Very good comments Joe ... I applaude you. I think Mary comes close when she says there's sings and then there's sings ... my words, not hers. Back in the mid fifties, several of us founded an earlier version of what is now the "Seattle Folklore Society." Back then, we WERE much more about encouraging community singing. We even had our own self published music song sheets.

I guess all I'm trying to say is that ... these days ... I seek out the better singers at private gatherings and hoots.

I didn't mean to imply that one is better than the other. And yes, I do agree with you that there is an air of elitism expressed. It's an old critism and justified.

CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson