I've taken in all kinds of musical performances over the years. In addition to hearing folk musicians in different venues, from coffeehouses to concerts in full-blown concert halls, I've attended symphony concerts, opera, instrumental and vocal recitals, chamber music, early music (both vocal and instrumental), just about everything but "auditorium rock."

Other than some—some, not all—performances of folk music, I rarely hear performers ask for audience participation. And only rarely do I hear audience members singing or humming along unless specifically asked by the performer. On one occasion, while attending a performance by a small opera company (a full length production of "Rigoletto" sung by young student singers—a monumental task brought off nicely by a group of young hopefuls), one of the less sophisticated audience members started to alternately whistle and hum when the soprano's big aria (Caro Nome) came along. About four measures into it, other audience members within arm's length reached over and offered to strangle the whistler. Under duress, he got the message and shut his big yap.

I have heard the likes of Ewan MacColl hold an audience of 1,600 silently enthralled as he sang ballads (unaccompanied). Joan Baez, Peggy Seeger, Gordon Bok, many others, whose singing was such that the audience wanted to sit quietly (and for others to sit quietly) and listen.

Custer La Rue of the Baltimore Consort, singing English folk songs to the accompaniment of Ronn MacFarlane on the lute. Had anyone tried to join in, other audience members would have sat on the offender's face, or ushers would have duck-walked him or her out the nearest exit.

Some singers of folk songs (most notably, Pete Seeger) want people to join in and encourage them to do so.

But even Pete Seeger does not have the authority to give people carte blanche to join in whenever, or with whomever, they please.

Much folk music is participatory. But much of it is not, requiring, for one's own full enjoyment, and out of regard for the enjoyment of the other members of the audience, that one put a sock in it!!

There are situations where audience participation is appropriate. But there are many situations and circumstances in which it is not. One should try to exercise a little judgment.

Just because it's folk music, does that mean that we can divest ourselves of the restraints of civilized human beings?

[Now that I've thoroughly pissed off a fair percentage of people, I'll move on and check back later.]

Don Firth