There is some seriously flawed logic here driven, I suspect, by professional jealousy and a pretty poisonous campaign to discredit Smooth Ops. I am no defender of the Folk Awards or Smooth Ops --- I actually loathe the whole concept of Awards ceremonies and also hate the idea of a hierarchy in the folk scene with the hallowed krusby and co at its helm (yuk). The schmaltz and "class system" generated by the awards goes against everything I love about the folk scene.
But there's a real visciousness creeping into this thread and unless people are prepared to put their names to the posts, they mean abosultely nothing and its turning into a poison pen feast.
I also remember John Leonard from his days as a singer round the folk clubs in Nottingham and he always seemd a decent sort to me. It's gone beyond the White Hare (is it or isn't it?) debate and it now appears that him and his honchos are being castigated for being succesful and raising the profile of the music. - Jenny Crawford