I sang Earl Brand last night at a session in Preston; this came to me orally many moons ago via Thor Ewing, who is one of the finest ballad singers in the country. I also picked up King Henry from Thor, and many others too. I tink of myself as primarily a singer of traditional ballads, but generally I'm not singing many in singarounds these days because people don't like them - though rest assured there'll be plenty in our Fylde sets this year! Maybe next year we'll make it to Whitby...

On my myspace page presently you can hear me singing King Orfeo self-accompanied on a Tibetan Singing Bowl, bringing it in under five minutes. On the kemence it comes in well under four, yet people still complain about it being too long. Likewise Lucy Wan, which I can bring in under 2 minutes! A sad state of affairs altogether. At the Durham Folk Party they nobly run a Ballad Session before which the room empties. One seasoned old folkie was heard to say It's not right, is it? Singing those child ballads with all this paedophilia around. We do The Trees they do Grow High in under two minutes two, a real child ballad that isn't a Child Ballad! Anyway, here's the link to Orfeo:

http://www.myspace.com/sedayne