". . . because that's how the majority of English trad. song and music has been performed over the centuries."

Really? Where did you get that idea?

"- another strong aspect of our tradition...agreed?"

Well, yes, I guess one could say that committing the tune to memory before trying to sing a song is kind of "traditional," yes. I believe that is what most people actually do. Kind of basic, really.

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No, I don't think so, Little Hawk. I've spent far too much time already on what is obviously a lost cause. I've wasted too much time and too many words on David.

Back to working on my book, setting up my home recording studio, and practicing.

There are a couple of people around here who already have the equipment and want to record me, but I'd rather do it in my own time and in my own way. I will, of course, follow my own advice, and when I've recorded enough songs for a CD, I will have others, whose opinions I can trust to tell me the brutal truth if necessary, listen to what I record before I start burning CDs and/or posting stuff on sites like MySpace. I like Paul Burke's fable (above, at 29 Oct 08 - 08:49 a.m.) about Kieran and the leprechaun. I've been told that I'm hypercritical of my own performances, but I'd rather be that way than to put something out that that reeks.

I think this will be far better use of my time than trying to convince some half-wit that standing in the middle of the room wearing Groucho glasses and a lampshade on his head and farting bird calls is not really what one might call "high-class entertainment. . . ."

Don Firth