Let's clear the air hear. And I will start with AWG....

Please don't mistake my comment as supporting your incessant, prattling on. This place is populated with performers, many with a lot of years of experience behind them. It is not a fan site per se. Many of us are fans of various performers, but it isn't what the site is about. I hope you are learning that this sophomoric rave about some group you like is very grating on folks. It's good enough to say you enjoy them, as well as the reasons for that. Then let the conversation develop. Learn to do that and you will be a good, long term, Mudcatter. Keep up what you are doing, and folks will take shots at you, and you will disappear with some half ass comment about how stodgy folks are.

As to my comment above, This whole idea of "traditional" is a load of bollox, please forgive me for not being very clear. I was posting on the fly, and many times that is a mistake. Thanks, Michaelr for PM'ing me to ask for clarification. It is not the music that I consider to be a load, I make a pretty good amount of money, and derive huge personal satisfaction, out of performing this "traditional" music. What I object to is the idea that "traditional" music must be performed a certain way. I always laugh when someone sitting in a session with a guitar tries to lecture someone else about "traditional" instrumentation. Or when you see someone playing an "Irish Bouzouki" telling others about traditional instrumentation. (the "Irish Bouzouki" as an instrument in Irish/Scottish music is probably only about 45 years old) If you go and listen to "traditional" Irish music from various time periods, it is always played with the instruments of the day. Banjo's are a 20th century addition, as are guitars, bouzouki's, and probably bodhrans.

What is traditional is the elements of the music. I always chuckle when I am watching some "Irish/Scottish/Celtic rock" band and they are playing rock and roll rhythms. One of the hallmarks of the celtic (I hate this term, which celtic are we talking about?) music is the way we play the rhythms. By the way, rhythm instruments are a fairly recent addition to our music, historically speaking. Another hallmark is the use of the old tunes in the arrangement. If you have my band's CD (Over the Waterfall, Conklin Ceili Band) you will see an example of this on several of our cuts. By the way, I enjoy Irish rock, done right.

My point in all this is that while I don't like homogenizing the music, I certainly don't understand those that object to a group of very talented young women taking the music of their people and performing it with joy and love. As to the "holding the note" comment, what the hell is the matter with that? These are performers,and we all do things to demonstrate our talents. That is why we perform.

It is enough to say one doesn't care for their style. Fair enough. But don't sit here and tell me that these marvelous (and beautiful) young women are betraying the tradition. In fact, they are living it.

Le gach dea-mhéin,      

Mick