Right on, Little Hawk!

Many songs are self-explanatory. But others in the realm of traditional song can benefit from a few brief and to-the-point comments.

I think the late Richard Dyer-Bennet had a good balance in his live performances. He would often introduce a song with a short comment or two, putting it in its proper context, often historical, and from time to time including a brief anecdote, generally no longer that the note on a song on the back of one of his record jackets. He was a very judicious and entertaining performer, and his remarks always enhanced his audiences' understanding and enjoyment.

It also depends a great deal on the audience. To general audiences, I do brief program notes as Dyer-Bennet did. But to, say, a coffeehouse audience comprised mostly of people whom I see frequently, or whom I know are already familiar with the songs, I usually reduce comments—if any—to a minimum.

One should never fall into the pattern where someone can say of you, "I knew he was a folk singer because he spent fifteen minutes introducing a three minute song!"

Don Firth