Hmm, I have email from pub and it is looking like two great countries divided by a common language---I am checking but I now think the situation is as described in my follwoing email to the pub...






hanks James.

I had not written previously but had had info passed on by Rachel and read the website as it was.

That now sounds like (trying to speak modern muso not folkie ;) ): -

Friday - No music
Sat PM - stated guests
Sat Eve - open mic (or do you mean session, song session, song circle aka singaround, or jam session - I'll explain below?)
Sun PM - no music
Sum Eve - stated guests introducing open mic (or do you mean session, song session, song circle aka singaround, or jam session - I'll explain below?)
Mon PM - stated guests
Mon Eve - no music

Working Definitions (folkies can argue for years about these):

Open mic - people are free to take turns on the PA and if they invite anyone else to use the other channels on the PA it's up to them. Style of music not usually folk music even if played on instruments that don't have to be amplified.
Session - players (not usually singers) sit around in a rough circle and play diddley all together, usually Irish folk music but sometimes Scottish or English or even Welsh or maybe all four). Singers need a lot of bottle to but in. Usually a designated player leads or invites others to lead the tune played. Also American variants like bluegrass and old timey. Irish and Canadian you are supposed to play the tune in unison, other versions open to chordal accompaniment harmony and variations. Really hard to amplify!
Song Session - similar but more orderly with there being a tendency for the "lead" to go round the circle and if it happens to be a song it's up to the singer to call for people NOT to join in if singer wants to be unaccompanied/unharmonised/etc
Singaround - Definitely goes round in turn, tunes permissible in stead of song, up to the singer to call for people NOT to join in if singer wants to be unaccompanied/unharmonised/etc

All the above, bodhran players and shakey egg players aim to get the nod before playing too loud.

Jam session - usually electric, with guitar amplifiers and maybe full drumkit, one or two leaders, maybe in turn, selected people (maybe in turn) improvise round leaders' tunes/songs.

Folk Music - songs and tunes of unknown authorship handed down and modifed by the oral tradition.
Contemporary Folk - stuff that sounds like folk music but is not within the definition.
Contemporary acoustic - stuff played on instruments that don't need to be amplified.

I'll confer with daughter and am now dithering whether to come or not....