no Howard - you misunderstand my point of view. the future for any music - classical, jazz, or whatever is creativity.

i appreciate that people like |John Kelly, Brian Peters, Martin Carthy find the old songs an endless source of creativity - great works of art which they can return to in the same way that different orchestras and conductors can return to Beethoven.

my own feeling is that - if thats what it calls up from you -fair enough. but did classical composers say - oh well that was that - no need to write any more symphonies - Beethoven did that. that's classical music finished.

did jazz musicians say - well we've had Louis Armstrong - Charlie Parker belt up! call that rubbish jazz!
if we had an election - Jim and his pals would have lost his deposit. people have chosen to regard folk music as something different from what he thinks. and Mike. Can't help that - if i called my music something else other than folk music. no one would understand - as it is - they do. regrettable perhaps - but i didn't make the rules, any more than Jim did. i accept the situation - he doesn't. why he finds my music so much less worthy , i don't know. it has absorbed all the ability i have had, and generally people find it entertaining.