How did I miss the Bob Coltman post? Sheesh. Getting old.

Sorry, I have no idea who John Storm Roberts is but he seems to have bought the usual 'party line' on this. Not accurate. Yes, the Western European classical style of presentation has **pretty much** taken over, and that's all you'll find at an Eisteddfod, but there are enough of 'the other' still singing. The problem is that they don't get showcased because the Establishment doesn't value their style of singing. Also, many of them don't consider themselves to be 'performers' in the usual sense of the word so wouldn't be particularly interested in being involved in folk clubs.

But they exist and can be heard at sessions and in the occasional pub (the few which have the proper licences or are far enough out in the hills not to be too closely watched). Also, there are a lot of good tapes of singers collected in the '60s and '70s so there is enough to be 'getting on with' for the serious researcher. (As it happens, I'm going through some stuff from Pembrokeshire at St Fagan's Folk Museum tomorrow.)

Yes, a few things have been lost forever - like the Welsh Dorian Scale, and singing in quarter tones, but Edison invented the phonograph just a li'l too late in the day, I guess.

I won't even agree completely about the German/Russian comment, I'm afraid. I'm thinking of tapes I heard when I went to uni. in Waterloo , Ontario, of the Dukhobors (OK - I've probably spelt that incorrectly!) in the prairie provinces. Even the Mennonite singing provided evidence of older styles.

It all ain't easy, but neither is it as impossible as some (mostly people who don't like 'trad') want to make it out to be.

siân