"however some of peggys accompaniments from way back are not good, "
Of course they are not - Peggy has said so herself
Ewan told us once in an interview that he couldn't bear to listen to recordings he made in the early days
I hope nobody ever judges me on what I was doing and what I knew fifty or sixty years ago
It needs to be remembered that We are talking about English/British songs - the American tradition after the 20s/30s became far more instrumentally based
There are two distinct traditional approached in the US - go listen to the Harry Smith collection and compare it to the Dillard Chandler/Texas Gladden type of interpretation
Personally, I love both as a listener - but an I said, I don't want to discuss taste - each to his/her own
I've tried to lay out my interpretation of how the older singers approached their song - we have loads of interviews with some of them talking about this - especially Walter Pardon
The Traveller I mentioned, Mikeen McCarthy, had his father's songs printed on ballad-sheets and sold the around the fairs and markets in rural Kerry in the forties and fifties
He didvided the singing he grew up with into three distinct parts for ballad selling, pub singing ans fireside singing - three different styles for three different situations
You can hear the street style of singing (with accompaniment) in the recordings of Davy Stewart chalk and cheese compared to, say The Stewart's or Jeannie Roberson
Our old singers sang unaccompanied - Walter Pardon playd the fiddle and malodeon, yet he never considered it necessary to accompany his songs - neither did Harry Cox
We recorded songs in Ireland from some very fine fiddle and concertina players yet none of them used their instrumental skills to accompany their songs
Accompanied singing in England, Scotland and Ireland is a revival addition, unlike many Europe traditions - not a criticism, just an observation
Must go - Galway calls
Jim Carroll