"Folk is steadily eliding into 'accoustic' in many ears"

But it always has - folk music is a broad church and the lines between acoustic contemporary music and folk is blurred - and I am glad it is. It shows folk music has a place in the context of modern music.

Where do you draw that line? If you listen to Mike Harding's programme, which Leonard produces, you hear lots of contemporary acoustic music and not a huge lump of 'traditional' material. Martin Carthy pretty much hits the nail on the head in my opinion, although I guess poor old Seth lakeman must feel pretty unhappy after so much negativity being punted his way by the more myopic of the folk old guard.

Irwin's article is typical of the sort of blige the modern press prints when the 'F' word comes up (At tleast The Grauniad prints articles about folk - can anyone point to an article in the Mail, or the Express or any of the red tops?). Most of what is written by both him and some of the more crusty old folk types on the various internet forums I read doesn't apply to folk music in the sessions I play in, where for the most part folk music is a living, evolving tradition which is inclusive and exciting and not a museum exhibit to be preserved intact and unchanged to be taught by rote to a disinterested audience.

Anyway, John Barleycorn won so that should keep everyone happy.