In my experience, for what it's worth, singers (and I think they would have accepted latter day enthusiasts as kindred spirits) learnt their songs from a variety of sources. One of my singers cycled twenty miles to Grasby top house to get a song from a renowned singer, who wrote it down for him. Others learnt the words from ballad sheets or garlands bought at hiring fairs etc and others from friends, family and other local singers. Some of my songs I find hard to sing because they hit emotional weak points. Have I qualified as traditional or should I go back to the prozac?

Ruairidh