I know there is a club has organised a regular ballad forum* - I have the highest respect for the work and track record of Peta Webb and Ken Hall and their club, I have lots of correspondence with Annie Neilsen in Scotland - impressive work on the ballads there.

Right! Let's start with the Musical Traditions club, the one that Peta & Ken run and look at some of the guests they have booked this year:-

JOHN KIRKPATRICK - I've seen him in folk clubs twice in recent months and his repertoire was largely based on the 14 songs that are on his excellent new album Coat Tails Flying Let's look at the attribution of those tracks - 4 are labelled traditional, 6 are composed by John and the rest from other written sources - Sorry, John, not good enough! That's a cross by your name.

JIMMY CROWLEY - the mesmeric bard from Cork and a wonderful performer. I was also able to see him twice during his September tour of England. Main source of his repertoire I would say about 3/4 of his own compositions. - You give memorable performances, utterly engrossing but your repertoire just does not make the grade

WILL DUKE - Now here's a singer that lives near me me and I hear all the time. What does he sing? Music hall and variety stage. parodies...dated rural funnies... he does sing a few folk songs - another cross, yes, yes, Will does play the tunes of Scan Tester, but we actually know who wrote a lot of them, Another cross.

Who's coming up at their club?
8th Dec PETER & BARBARA SNAPE Lovely lively people to be in the company of. What does the MT website say about their repertoire? ..."from Music Hall to songs about mills and mines and union struggles plus the odd temperance hymn." - Oh, Dear!

So what about Peta and Ken themselves? Well if Simon Hindley is there they will sing a blues to his guitar accompaniment. Given a solo spot, Ken will often sing one of the hilarious songs written by Fred McCormick. Together a lot of their lovely harmony singing is taken from the "brothers" Country bands, the Louvins, Delmores, Blue Sky Boys etc. singing (ahem) written songs!

So with my apologies I have to tell the Musical Traditions Club that they have failed the JC test.

Let's hope that someone can pass on better news of Anne's venture in Glasgow, I'd like there to be one British folk club that gets it right.

* Actually there was a ballad forum in Lewes on 14th October and there is another one on 3rd December but as an authority pointed out on 26 Oct 17 - 04:06 AM "the world does not start and end in Sussex."