I don't disagree with you, Anahata, in terms of some folk performances but I tend to sing mostly in gatherings of people who are deeply into my particular tradition ... and we probably do as much talking as we do singing. Everyone seems to have a different piece of the puzzle and I come away from every session richer for it.

Maybe that IS the tradition for me, more than the actual music. There's an idiom in Welsh (Mary may know it): cwlwm adnabod. The knot of knowing. 'Knowing' in the sense of knowing people. It refers to ... well, I guess Jerry might relate to it as "the tie that binds"? The process of belonging within your society because of the things that you hold in common, and hold in trust for future generations.

In that sense, the individual songs are important but a specific rendition would not be sacrosanct. What would be sacrosanct is the commitment to passing them and their context on, and the commitment to your community in general.

Hmmm ... I think I'm ploughing a bit too deep now.

sian