a phase. This too shall pass away. Quality endures.

Wassail!