Áine - let me tell you that I never wanted you to spend so much work, but I really appreciate you doing so. Maybe you'll understand the reasons when I tell you a story.

Long ago in the fif- in the seventies I heard a song on the radio. Its title seemed to be something like "Whiskey in the ?" It took me some considerable effort to get the lyrics to a song called "Gilgarry Mountain" and to record a third song called "Kilgarry Mountain" performed by Colin Wilkie (? again) from the radio. With this I was able to do this song.

Then I was off some time for girls and my job. Meanwhile there was something happening which is now called the "folk revival" or "irish revival" or something like that, at least something the great mass of people didn't ignore completely. And once they found out that I could do this song I was talked into doing it again and again again (et cetera ad nauseam).

But - in the meantime there also were additional versions available on tape and CD, and they were also played again and again (not to forget the really early version by T(h?)in Lizzy which had never been played before but was played now).

All this almost made me unable to do the song at all. I can't count the times when I had to stop in between just to consider what version of the next verse - even of the next line - I should choose. One of the really good experiences though: My audience NEVER seemed to notice that, they were just enjoying THE SONG, AS IS! I learned that doing 'folk music' (I call it 'songs') doesn't mean having to do it perfectly but rather simply doing it. (Are you listening, Mbo?)

Back to what I want to say: It is considerably easier to remember a song when there's only one 'correct' version. And if it's a song in a language you don't know, this also applies to any translation - from several points of view. I think this applies to everything you can't understand at once and therefore must learn by heart. So, again

Thank you, Áine

Joerg