Yup, I agree with Benjamin . . Very well said, John.

But on the subject of early music groups . . . In my brief spell as a concert promoter one of the few non-folk events I did was with an Early Music Group . . they are the ONLY performers we worked with we'd never have back again. Apart from the snobbishness, a condescending attitude, an "oh, that's good enough" attitude to their performance and charging us way over the top for their travel expenses (and for their fee, for that matter) they expected us to look after their unrully kids which they'd chosen to bring to their rehearsal! To listen to them they really rated their improvisational skills, which they described as no longer being part of music making. Had the opportunity presented itself I would have told them to go out and listen to folk and jazz, and THEN start talking about improvisation . . .

In the same concert series we had Makvirag who, at our request, did 50% early music programme. For less than a third the fee they gave an altogether far better performance - in every respect. (And their singer was vastly better than the other group's.)

By contrast, the other "classical" concert we presented was an absolute joy in every respect . .

G.