"here amongst several members of the efdss national council, at least one major festival artistic director, at least one noted collector, many professional performers including a very big name indeed, and other posters who have spent entire lifetimes working at the coalface of traditional music."

And some of them, of course, fit into more than one of those categories.

"go on... Work out which Jim"
Now I'm curious .... and speculating ... do any of us get a Mars bar if we get it right ... chuckle.

As to using real names or nicknames ... that's a matter of choice WAV, David or whatever you choose to be. Some of us, like Ralphie or Don choose to use their real names. Others like to use nicknames .. I only really use one because that's how I started on here some years ago ... but I think you'll find that over time most of us who are regulars have got to know who everybody else is in the real world, so even if we're posting under nickname/pseudonym/whatever you wish to call it, it isn't actually an anonymous posting as such. As to considering that Ruth could be maligning a REAL person, please don't tell me that you're one of those people who would have sent a wreath to the studios when one of the characters in the radio series died ... you wouldn't would you ????
(I personally am concerned in case any real Granma McAlatias are feeling maligned, or come to that any Koala Subverters....)

I see from your Myspace and website that you have been interested in traditional music since 2004(and I have to echo Ralphie in being surprised at the use of the term E Trad - never seen it used by anyone else ever before ... and hope never to see it again, as we already have too many problems in the use of definitions). Interest and enthusiasm are laudable, but with so little experience, and faced with a veritable army of people on here who know so much more than you, you really have been and are digging a very very large hole for yourself. As Jim said, you really should go and FIND OUT MORE before arguing the toss with people who in many cases have vast experience and knowledge at their fingertips.

And yes, just in case it wasn't clear to you one of the people you've been having a go at IS the newly appointed Artistic Director of the Sidmouth Folk Week. And most of us are well aware of that, whether she chooses to use her given name, or her Mudcat name...

Oh well, despite the hour back to practice on the duet,Monarch /King of the tinas ... possibly with both hands ... maybe just the left....definitely not in an English manner ... might confuse myself...

Surreysinger
(aka Irene Shettle who is hopefully not maligning any other Surreysingers ...)