Hi,

The occasion I frequent would fall under type 0, I guess. That is, it's of the type mentioned before type 1; it's a session. I do mention it anyway, because I wonder whether this falls under the confusion of terms mentioned later. To us, "a session" means most of all that anyone who can participate in the performance is free to join in. That doesn't make a distinction between instruments or voices, and indeed we don't. The criterion "I don't count 'sessions' in amongst clubs unless you have a club that is part session and part singers!", you will understand, makes no sense to me at all.

Regarding the problem of more professional performers drawing less of a crowd, I have to add the quality perspective: Last summer I was in England, plus just far enough across the Scottish border to take the photograph, and it so happened that I did go to a folk evening with main performers. These performers were two charming ladies who unfortunately had made it a hobby to use a different tuning of their instruments for each tune or song. Their show therefore consisted of tuning, which they didn't seem particular adept at, with music in-between. The two sets of floor spots were quite enjoyable, but I'm not sure I would have come had I know the character of the main act beforehand. So if the main performers don't draw, is that really either their style of music, or the image of folk in general, or could it sometimes simply be performance?

BTW, I'd say Caledonia is easily within the 54 definition. It's based on the tradition, and anyone who knows how Dougie MacLeans found out he had a hit, will agree that it had been absorbed by the community.

                                                                Mysha