Well, partly so that I can refer others to this thread I thought I would record the excellence of the sing at the Good Intent today.

A room rammed with people, rafts of extra chairs required, about 25 singers and players, and for the five hours I was there not a single dud song or rendition, cheat sheets rarely seen (and even when they were, the songs largely unimpaired) and a good quantity of traditional or traditional-ish material (and a range reflecting the spiritual season of the year, too).

Speaking for myself I slightly missed a descant line in the last verse of "Walk me out in the Morning Dew", sang "favourable gale" in stead of "nor'ly gale" in the second verse of Maui, got half a line wrong in "Famous Flower of Serving Men" and half a line wrong in "The Lykewake Dirge". I'll stick my neck out and say I was quite pleased with myself.

John Barden sang his heart out, Brian and Marion Rodgers varied from better than good to better than excellent, Marian Button's voice was as charismatic as usual, Wee Jock was in fine voice, Paul from Sheppey was error-free and evocative, Fisheye's Martin was ringing well, Pete the Hat in one song worked the assembled company like a real pro, and there was a woman (new to me) from Sheppey who was spectacularly brilliant - better than many of the female young turk singers of the moment.

Will we manage to do as well tomorrow and will the 28th at Lower Stoke be anywhere near as good?

If so, no, I don't think folk and similar singing is dying at all.