Mick, you done good with your Mudcat list but somehow missed Naemanson and Barry Finn, Cummagon, Bat Goddess, Ken Schatz and maybe a few dozen more!

My only regret is I missed the cloning workshop and therefore wasn't able to attend some of the other workshops that were happening simultaneously. I do like to sing Southern Appalachian as well as nautical songs, not to mention drinking songs and parodies of all above. And I actually slept 3 to 4 hours Sunday morning and probably missed some of the best unscheduled music. Unfortunately my right arm cramps up now if I try to jam along with others on my banjo for more than a couple of tunes; it's a byproduct of 10 years of abuse playing with a contradance band. Still, I do admire others who continued to flame on in amazing fashion.

I was really delighted to get to know a few fine singers a whole lot better. That includes Barry Finn and his wife Justine who van-pooled with me, Andrew McKay from Swansea who is both a fine nautical songwriter and singer, Skarpi as a singer and guitarist, George Papavgeris who exceeded in my opinion the glowing reports on Mudcat (I've ordered ALL his CD's) as a good person as well as a fine singer and songwriter, some of the Shellbacks and I'm not even sure if I ever figured out the entire membership represented, and Ken Schatz who I shared the Shanties Workshop with.

It was wonderful to have some more time with Brett and Wakana, but I bet they're looking forward to getting home to Guam after their months of travel.

For me the ideal workshop is a dozen or so people who get to sing several rounds of songs and really interact with one another. The larger workshops unfortunately restrict one to leading one song, but on the positive side you get to sing along with a much greater variety of singers. This is not a critique of how Getaway workshops functioned, but more of a personal preference if it were possible or if I had a choice.

And the party continues this Friday at the Press Room and Saturday at Sinsull's with Micca, Catsfiddle and maybe a Shellback or two.

Thanks again to the FSGW for hosting this wonderful weekend. You're all invited to Maine to sing and dine on lobster any time you wish!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble