"Culture is learned not genetically inherited sorry!
People pop in and out from one culture to another all the time.
Nothing at all wrong with that."

On this matter, I am in agreement with Conrad.

I sing songs from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, along with songs from all over the United States and Canada. Plus a few songs in languages other than my own. I reserve the right to learn and sing any song that appeals to me and simply ignore those who try to tell me what I can or cannot sing. And this inclusiveness likewise extends to any custom or cultural practice.

I am a citizen of the world, not just a limited geographical area.

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"I did not say that professional musicians should not exist only that they should go beyond entertaining- they should entertain in ways that make positive impacts upon the creation of a singing songwriting public= this might be something as simple as handing out a song sheet for sing a long or hanging out with the people after a concert rather than leaving or perhaps arranging for many small performances rather than one big one....."

But many of them do, Conrad. Among other things, on my bookshelves, I have song books compiled by such singers as Richard Dyer-Bennet (two, collections), Burl Ives (several books and folios), Carl Sandburg (two song books compiled by this poet and minstrel), Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Theodore Bikel, Peggy Seeger, Ewan MacColl, and about a dozen others—so anybody can learn and sing these songs. Pete Seeger has probably done more than anyone else to get people singing folk songs.

On many occasions, I and others have chatted with performers after concerts. On two different occasions with Richard Dyer-Bennet, numerous opportunities to chat with people such as Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, and--the whole catalog--at the Berkeley Folk Festivals and at other performances, a half-dozen of us sitting around and chatting with Theodore Bikel the day after one of his concerts. . . .

Performers of all kinds are often quite generous with their time, and with suggestions and advice for young, aspiring performers. And this includes many performers in fields other than folk music. I've had chances to chat with many different performers including classical guitarists, opera singers, a clarinet virtuoso, a lutenist. . . .

I do not pass out song sheets at my performances, nor do I customarily lead the audience in songs as, say, Pete Seeger does. Once in a while with appropriate songs (e.g. some sea chanteys, perhaps), but not often. I have good reason for this. Many of the songs I sing are ballads—story songs. The primary purpose here is to let the song tell the story. And this is not well served by trying to get the audience to sing along on the choruses or refrains of these songs.

Case in point:   The Cruel Mother, Child #20, whose first verse goes

She leaned her back against a thorn,
    Fine flowers in the valley,
And there her little babe was born,
    And the green grass it grows rarely.

The second and fourth lines (the ones in italics) are sung in each verse. The story is a haunting one in a couple of different ways. And to have the audience sing along on these lines would obscure the story line and completely obliterate the dramatic effect of the entire ballad.

No. Not a good idea at all!

But if someone, after hearing me sing it, wants to learn it and sing it themselves, I am perfectly willing to teach them the words and tune--after the concert.

Again, Conrad, you complain about problems that don't really exist. Either that, or there may be very good reasons for doing things the way they are being done.

Don Firth