Dear countess
I've been around a long time. I just know that the smaller and more rationalised the scene gets, the less chance there is for the small time guys like myself, who will never win an award from anywhere, get a major album review in any of the 'FOLK' world proper, get a track played on folk radio.

The larger the more diverse the scene, the more interstices there are for us to crawl into, screw a living from the dull earth. the more reflective it is of society, the more chance of this music raising itself above the level of being a load of middle class hooey.

the world you are advocating seems to be what they have in the states already, and just read mudcat and you will soon see how envious they are of our folk club scene - even though, god knows its a very sad remnant of the legacy the 1960's handed on.