Interesting idea for a thread, Alan, which I think will raise many voices and much dissent. I do find your questions limiting though, as they are much too specific.

As to me, it is my practice to let the song tell me whether I should attempt to sing it in the dialect of origin or not. I feel as though if I am going to attempt to sing in dialect, then I need study that dialect very carefully in order to do it justice. I find folks that castigate others for trying to do this to be boorish. That is not to say that there are not folks that do a very poor job, but I don't like the implication that there is something wrong in trying to honor the tradition a song comes from enough to attempt to sing it appropriately. On the other hand, when I hear folks sing songs that clearly have not invested the time, and are doing a very poor job, it bothers me.

Interesting in that I sing a song which has a French verse. It is about the role Grose Ile, and the brave French Canadians, played as a quarantine station during the Great Hunger. Peter T and I, on our ramble home, were discussing it, and I asked him to help me to get the pronounciation correct. This led to a discussion as to whether I wanted to sing as a Frenchman would, or someone from Quebec would. I struggled with this, as the Parisian dialect sang better (from my perspective), but the Quebec would be more true to the song. I still haven't resolved the issue in my mind.

I completely reject (as you might guess) the idea that songs should only be sung by those from that country. My land is a land of many immigrants. I am the descendant of those immigrants and desire to sing the songs of tradition of my ancestors. I have every bit as much right to sing them, maybe more so, as anyone. It is about honoring the land from which my family sprang.

As to instrumentation, it is about the tune. It matters not a bit that it is an American Fiddle tune, or any other. If you hear a tune that you think will sound great, and entertain your audience, on your instrument, have at it. You can bet your last tuppence that the tune as you hear it today, many times originated somewhere other than the land which it is associated with, and was played on other instruments.

As to Opera singers doing folk.... why not? If it could be done in a way that appeals to the audience one is trying to reach, it should be done. Might not be my cuppa, but .......

This one will surely spark some great debate.

All the best,

Mick