"These things have to go both ways to work well."
They do of course Peter, I'm not singling musicians out - it goes with the territory of singing in public bars - but on the few occasions where I've seen what I've described happen I've always thought it a little mercenary to use singers in that way.
Clare fiddle Joe Ryan player made an interesting comment on singing on the obituary programme for Junior Crehan, the veteran Clare musician.
As you probably know, Junior was a singer and an avid enthusiast of singing though he was better known as a musician.
Joe was asked by the interviewer what part singing played in the old sessions which took place almost exclusively in people's homes - house dances.
Joe replied that many musicians dreaded the singing, not because they disliked it, but because it always took place at the end of the evening - he said that in his and many other's other's memories, it marked the end of a good night's dancing.
Jim Carroll