Pip - I disagree with your definition above.

Smokey, Stu, Tootler and Woody - I WAS being frank when I said earlier that I, as most would, realized early on that I had to check how close one can have their fingers to the holes before the sound is affected by "shading". I'm also aware that my intonation can be improved by playing a line, singing a line, playing a line...with both recorder and keys. In NE festival comp's (see here for the list, if you wish) we have the option of picking up feedback forms, and I always do - but surely you can understand that I'm more wary of what those who post on here have say by way of "feedback"; e.g., if I'd repeadedly described a recorder made in Japan as an "Engrish frute" (IB - who just called me "racist" and "bigoted" again) what would have happened? I.e., some of you clearly DON'T play each ball on its merrits, sadly.