The late Tommy Makem's mother Sarah learned many of her songs from recordings, radio, latterly TV and movies, as well as from other singers. A lot of them were passed on to her son Tommy, and her grandchildren the Sweeney Brothers and the Makem Brothers.

She is acknowledged as being a truly great traditional or source singer.

But does the fact that she learned many of her songs from "modern" or electronic sources disqualify her?

And when a source singer is dead is it not OK to learn their songs from recordings or videos.

Here's a question I asked on an old thread a while back and it wasn't answered: when a source singer dies do revival singers with the same repertoire then become source singers?

There, that oughtta keep you busy for a while.


Seamus