"without losing my identity, my heritage or my love and knowledge of English traditional music." (Will)...as I just posted on the RIV thread, the last Durham Folk Party (all unaccompanied) singaround i attended was both traditional and enjoyable, but, at 43, I was probably the youngest there.

"One of the things that WAV has never, ever explained to us, in all his numerous posts, is precisely why separate musical environments - separate musical traditions in separate countries - are a GOOD THING." (Will)...I've said it LOTS of times - because I love our world being multicultural, and I'm sure positive nationalism (WITHOUT imperialism and conquest) is the best and most peaceful way forward for humanity.

And Ted: I have, e.g., mentioned a few times watching a BBC series, where hands-on historians, trying to farm according to 18th century technology, were visited by a period musician with a 10 wire-string English cittern, which he said would have been plucked with a feather plectrum.