I approach folk music through the eyes (and ears) of one, who likes to listen, play and sing music. It has been an education to me here on The Mudcat to read the views of those who approach folk music from more of the position of a collector. They are also those here who manage to combine these positions on an equal basis.

Whilst recognising the wealth of material, 'the collector' has made available and the effort that has been put in to achieve this I still am not sure that this process has been an entirely good thing.

In England, the effect has been to effectively 'pickle' and preserve, what was and still is a continuing process. Vibrant and exciting songs and tunes transcribed and in the process reduced to polite 'pianoforte' pieces to be played in Victorian drawing rooms and to be safely taught in schools. No wonder then that people in England love the wildness of Irish music, in particular, so much.

The folk song is surely the best definition of the term 'work in progress'? Recording it, by writing it down or taping a version, is like a 'freeze frame' of a movie. You may get some idea of what the movie is about but there is a lot more to it than the 'snapshot' allows you see.

Is not writing down what has never needed to be written down and thus producing the documentation, creating a history that never was? History, at least in the sense that historians define history. Is it motivated more by a need to, 'tidy up the study', rather than actually studying?

These are my views at the moment, they are not 'set in stone' and I am ready to be convinced otherwise and learn some more. For in fairness, it is probably, very much a view from England.