Jim Carroll

Your posts get nastier and more dishonest every time you make them - was it something I said?

Well, comparing me to Goebbels didn't exactly endear me to you but mainly it's your refusal to believe what I tell you about the good things happening in UK folk clubs that really anoys me.

With respect, I suggest that it is the club organisers who have renaged on their responsibilities, allow their club nights to be practice sessions for non-singers and openly advocate that no standards are necessary for singing at a club - even the ability to hold a tune, who are the ones set on undermining the club scene - wonder who that could be?

I have no idea, Jim. It certainly isn't me. If you have any specific accusations to make, make them. (And stop accusing ME of being snide.)

I suppose after having made these proposals [who has done that?] , and having played down the existence of SSs "Blues, Shanties, Kipling, Cicely Fox Smith, Musical Hall, George Formby, Pop, County, Dylan, Cohen, Cash, Medieval Latin, Beatles, Irish Jigs and Reels, Scottish Strathspeys, Gospel, Rock, Classical Guitar, Native American Chants, Operatic Arias and even the occasional Traditional Song and Ballad" all performed "irrespective of ability"" clubs, you are now going to tell us that the Singalongamax clubs of this thread don't exist either?

I'm sure they must exist although I never go to any of them myself. I have no need to, there are plenty of good ones to keep me busy. What I do contest is that the bad ones are representative of the whole.
Your reliance on SS's claims clearly illustrates my point about seletive reading. You conveniently ignore the criticism he received from others on that thread. You also discard this post from another member of the same club because it doesn't suit your agenda.

Perhaps, now you're here, you could give us your opinion on the theme of this thread.

No simple answer. Insensitive joining in can be very annoying but sitting in neat, silent, attentive rows not even daring to tap your feet isn't folk music for me. Many performers I know find it disconcerting to perform to an audience who appear to be clinically dead. If a singer doesn't have the power to capture the audience's attention and make the song their own, perhaps they don't deserve that attention. I have known some magical moments when the concentration has been such that it seemed that everybody in the room really had stopped breathing. I have known others where we really did seem to "shake the plaster from the walls" often at the same session.

Yes, things are different here in Ireland. People who go to singing sessions do so to listen to the singing and the singers, not to show the world that they know all the songs, the result being that, just as the fortunes of the music have been changed for the better to the extent that you can be pretty sure that it will be listened to and played by at least the next couple of generations, singing seems to be on the up with excellent new young singers taking up the songs – and being listened to with rapt attention – can you say the same

It is true that we are not attracting many young people although things are beginning to look up, otherwise, yes.

or are all the good people contributing to this thead making it up?

The trouble is that you don't listen to ALL the people contributing to this thead and others, just those that fit your argument. Are you saying that I am making it up?