Ewan

That last sentence hits the nail on the head! The words and even the tune of a traditional song are the least of our worries. It's getting a grip on what the song is communicating through both that matters. Sometimes that's relatively easy. Learning the words and tossing them around - whether in the car or the shower - will soon get a passable version into you. It then becomes a matter of recognising whether the combination of words, tune and YOU actually does justice to the song.

Sometimes its more difficult. I find that some songs sneak up on you over many years. You often KNOW that you will sing them at some stage but put off tackling them until you feel you have some chance of doing justice to them Once you set about it - you find that osmosis has worked and you know it already!

I sympathise with the difficulty of those trying to work from recordings only, especially when the language, culture or placenames are unfamiliar. Again, it comes back to whether you can get inside the song to the point where it will work FOR YOU. This, incidentally, is why I am more than happy to help on matters of detail in Irish songs. Hopefully, it helps make the singer more comfortable with the song.

I realise, of course, that the dyanamic for professionals is, of necessity, different.

Regards