Al, I think your experience has been echoed by anyone who has stood up to perform before an audience. I was just the same for my first time, and like you I received support from the organizers and audience. I doubt I gave them a very good performance, but they were kind and forgiving. However the rest of the evening was made up of more experienced and far better performers, so they could cope with a few minutes from a nervous novice. A full evening of it might have been another matter.

I should add that this was at a singers-only club which never booked a guest, but the standard was generally high and I knew I would have to improve to match it.

Far too many singarounds now seem to be made up largely of nervous novices with performances to match (even if they have in fact been singing for years). I think these provide a refuge for singers who rather than try to achieve higher standards to perform in a 'proper' folk club huddle together for support. Maybe that's a good thing, but it's not a club I want to go to.