I find myself in a rather humorous situation in this thread being a songwriter who apparently is one of the few who finds great value in presenting traditional music with real appeciation for the original versions. Many songs have multiple "versions" and that's fine. But, I like to retain the language of the orginal because to me, words are at the heart of the whole feel of the song. Some songs are so deeply rooted in time and place that wholesale changes to the song would destroy it for me. While we're at it, why not rewrite Twain or Melville, or Frost? There are many reasons why people sing. One of them is to make a song their personal expression. That's a valid reason, but it's just one. My great love of traditional music is because it is not about me. It's not about how I feel, or think. It's a window into someone else's world and I love it for that. Traditional music brings other cultures alive in a way that a book or poetry can't.

So come on... where are you Art? Where are those who treasure traditional music as a passport to another time and place?

Jerry