This sounds really interesting.

Fiddling I think loses a lot of us. Perhaps because of the hours that they have to practise - you listen to some sessions and it feels like you're listening to a tape loop. The same tune again and again.   

The fiddlers who can put a bit of dash into what they do and somehow involve outsiders, generally make it sound as though they are playing for an audience - well you rarely get two of em at a session.

Its about time there was a TV arts programme to initiate ignorant types like myself into the history and insights that some of the contributtors to this thread seem to have at their fingertips.