" Leave that principle to religions and other irrelevant movements."
Folk Song as 'The Voice of the People' is certainly far from "irrelevant" and, in my opinion, if far more important than any religion, numbers of 'bums on seats' or peoples' lack of understanding of or disinterest in what it is.
If I were to say to singers, "stop singing and concentrate on the study of the songs", there would be howls of "folk fascist" from Birkenhead to Brighton", and rightly so.
As it is, when the reverse comes from a folk club scene that can no longer guarantee the performance of folksongs in their clubs, I'm supposed to go into my nodding- dog mode and slink off into a corner.
Sorry - no can do.
While this forum, which describes itself as being for discussing "Traditional Music and Folklore Collection and Community" is a#available to me I will continue to raise these points, despite the folk-bobby-on-the-beat telling me to "move along there".
Jim Carroll