It prescribed the performance of work from one's own tradition;

and proscribed that from those of others.

(……………….. I recall Ewan threatening Isla Cameron with 50 lashes next time she sang an American song.)

What bothers me about such prescription and proscription is the definition of "one's own tradition".

I spent all my working life in the process industry – 12 years in chemical works and 30 years in oil refining. At all times, I was working for major multi-national companies. There are oil/chemical processing plants a-plenty in the US – if there is a good song out there inspired by them should I be stopped from singing it just because it is American?

I have lived for the last 30-odd years with rural Lincolnshire on my doorstep but was born and brought up as a city boy. It was heavy industry that has paid the bills. I love the countryside and get out into it whenever I can but does this give me the right to sing songs about farming and the life of an agricultural labourer as part of "my tradition" just because I live here? I was born in Liverpool and live just outside of Grimsby, both major ports in their day. My father spent all of his working life at sea or working for the port authority but I am a landlubber. Can I rightfully sing songs about rounding the Horn in a sailing ship? Is it part of my tradition?

If I had to limit my singing to what I know directly, my repertoire would be pretty thin as there aren't that many songs about boiling oil.

DC