"In fact Israeli musicians are doing an EXCELLENT job of making music relevant to the society they live in, by combining music brought from wherever in the world Jewish immigrants have come from with the whole range of music that was there before they arrived. The heterogeneity of the result is the whole POINT. It's one of the major areas of the culture where Jews (of whatever regional origin) and Palestinians (of whatever ideology) can cooperate in a serious, productive and often exhilarating way."

Amen. I love the music of Palestinian and Jewish fusion music, and find it holds out some dim ray of hope in an otherwise hopelessly intransigent situation.

I think WAV would HATE the artistic policy we launched on Saturday at Sidmouth which, while celebrating English tradition, deliberately acknowledges the wonderful blends and diverse mixes which result from Britain's many non-indigenous cultures being here. One of the things that gives me great joy: a young musician of Cypriot extraction who plays both the music of his heritage and English trad - he's currently doing the degree at Newcatle, and is bloody talented. Another is a traditional Zimbabwean singer and dancer who has lived for many years in Kent, and in addition to providing wonderful workshops and performances in his native traditions, has gone out of his way to learn morris dancing.

When WAV fills me with despair, I think of people like these and I smile, because in the end, we have won. Let Waveydavey stew and fume in his backward little backwater; wonderful things are happening in the real world, and I will do all I can to make sure they get the attention and platform they deserve.