To Countess Richard - no need to be offensive. I wasn't trying to imply that the Corrs sing folk music, only that you can detect the 'Celtic' influence in their music. Sometimes if you try to explain Folk to people who aren't used to music it's useful to be able to refer to something that is widely known. When I'm talking to people at work or socially, especially teens/twenties, then they know who The Corrs (or several other Irish groups)are through their chart presence and although we may think it's all 'pop', todays youngsters know that a mandolin or whatever in the line up is different. Believe it or not I have on several occasions had people want to know more about 'Celtic' music as a result, and perhaps borrow a CD or two. And the occasional one from there 'gets the bug' and explores deeper into the wonderful body of traditional music from which so much, even 'The Corrs', has come.

It doesn't pay to be too snobbish about what constitutes music of traditional influence, or to be too dismissive of the routes available to people on their way to being folk afficionados. I find a bit of enthusiasm and encouragement works a lot better than disdain or criticism when you're looking for new recruits.