Hu, I suppose we all learn something over the years, I remember going to see Stan Hugill nearly forty years ago and thinking "I have paid all this money and the bloke can't sing", I would dearly love to go back and listen again. I have experienced apathy and encouragement over the many long years. The first time I ever sang in public wasn't on home turf, too scared, it was at a Redcar folk festival singaround, I was 18 years old and it was greeted with silence and the organiser saying "next", I was 21 before I tried it again and managed a few gigs here and there in the '70's and now I am really enjoying the singing with "the Boys". Whilst there is a place for excellence the real Joy is in the participation and the people in Redcar did me no favours in respect to confidence but made me work harder on the voice. Ah well mixed blessings. I could go on but really the message is, encourage participation and the good ones will not fall out at the first hurdle