Jim

I don't fundamentally disagree with you about standards that's not the part of your view that I find bizarre.

'Folk music died because it became unskilled and uninspiring.' How could that happen? If it was fine and loved and popular and sought after how could it have been such an ephemeral fad?

The bit that I don't understand is why you and the other three quarters you refer to let it change if it was so popular. And implicitly within that how people would come flocking back if it was like it was then - and I can't really see where you point to the evidence for that because I haven't seen it. I see plenty of music going on but precious little 'pure folk music' whether it be at folk clubs, singarounds, sessions or festivals that I have been to (and I go to at least 1 or 2 music things a week). But I go to places where I'm sure that people believe they are doing something that they see as being (at least) folk inspired. I had a pleasant afternoon in the wilds of north Yorkshire this weekend listening to a range of song and music of which some was unaccompanied traditional song and some wasn't. And the standard varied. It was really nice to meet and chat to John Connolly who happened to be sitting behind me in the singaround whose songs I really enjoy and listen to a range of music most of which I would say was of a decent standard. Wasn't many locals there it was a little narrow group of enthusaiasts who enjoy their hobby (and drinking!)

And I think people were enjoying themselves and enjoying sharing music together. In my simple way I still have a feeling that a lot of folk music sprung out of the same impulse of sharing and enjoying - I've always thought of song as a peculiarly happy thing that human beings do.

The event that you referred to has got more popular over time and yet now is no good. You rarely go places because you know they will be no good. People sometimes just attend events to support something that is going on in a local community - a bit like going to the village Xmas pantomine that you know will be no better than it was last year but it's the right thing to do.

I don't think that traditional music is as popular as you think it is - I think it is very popular with a narrow band of people and sometimes in it's most popular and accessible forms does touch and engage large numbers of people. My sister used to go to the London folk clubs in the 60s because folk was "where it's at" for a while but if I went and looked in her record collection there would be nothing there that would come near the definition of folk music that you hold. But she was part of the interest at that time because it was popular. There's probably a Donovan album and one by the Spinners but it's probably as close as she gets, and I think she enjoyed Riverdance when she went.

You say that 'that there are still those around who care enough to try and change things'. To what? Back to something in the past or forward into something that is different? Things evolve and there is an inevitability that things don't stay the same.