No case, kat, could be made for this article being unopinionated.

Theatrics aside, the simple matter is that reenactors and folksingers revere different pictures of perfection. History is not art and art is not history (unless, of course, we're talking about Art History). I understand a copy of Folk-Legacy's latest CD, Irish in America" is winging it's way to you, so this is timely. There are 2 Civil war songs on "Irish in America." Before recording them, I had a conscious choice to make whether to perform them circa 1861-1865 or as of some other (later) date. I chose the latter for a few reasons.

First, the period text of the recruiting song "The Irish Volunteer" had a word, revere that was used repeatedly as a rhyme. I changed the phrase "Here's to brave McClellan whom the Army now reveres" to "Here's to brave McClellan whom the Army now does steer." I believe I improved the song without changing the meaning and I believe that, if the late lyricist was still treading this green earth, he would agree with me.

Second is the case of "Pat Murphy of Meagher's Brigade." The song exists both as a period piece and as a traditional song. The folk song, which my wife, Bonnie, and I sing, is succinct, heart-wrenching and uplifting. The orginal is, simply, dated.

I don't mean any of the above to say that there is something wrong with the "warts an' all" approach of repeating the original verbatim. Quite the contrary, I want to know what the original was like and I believe that there is a great danger in taking too much liberty with history... but art is art.

All the best,
Dan Milner