I have been connected with a theater presenting traditional music for over 20 years. If I had a nickel, make that a dollar, for every time I have heard "So & So can't (sing, play, etc.)", I would be a wealthy man. That statement is inevitably made by an extremely narrow minded individual and meant to degrade. That is probably not the case here. Never-the-less, whenever I hear that statement, I also make a judgement. I remove the speaker from my list of people whose opinions I respect. To claim that Norma Waterson cannot sing is an opinion. A subjective opinion. A broad proclamation that so and so cannot sing actually tells more about the speaker than the subject. To say "I don't understand all the raving about Norma Waterson's voice. I have heard her and I was actually bored," is also an opinion, but a statement that can be accepted by most reasonable listeners. I cannot understand the need to proclaim that something one does not enjoy or understand as being unworthy, at least in a serious discussion.